As we passed by the stacks of koa we came to the 'neck machine'. Mahogany is used to make the necks here and a computerized machine increases the efficiency of cutting out the basic neck. There is a lot of wood waste when cutting necks due to their angular shape so it is preferred to not use the less available and more expensive koa wood for the uke necks.
Fred moved on to the body bracing and assembly area and we noted the style of bracing and kerfing used by the Kamakas.
Next the side bending station. During Fred's time the uke sides were bent by wetting the wood then shaping them over a cylendrical element and later over a light bulb frame but now Kamaka has sped up the process thanks to computerized equipment that can bend the koa sides while they are dry.
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