Thread: Fiddle back blackwood

Some pics of the log and the chip showing fiddleback.

For a solid body electric?

I have a couple of blanks in the garage ... a 45mm thick piece of agathis and a 50mm thick piece ot mahogany. So somewhere in that range.

If it's being capped with something else, then allow for that.

Others?

i have a sheet of paper in one of my folders,

let me find it,

*finds it*

heres my guidlines i wrote down to myself, in regards to the dimensions i was thinking of at the time.....

all measurements are approximates.....
(feel free to jump in and correct me, any pro builders out there)

Acoustic Back blank sizes
2 piece: 550mm long x 240mm wide x 6mm thick

Acoustic Front Blank: (same as above)

Acoustic side blank
850mm long x 120mm wide x 6mm thick

Electric Guitar blank (Top, 1 piece)
380mm wide x 550mm long x 25mm thick

Electric guitar Blank (Back, 1 piece)
380mm wide x 550mm long x 30mm thick

Electric Guitar Blank (1 piece)
380mm wide x 550mm long x 48mm thick

Electric Guitar Blank (2 piece)
each side: 185mm wide x 550mm long x 48mm thick

Neck Thru Blank
1040mm long x 100mm wide x 80mm thick

Acoustic Neck Blank
25mm thick x 650mm long x 90mm wide

Acoustic Bridge Blank
180mm wide x 55mm long x 14mm thick

Acoustic Fretboard Blank
500mm long x 80mm wide x 8mm thick

Bass Fretboard blank
690mm long x 70mm wide x 8mm thick

Electric guitar Fretboard Blank
520mm long x 65mm wide x 8mm thick


and i think thats all i have on this page,

hmmm how much should i charge for my info lol....
one slab

Hi Steve,

As Andrew has said, the only difference is for acoustic instruments, the stuff I get is usually 4.5 - 5.0mm thick. Depending on what your mate has in the way of processing gear, it could save him a lot of time.

Great, thanks for the info. I'll get to work and slice it up. He dropped in another 2 logs today. Both appear to have fiddle back.

cheers
Steve

Bollocks to you electric boys..that stuff belongs on an acoustic.

6mm is a bit thick for acoustic use. 4mm usually a good thickness for acoustic back and side sets. You can go a fraction thinner if you want get more out of the stock.

Any chance of a photo?

If you dont feel confident resawing for musical instrument use or want expert advice on resawing then get in touch with Tim Spittle at Aussie Tonewoods. PM me if youre interested and ill pass on contact details. Bob Conner in Victoria may be interested as well.

Price for back and side set....anywhere between $Aus 120 - 300, perhaps even higher depending on figure and size. Check out Aussie tonewood suppliers and see what theyre charging.

Cheers Martin

...err....if you got good figure (prefer extreme) curly wood big enough for a 1 piece body PM me!!

tht is 1 pce ELECTRIC SOLID BODY

dimensions (2" x 14" x 20") or (50mm x 355 mm x 500 mm)

Yes, if you do saw it please advertise it here.

Some solid bodies are up to 2 1/4" thick, finished. Fender used 2" rough sawn and gibson probably 2 1/2", back in the old days..

As for accoustics, well depends on how staright it saws. If you cut it 4 mm it needs to be pretty constant thickness, whereas 6 mm gives a bigger margin for error. Final thickness is 2 - 3 mm but that's after planing smooth then final thicknessing, so it's nice to have a bit of meat.

yea thats why i said 6mm....
if your saw blade goes a bit wonky it leaves enough to plane down to 4mm
or whatever thickness you want your acoustic woods.....

id also be interested in the timber if he is selling

If your converting a log for use as tonewood for acoustics, especially if it's figured, you should probably first break it down to 1/4 sawn billets between 50 and 75mm thick with those dimensions mentioned above in mind.

After you wax the end grain to prevent checking and sticker it out to prevent warping let these stabilize for a few month before you resaw down to 4 or 5mm, re-sticker and allow to dry out completely. If you try cutting down to 4mm now you may well end up with a stack of useless propellers. Truth is that you probably best selling off the 1/4 sawn billets for others to resaw and wait. Cheers

Kim

Hey Kim...go you halves!

Originally Posted by damian

As for accoustics, well depends on how staright it saws. If you cut it 4 mm it needs to be pretty constant thickness, whereas 6 mm gives a bigger margin for error. Final thickness is 2 - 3 mm but that's after planing smooth then final thicknessing, so it's nice to have a bit of meat.

If the bandsaw is not cutting straight then cut them thicker and thickness sand to 4-5mm. Note Kim's advice on sawing and waxing up ends to stop splitting.

The customer dropped in another log today. That's 3 so far. There is now enough timber to try all your suggestions. I will cut some 2 or 2.25 inch wide enough for solids. Some thins (6mm) and some larger billets for resawing for acoustics. I have large bandsaws that stay true so the only problems will only be from drying. Quarter sawing is also not difficult on my machines. Here's hoping the figure lives up to expectations.

Thanks for all the advice. I will take some pics of the process and let you know when ready for sale.

cheers
Steve

I shudder when I see back and side sets for sale at 6mm thick, that’s a lot of shavings building up around my ankles while I’m taking it down to something around 2.5mm. It is also a lot of work and a waste of good timber. The difference between 4 and 6mm slices from a 50mm billet would about two slices. With the price of quality fiddle back blackwood the way it is, that could be an extra full set ($100+) from each set of back and side billets.

My recommendation is to cut them as thin as your gear will allow that will let them be finished to 3mm with all saw marks gone. Anything thicker than that is waste and more work.

Cheers
James