I asked luthier Rob Collins to make me a short neck with 11″ scale fretboard and 1/4 size violin tuners, thinking of attempting a cigar box ukulele similar to a sopranino model he had built. Examining some blocks of wood, I found a small chunk of Douglas Fir which was quarter sawn and had extremely close straight grain. With advice, I cut some thin sections and thought I was up to making a simple box with a sound hole in it. Preparing each was laborious (perhaps grabbing 10 minutes at a time on the project) but the concept was extended by adding a bowl back – made by carving from a block, rather than bending. The result is remarkably resonant, superlight (about 220 grammes) and mates with the Rob Collins neck via a removeable bolt.
Gone to a home in Belgium (in my new regime of culling everything that is not played regularly), a first comment was: It plays very nicely, and loud. I think I could tune it still higher, although the top is going in slightly. Interesting is that it has an effect I only found in my Radiotone: the projection from the soundhole is so strong, that moving my hand above it causes a wahwah-effect. Serious people would probably call it a Doppler effect, but wahwah is much clearer. Very funky!
Ukulele 
very cool little piece. thanks for sharing