Official Luthiers Forum!

Starting this thread to discuss how to size up a tree and how to go about cutting it, storing it, drying it. etc.

A have a few questions.

I realize you would want the rough logs to be as long as possible. But since weight is a huge consideration. How much longer than a finished side would be a minimum length. I assume you would want to leave and inch or two for end checking?

Since It will be just me and my chain and band saw. Should I rip the log right down the middle with the chain saw? Then cut it into quarters?

Is it best to dry the wood in 2" thick slabs?

Can sets be cut green successfully from some woods? Which woods?

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Hi Michael, I have converted a couple of trees into billets for future resawing into backs and sides. I basically try to keep everything as large as possible on the thickness side at this stage and about 2 to 4 inches over length for endchecking. I basically try to get a 4 to 5 inch dead quartered billet for my backs first sawing about 2 to 2 1/2 inches either side if the heart. Then the sides come from the narrower billets sawn at 90 degrees to the first one.
The pictures that I have below are of a Black wood or Black Acacia that I was very fortunate to get from a dairy farm here in New South Wales, Australia. It turned out to be 100% tight fiddleback. I have made two guitars from it so far but the bulk is still in billets.

John

There is a balance here between the massive amount of wood that a tree yields and how many guitars you realistically are interested in making out of it... vs using it for something else..... AND... wood cut optimally for musical instruments isn't necessarily what you want for furniture, cabinetry, and the like...

For example -- 1 medium/large tree can easily give you a massive amount of wood... maybe 300 guitars worth..... but how many guitars do you really want to build out of boring straight grain ash or whatever it is.....

You didn't mention what sort of tree you have -- and that also changes the typical advise on how to cut it.....
Example - Maple... The sap wood is usually highly prized while the heart wood isn't so much..... Flat sawn wood also tends to show off the curly and birds eye figure the best..... Oak on the other hand is Quartersawn to show off the ray figure....

The next balance is the size of the slice and the amount of time it takes to dry.... Figure 2 years per 1" of thickness..... a 5" thick slab -- 10 years is still on the early side..... Many people saw out their instrument wood to a standard thin size almost immediately, then stack and sticker it up for later.... Sawing slices green can be much easier -- as the wood cools the saw blade.... 3/8" thick wood also dries a whole lot faster.... Months vs Years.....

So... Say you have a big tree.... You may elect to slab saw it and then save 1 piece of that center slice for quartersawn instrument wood... then use the rest of it for something else....

Just a few things to think about...

Thanks

Different trees are done differently. So it would be hard to say for all. A long board will check on the ends and is better cut to length after it is dry. Cherry trees crack in the heartwood along the length often while drying when milled thick. Some trees like to cup and twist while drying and have to be restrained with alot of weight when stickered. Poplar is one of those. To get quartersawn luthier lumber, cut down the pith as level as you can for less runout.Also look for straight trees with no twist in the bark. Learning to read the bark can be real helpful when looking for tonewood.If you see twist on the outside, there will more likely be twist on the inside and a tree like that is a waste of your time trying to mill for guitarwood.

Logging wood for guitars is trickey and if the tree isn't 30 inches across , it is rare to fing luthier grade. The other issue is hidden surprises. Processing this is not that difficult if you split the tree but getting it sawn can be an issue. A sawyer will ask where the tree was harvested and if it came from the neighbors back yard PASS. You will most likely be held responsible for damage to equipment from nails and other hidden no wood things that grow into a tree.
A saw for a mill isn't cheap . You will also want to process this asap as the longer it sets the wood shrinks and splits. Once you decide what you want to harvest contact the sawyer first. Cutting to a short length may make the wood unworkable for the sawyer. You also want to split off the sap wood and heart wood. Look for damage like wind cracks and checks. It is remarkable that most large trees can have so much wrong with them for luthiery.
Read the bark , and if you see a twist in the tree avoid it. This will have a lot of run out. Look for damage on the bark and signs of insect infestation. You , may get lucky and you may just have a great deal of fire wood. Still it can be fun .

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Any twist on a log is a NO NO for guitar wood or project needing any stability or structure.

I use a Chain saw to rough cut my logs. I have a milling device that attaches to my chain bar with a slotted U shaped guide that slides on a 2X6 screwed flat to the logs outer surface. This makes a straight and uniform cut. Use a ripping chain also. It has more distance between cutters and will cruise through a log. A regular chain blade will take you FOREVER.. I half the log then quarter the log and then 1/4 saw the quarters. If you use a chain saw to mill your complete log...you'll loose about 50% of your wood in chain blade takeout. Rough saw your quarters, cut to desired length (plus a few inches) and then do your quarter saw milling on a thinner blade band saw (if you have a saw big enough)...or take your sections to a mill and have them bandsaw it for you. You'll save money in the long run. Parafin your ends and sticker/stack.

It's always a treat to take a self milled hunk and mill it for use on a project. I have some Honduras Mohagany from 20 years ago I still have stacked in 4" thickness. Been waiting for the right door to build.....Might just turn into a pile of guitars.
KB

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