Official Luthiers Forum!

I ordered a replacement set of first grade EIR sides from a major California-based supplier. After a couple of passes through my sander it became obvious that there were what appeared to be fractures in many spots due to severe runout. I doubt these will bend without breaking. I got to say that I'm pretty disappointed with them. Anyone else experience this problem?
You can see an example of the fracture in the center top of this pic.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

The do not look like fractures but just flake outs of the fiber while sanding. If your mot happy send them back. but this is not uncommon with IRW. that really does not appear to be much at all. Odds are they will bend fine. As far as dealing with it finish wise I think most will scrape level and fill fine during pore filling.

Hmm not sure what that really is, but maybe not caused by runout whatever it is.
Myself I use a plane to thin and it has to be done with care as rosewood seems to be very fragile as a rule. It likes to split, while finding RW with no runout is likely impossible, and planing against it equals some really nasty tearout.
I hope others will come with some real help

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Build log

You found these after you sanded them. There is no supplier in the world that can predict or send out sides that are perfect on the inside. If you think they are bad contact the seller and if they are reputable I'm sure they'll replace them. I've ordered from most California suppliers over the last 20 years and I've returned wood to most of them at some point or the other without a hassle.

Sometimes when wood is improperly kiln-dried it will do that.It may have been dried too fast causing that.A kiln is alot harder on the wood fibers than air drying , and that sometimes occurs.If that's the case,they should take a return on it. Mark

Here is a piece of Quilted maple that was dried to fast in a kiln.

Please, what does the term "runout" mean?

Mike

Mike;
Have you ever split a piece of firewood?
The split line unless altered by a knot or bark inclusion will follow the
longitutal grain!
When wood is cut or machined to be off that natural path you have runout!
Runout means you have a piece that is not as strong because the end of the long cells of the wood have been sliced into at an angle.

So if you just take a piece of wood -throw it on the bandsaw and slice it off -you'll be slicing through the long grain of the wood.
Since these long grains are like small straws and move sap from the roots to the rest of the tree you'll have runout.
The grain does not follow it's natural split path !
The long cells have been cut into .
You can feel & see runout in Spruce tops especially.
Run your hand over the wood from end to end.
If it was a piece from a split piece you will feel a roughness in both directions.
If there is runout -one direction will feel smoth -the other direction will fell like your going to get slivers in you hand!


Sorry if this is not clear!


Mike

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Mike Collins

I can't see the fractures or evidence of runout. But if the sides are defective, any of those major California wood suppliers will replace them.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.