Massive tonewood source right under our noses

[Baz1000]

Thanks Bob. I might consider doing some tests myself. I really don't want to trial and error on an instrument again.

Kind REGARDS

[mandoman]

So Bob, do your customers use Spruce bracing on their Huon tops?

Peter

[Robson Valley]

To say that spruce, like Picea glauca, is tone wood misses the mark. Not one cubic meter in a thousand is tonewood. To some degree, that explains the success of "tonewood prospectors" up here.

For research on the elastic properties and other mechanical properties of your woods, I'd ask at CSIRO, Forest Products Division. I know that they were doing some data collection '69 - '72, when I lived in Melbourne.

There's one problem (same as here): they work strictly from the radial, tangential and transverse faces of the log, not a common plan for sawing, anywhere.

Panshin & deZeeuw/Manual of Wood Technology was a text that I've used, good way to brush up on the key features to look for.

Try abeBooks.com, they had a few for 5-30$

[truckjohn]

Unfortunately, there's just so much variation in physical properties... even within the same tree that I wouldn't really trust the "Book" values except as to a general starting point....

I suppose the crux of the issue could come from one of 2 places - low elastic modulus or a high value for cold creep...

Deflection testing is easy enough to do to measure modulus... but I don't really know how I'd test out cold creep other than clamping a bar in a fixture and hanging a weight off of it for a couple years - to see how much of a "Set" it takes....

Thanks

[Robson Valley]

True, the book doesn't help much as the wood is cut unlike most quarter-sawn stock available.

I don't need to wait for "set," local lumber store has a bin of bananas out back!
Lots of derelict homestead buildings here in the valley, the set sag in the roof is extreme.
I suppose they were thrown together with fresh wood in that day and time.

Personally, my taste runs to beautifully book-matched tops and backs on instruments like guitars.

[woodturner777]

So Bob, do your customers use Spruce bracing on their Huon tops?

Peter

Hi Peter, One of my customers in the U.S.A. Bryan Rourke used Huon for bracing on his Huon top build and said he loved it, can not comment on others what they use many luthiers as you would know are traditional.
Regards Bob

[Baz1000]

Hi Peter, One of my customers in the U.S.A. Bryan Rourke used Huon for bracing on his Huon top build and said he loved it, can not comment on others what they use many luthiers as you would know are traditional.
Regards Bob

Bob, with great respect, if my experience is worth consideration, I would urge Peter to use spruce bracing in a huon top. The work involved to correct a collapse when the instrument is finished is substantial....and very annoying.

[woodturner777]

Bob, with great respect, if my experience is worth consideration, I would urge Peter to use spruce bracing in a huon top. The work involved to correct a collapse when the instrument is finished is substantial....and very annoying.

Hi Barry, this is one thing I try not to do that is tell a luthier what to do as I am not a luthier, all I can do is comment on what my customers tell me and recommend what I know works and all I comment on was one customer used it for bracing and it worked and he loves it.

[Baz1000]

I get it....sorry

[woodturner777]

I get it....sorry

No worries Barry, no need to say sorry your input is most welcome,
Mandolin is now in the gallery of my website, cheers Bob

[mandoman]

Resawed half of my Huon plank today. Got 3 OM size sets from it, really nice clean and clear wood, amd it rings on like a bell. You get lucky sometimes. I bought it almost 20 years ago so is well seasoned! Bob, what have your customers been using for back and side woods with Huon?

Peter

[woodturner777]

Resawed half of my Huon plank today. Got 3 OM size sets from it, really nice clean and clear wood, amd it rings on like a bell. You get lucky sometimes. I bought it almost 20 years ago so is well seasoned! Bob, what have your customers been using for back and side woods with Huon?

Peter

Hi Peter, I have had customers use myrtle plus blackwood for the back & sides. at the moment I have a customer interested in building the full instrument out of Huon pine, I wonder how that will sound & work.? it will be interesting to see.
Regards Bob

[aussiewoody]

Can I ask what you used for the sides? I'm planning an octave mandolin.

[PWC Basses]

a couple of luthiers in canada have been working with pine on basses for a few years now, from what i can gather, pine has a very similar density to basswood and has a bit more bite to the tone... im about to start a bass with pine and a red cedar top... only one way to find out how it sounds

[kiwigeo]

..... as this is a great forum and if Peter says it works it works, just like I once posted in this forum that Tasmanian celery top pine works well as a soundboard and a member in this forum says it will not work well I know it works and really well, dont knock unless you know what your talking about.

Its a funny thing but a few weeks back there was also a woman from Tasmania on another forum raving on about celery top pine. The posts read alot like the ones on an earlier thread of yours on celery top pine on the same forum...nice to see two Taswegians equally passionate about celery top pine