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| 75 year old oak.... http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=23834 |
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| Author: | J Coleman [ Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | 75 year old oak.... |
Ok 2 years ago a tornado went through my back yard and tore down 3 trees. 2 were maple, (which i wish i had kept) and the other was a 75 year old oak tree. the tree was cut into 10 sections measuring approximately 24" in diameter, and and 22"-24" tall and thrown into the tree line in front of my house where it sat since then. Is this wood seasoned properly? would it be worth keeping for guitars? |
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| Author: | TonyKarol [ Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:20 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 75 year old oak.... |
Seasoned properly for guitars ... I doubt it. Lying around outside for two years in NY state it has likely checked some, and its possible the centre of the round isnt even dried. One side/end lying on the ground may have let it rot some too. It needs to be split into billets, and then cut into sets, or at least some one inch thick pieces (here is where you see if you like what you have) and then stickered for a while inside. Oak makes a decent guitar ... but most folks consider it better for flooring which makes it a tough sell. |
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| Author: | truckjohn [ Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 75 year old oak.... |
Well... Al Carruth says it makes a good guitar... Who am I to argue? I am currently building a small body Oak Ditson GC (14" lower bout, 12 fret to the body, 24.9" scale) Just got the Bindings in last night. I am doing Back, Sides, and Neck out of QS Red Oak. I gotta say... It sure is easy to bend those sides in Oak! Just get them Hot and Wet. I bent them just fine at 1/8" thick! The stuff you have will make fine backs unless it is too heavily checked. If you are lucky, it only has a couple large splits in it that go straight from edge to center rather than 10-million little checks all over the ends. As Tony said, I would split it out into billets and paint the ends. Stack them up somewhere dry and let them age and dry out. At worst, you will have good firewood. At best, you will get a zillion guitar backs. Here is a pic of the back of mine sans bindings. Attachment: Oakie_Build_23.JPG Tell us how it looks. John |
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| Author: | the Padma [ Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 75 year old oak.... |
Yo, J Wood dries at an approximate rate of one year per inch of thickness. Because the tree grew in the city, chances are no sawyer gonna cut it up for you. (Hidden Metal) So get it frowed out in to billets, then bandsaw yourself into smaller billets and finally plates and sides. Thats if it has not already checked too badly. Wax, paint or seal the end grain. Sticker it up in a ventilated area. With some weight on the top, to discourage twisting. SO depending on how thick your final cut is, will determine how soon you can use it. Like 1/4 inch backs would be dry enough in 3-4 months. (on average) Next time a tree comes down....at the minimum....saw it off into 6 or 8 or 10 foot lengths, wax and or paint the ends with a a few coats and were any limbs were cut off. Then get the log off the ground by a few inches until you or someone else can use it. It can sit like this up off the ground and sealed ends for years. Blessings the Padma |
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| Author: | bluescreek [ Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 75 year old oak.... |
With the wood outside for 2 years, what you now have is most likely firewood . You have a very good chance that the wood now is filled with powder post beetle or some other larval insect. Oak will make a find guitar , but that is white oak mostly . There are over 50 species of oak . Not all of it is good wood. Red oak is full of pores and you can actually blow bubbles in water with it as the veins do not have a seal as in white oak. You have Pin oak , red oak , white oak , black oak . so do you even know what you have ? So when in doubt build with it anyway |
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| Author: | Jody [ Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 75 year old oak.... |
thats beautifull John ! that last line especialy! LOL Jody bluescreek wrote: With the wood outside for 2 years, what you now have is most likely firewood . You have a very good chance that the wood now is filled with powder post beetle or some other larval insect. Oak will make a find guitar , but that is white oak mostly . There are over 50 species of oak . Not all of it is good wood.
Red oak is full of pores and you can actually blow bubbles in water with it as the veins do not have a seal as in white oak. You have Pin oak , red oak , white oak , black oak . so do you even know what you have ? So when in doubt build with it anyway |
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| Author: | MRS [ Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:18 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 75 year old oak.... |
I'm gonna agree with john here. After 2 years the beetles probably already turned this into mush. I have seen this on my property. |
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