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I just got a shipment of clear quartersawn Hemlock for a NON musical project and it is REALLY NICE. I'm curious. Is Hemlock ever used in instrument building? What I got is all 1X12 and growth rings are from 9-15 throughout each piece and grain stays vertical throughout the width.. It looks very similar (not quite as red/brown) to the 3A Cedar tops I just received but seems a little harder and maybe a tiny bit heavier. This is pretty old stock and evidently from a pretty big tree.
Could this be used as a top material?....or bracing....???
Kent

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com

Poison?

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Waddy

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I know one builder who built with it and will not do it again. It is extremely brittle and splits very easily, the top had to be CA'd quite a few times during the build process. Nothing special tonewise.
As a side note it is always used green, and quite wet and heavy, for construction.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I must have a very unusual batch. The ends aren't checked at all ,low moisture content and no cupping....flat as a pancake.
Interesting posts....Thanks
Kent

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com

Yo Bailey'

All the conifers may be used as a tone wood. Including Hemlock.
It is sometimes used as a neck stiffinerupper and as braces as well as tops.
If not frowed out of billets, and only sawed then the tendency for splitting goes up.
Works well in flattops, wouldn't wanna try doing a carved top with it. Too splintery.

And only the bark is toxic.

If you got it...use it.

Me use to be able to get it around here as it grows in this area, but ain't seen any of it for a while and well me supply is just about out.


blessings
the
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Have not built with hemlock but any rough wood that I've seen tended to twist ,move and split.I would be reluctant to invest any time using it when there is so many excellent alternatives.
Tom

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

Yes Tom,
I agree, Hemlock is an excellent alternative to use.

Yo, Bailey, run a search on "hemlock tone wood" and don't be surprised on all the hits you gonna find from "tone wood companies" dealing with Hemlock or the prices of it.

Like "If it ain't spruce, It ain't a tone wood" Right?....sorry, Wrong!

Luthireisem like every other 'isum 'asum or 'spasum has its myths, half truths and out and out BS* that just keeps on getting perpetuated. Another one of them "oh wells" in life.

Plain Englishes....

Hemlock is and has always been a very valid, although not commonly used, tone wood.



blessings
the
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Padma: Laurent's post was enough for me...!

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

For what it's worth, I sided my house with quartered hemlock clapboard, being at the time a good bit cheaper that WRC. Unfortunately it has cupped and split more than than I expected, and after 11 years I am considering replacing it. It may be completely different in a situation not exposed to the elements, however.

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It's not the miles ahead, it's the stone in your shoe


In Markham,Virginia

So the Padma gets curious about hemlock and the contrasting thinking and experiences with it and start researching...well what me basicaly find out is...
the eastern and middle-west hemlock warps badly and splits. A pile of it in the hot sun will turn into spaghetti noodles, and ...
That the western hemlock, which is what the Padma is familiar with, is pretty stable as a rule, and as such is why a lot of it from around here is cut an shipped south as tone wood.

So there you go dudes. Stay away from the eastern hemlock.


blessings
the
Padma

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Well....I thicknessed a 24" section of this Hemlock batch yesterday and glued together for a trial top....Looks great!Taps pretty nice and seems very stiff at .140 (I'll leave it there for now).... I've made some precise marks height and width to check for shrinkage over the next couple weeks. I drilled 2 holes on the top outer corners and will hang on wall and flip each day. I will look for warp and twist over the next week or so. I will be very surprised if it cups as the grain is near perfect vertical.
I'll post my findings.
Kent

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com

I'd say that any wood that exhibits tonewood like properties is, well, tonewood! I've seen plenty of nice enough Hemlock ("Hem-Fir") in my house building escapades, where it's usual occurence is as a cheaper substitute for Doug Fir. It's definitely lighter, more splitty and less stout than Doug Fir - just like Spruce and Redwood. There's so much emphasis here on treating each piece of wood individually and on how there's so much variation within species. For tonewood, Hemlock may not be the productive thing to hunt for in the forest, but why can't there be a special hemlock tree here or there that yields up some killer tops?

Peace,
Sanaka

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...imagine there were no hypothetical situations...

The poison hemlock of Socrates is an herb related to carrot. It is not the tree.

Well, that explains the improvement in his night vision before he expired.......

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It's not the miles ahead, it's the stone in your shoe


In Markham,Virginia

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars