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I just received some European Spruce for braces that's been cut to 5/16"x 3/4" and it's about 20 degrees off quarter. It's nice, tight and straight-grained but off quarter, would you consider this too much?

I also bought some spanish cedar to try as braces. It's about 25% lighter than spruce and less stiff, I'd say something like 30-40% less stiff even though I have no real measurements. I was thinking of using it for the back braces, I think I'll be able to match the stiffness of the spruce by adding some height (15-20%) to the braces. Has anyone used spanish cedar for the braces, top or back?

Edit: Forgot to ask: I also got some spanish cedar for the linings. I'm thinking of doing solid linings but what height/thickness do you make them? I guess it depends on how the cedar will bend?

Longitudinal stiffness of braces doesn't seem to correlate to being well quartered. Runout however is a deal breaker for me. If there's no runout, I'd have no problem using brace wood that's 20 degrees off quarter.

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StevieRay: I concur with Kent especially about the runout, but at this stage you have no control over the runout. I don't get brace stock in any form other then billet. I was stung once by using 1" by 2" stock, more runout then I would use, so the blanks were not suitable for X braces. With billets one can get a split face and work from that, then you have excellent quarter and as little run out as possible. It's one thing I like to be real fussy about.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

As far as the solid linings go, you can cut strips to an easily bendable thickness (for heat bending - don't need to go floppier than that) and then laminate them to form a lining of desired thickness. You just need a form that corresponds to the inside shape of your sides. This produces a nice rigid lining that holds it's shape well.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu