Need help finding wood

Posted by Vini Machado on April 14, 2010 at 3:54pm
I wish i could go to home depot and pick up some red oak or poplar, but they dont have home depots here in norway. It's been really hard to find wood here and if i do it'll most likely not be good size for a cbg neck and i dont have access to a table saw. Ive talked to a luthier in my city and he gets all his wood imported from germany.
Basically im trying to find if itll be worth it to import some wood(i only need about 3 necks worth, plus 2 fretboards) and how i'd go about it. Im worried about ordering wood online cause it could be bowed and even if i can send back ill lose the money for shipping.
Anybody here that has access to good straight red oad/mohogany/maple/poplar that is 1''x2''x3' plus some fretboards wanna help me out?

this might be my first or second post here but ive been reading the forum for a long time. ive found answers to everything i need just by reading that i find no reason to ask the same questions

thanks

You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!

Join Cigar Box Nation

Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Craig Cox April 16, 2010 at 10:37pm
    Vini, I cut my first scarf joint this week on a maple 1x2. I used a mitre box and hand saw and I have to say it was some work and it didn't turn out perfect by any means, but useable I think. I have a table saw, but need to fashion a jig to make the scarf joint cut properly. BTW, I had to modify my mitre box to make an approximate 13 degree cut. Now that it's glued up and sanded, it looks pretty good for a first attempt.
  • Vini Machado April 16, 2010 at 5:17am
    I can't imagine shipping would be that expensive but it depends on weight. How much does a 3 feet maple neck weight?

    I'd like to at least try to make the scarf joint with what i have. If i mark it right, cut it with care, then plane and sand the joint i'm confident i can make it happen. If not, i'll learn with my mistakes and it's no big deal.

    I also have some boxes coming on the mail and im not sure of sizes yet. It doesnt matter though, as what im interested is a 1x2x3 blank.
    thanks

    Alan Roberts said:
    Vini Machado said:
    hey

    even if i find some nice wood i wont have a way to cut it unless i know someone with power tools which i dont have acess to it. of course, if i find good stuff i'llkeep it but my problem is that i want to build NOW I wish i could just go down the street and buy some lumber but it seems to be something quite scarce around these parts. ... now i'm itching to build one myself.

    Isn't it good... Norwegian wood? Sorry, somebody had to ask you that.

    Dude, I could just SEND you one of my hard maple blanks. After sawing up a big board into 1x2 lengths, they came to about $3 each. MAILING it to you would probably cost me a small fortune. But cutting an accurate scarf joint with a hand saw would be a pain in the fjord. I could cut it for you with my table saw, but I'd have to know how big the box is, what scale length you want etc.
  • Craig Cox April 15, 2010 at 5:43pm
    What about all that "Norwegian Wood" everybody is always singing about? Seriously, there are no home improvement or hardware stores? How about hobby or craft shops? Lumber yard?
  • Allan April 15, 2010 at 4:05pm
    It is probably in Norway the same as it is here in the Netherlands (Holland), you will have to find the wood specialty shops to find what you need .. there is a shop in Amsterdam that you can locate on the internet that will ship internationally.. and does specialize in instrument wood.. I am finding though I can get hard wood strips 120 to 220 cm in length you just need to locate them in the local hardware store them laminate them together.. it took me several tries to get it figured out.. and I also found that going fret-less is a lot less difficult to play than I imagined it would be and fun also.
    Allan

    Vini Machado said:
    hey

    even if i find some nice wood i wont have a way to cut it unless i know someone with power tools which i dont have acess to it. of course, if i find good stuff i'llkeep it but my problem is that i want to build NOW.
    I've looked into taking classes at a vocational school but unfortunately i havent been living here long enough to speak the amount of norwegian required. Im working on that and soon i wish to acomplish it.

    Again, no home depots in norway. I wish i could just go down the street and buy some lumber but it seems to be something quite scarce around these parts. I thought about ship yards and such and I'll see if i can arrange something, but i doubt ill be able to find the perfect 1x2x3 piece.
    I might buy something online for the time being but i dont want a semi-finished neck, i want a tru blank so i can make a scarf joint, shape it, fret it, etc. I bought a cbg from josh at smoke house and im waiting to get on the mail, now i'm itching to build one myself.
  • Alan Roberts April 15, 2010 at 2:03pm
    Vini Machado said:
    hey

    even if i find some nice wood i wont have a way to cut it unless i know someone with power tools which i dont have acess to it. of course, if i find good stuff i'llkeep it but my problem is that i want to build NOW I wish i could just go down the street and buy some lumber but it seems to be something quite scarce around these parts. ... now i'm itching to build one myself.

    Isn't it good... Norwegian wood? Sorry, somebody had to ask you that.

    Dude, I could just SEND you one of my hard maple blanks. After sawing up a big board into 1x2 lengths, they came to about $3 each. MAILING it to you would probably cost me a small fortune. But cutting an accurate scarf joint with a hand saw would be a pain in the fjord. I could cut it for you with my table saw, but I'd have to know how big the box is, what scale length you want etc.
  • Vini Machado April 15, 2010 at 12:42pm
    hey

    even if i find some nice wood i wont have a way to cut it unless i know someone with power tools which i dont have acess to it. of course, if i find good stuff i'llkeep it but my problem is that i want to build NOW.
    I've looked into taking classes at a vocational school but unfortunately i havent been living here long enough to speak the amount of norwegian required. Im working on that and soon i wish to acomplish it.

    Again, no home depots in norway. I wish i could just go down the street and buy some lumber but it seems to be something quite scarce around these parts. I thought about ship yards and such and I'll see if i can arrange something, but i doubt ill be able to find the perfect 1x2x3 piece.
    I might buy something online for the time being but i dont want a semi-finished neck, i want a tru blank so i can make a scarf joint, shape it, fret it, etc. I bought a cbg from josh at smoke house and im waiting to get on the mail, now i'm itching to build one myself.
  • Jason Nelms April 15, 2010 at 9:59am
    Home Depot has Polpar and red oak precut in 1x2x3, 1/4x2x3 and 1/2x2x3. I suggest doing as Diane from Chicago and using the 1/2x2x3 or the 1x2x3 and adding a 1/4x2x3 fretboard. You have to sort thru the pieces to find the straight ones but it isn't usually a problem.
  • Alan Roberts April 15, 2010 at 1:20am
    Hæia Vini,

    Wood: Keep an eye out for building construction and deconstruction. Especially the latter. I bet you can find some old oak or poplar there. Where do old boats go in Norway to die? Some of the old ones had decks made out of hardwoods we can olny dream about today.

    Tools: I know more about rocket ships and the moon than I do about schools in Norway, but are there no vocational schools where you live? There have to be some school that teaches young craftsmen their trade. Try to take classes there, if just to get inside.

    Let me know if this doesn't work and I'll see what I can do.

    Lycka till!
  • Leonard Deddo April 14, 2010 at 5:33pm
    I am in the same boat as you, without much in the way of tools. I contacted "Backporchmojo.com. Big Daddy there says he will build necks and it seems his prices are very resonable. He also sells kits for a complete Cigar Box Guitar, and parts also. Give him a look ! Back Porch Mojo.
  • Wichita Sam April 14, 2010 at 4:26pm
    Vini,

    Have you or can you consider recycling furniture? An early source of Cherry for me was an old table that was being thrown out.... later I got some nice pieces of mahogany from a headboard.... I know you don't have much in the way of tools, but even a simply circular saw could turn some abandoned furniture into usable lumber.

    the best,

    Wichita Sam
This reply was deleted.