Official Luthiers Forum!

I have a large board of australian lacewood and was wondering if anyone had any experience bending it. It seems pretty brittle and splinters easily making me a little weiry. I did attempt bending a piece of binding over a bending iron to a dread template, but it did split in a couple spots. My technique is probably a little rusty so I'm not ready to give up. Anyone else have any thoughts on the stuff?

Mitch, I built an eir om with lacewood bindings recently. You are right. That wood is the most splintery stuff I have worked with. I thicknessed the bindings to about 0.085", and they bent just fine in my bender. Not sure about a whole side. Haven't done that.

Ken

_________________
http://www.casperguitar.com

Strange, I have lived in AU all my life and had never heard of Australia Lacewood until I seen for sale one day on a tonewood vendors web site in the USA...wonder what it is?

It could be 'Southern' Silky Oak, Grevillea robusta

It could be 'Northern' Silky Oak, Cardwellia Sublimis

It could be Beef Wood, Grevillea striata

Then again it could be Western Sheoak, Allocasuarina fraseriana

It also could be any of half a dozen or so other timbers that grow in AU with a lace like appearance none of which to my knowledge are commonly referred to locally as "lacewood" and no of which are related in anyway whatsoever to European lacewood, Platanus ssp or Brazilian lacewood, Roupala brasiliensis or the African variety what ever that is.

It would be great if wood vendors could start providing botanical names in their descriptions, it would save so much confusion.

If you want the best of the bunch tonally, go with WA Sheaok, Allocasuarina fraseriana, beautiful stuff to work, very stable and excellent tonal qualities...don't just take my word for it though, have a read of what Jack Spira (very good Aussie builder) has to say about it.

http://www.guitarbench.com/2008/09/21/australian-tonewoods-by-jack-spira/

This wood data entry from the same site:
[url]
http://www.guitarbench.com/2008/09/17/w ... -database/[/url]

Cheers

Kim

I built an OM from what Allied posted as Australian Lacewood and it was Grevillea robusta - Silky Oak. I made the sides about .085" and had no problems in a Fox style bender with 2 slats and 2 blankets (blanket, slat, wood in craft paper, slat blanket). It made a nice guitar with a great tone.



Chuck

_________________
"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

I built a classical with what was sold locally as `Lacewood`. I agree with Kim, the nomenclature is vague at best. Still, the stuff I got behaved a lot like mahogany.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I've built a couple of tenor ukes from locally sourced Silky Oak. Don't know if it's Northern or Southern. Easiest wood I've bent.

IT is brittle and watch out for the splinters! But it bends quite well.

It may bend fine for sides, but for binding, it is tough. Wants to break at every freckle!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Waddy I didn't have too bad a problem with the bindings on a guitar I am just finishing up, I use water and really get them hot. I could definitely hear cracking but it pulled through ok.

The bindings I used on this guitar bent without much of a hiccup. I spritz lightly with water, wrap in foil, sandwich between slats, place the heating blanket on top and toss in my Fox style bender. As noted above, there are lots of varieties, and perhaps the one I used is a little more well-behaved (still very splintery).

Ken

_________________
http://www.casperguitar.com

I was bending it on a pipe, and therein lies the problem, methinks!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I agree with you Waddy. It's way to brittle to bend on a pipe in my experience too. I think I will probably wait until I have a side bender to attempt it. Otherwise I see it just being a frusterating time, most likely ending up with broken pieces being hurled around the room.

I hope I'm not out of place in saying this outside the classifieds, but would anybody be interested in a set of Aussie Lacewood bindings?  I have 5 sets cut, and a bunch more that I could saw up.  If there is some interest, I'll post some over there.  What a great time for a sales pitch right?  Just after I got done telling everyone how difficult it was for me to work with. 

It makes great looking binding. I have used it a couple of times. Love the way it looks. I might be interested.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

hmmm, well I bend it on a pipe too and really did not have much of an issue, only done it twice though from the same stock so maybe it's just right for bending.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I've never bent it, but i'm considering useing it for a fretboard and bridge on my next. I like the way it looks, but it might not be hard enough for a fretboard as i hav'nt seen it for sale as fretboards.