Where I live in Illinois, the best hardwood I can find in 1x2 size is poplar. I'd rather have oak because I want to mount telecaster pickups and I need the strength I can buy a 6 foot section of oak that's 1 inch thick but 7 inches wide.
In a conversation with my Ace Hardware guy, I was told that ripping the wider board down to neck size would make it vulnerable to warping and/or twisting. That scared me out of the idea. What do you guys think about this? Can I rip an oak board down to 1 1/2 wide and have it stay stable or not.
I don't know if the wood was air dried or kiln dried if that makes a difference.
Thanks for any help,
Fred
Replies
Me too mate, weather here has turned cold. Do you have an old hand plane of any kind, slow hard work but it's what the old masters used, I still use a cabinet scraper for detailed work, can't be beaten. Let me know how you get on mate. All the best, Chris. :)
Chris, I'm going to use Tims design on my next project which will be a resonator with a pretty big box.
I don't have a planer (sp?) or a jointer, or a belt sander. I do have an old Sears cast iron 10" table saw, a router and a dremel with some good cutters. I made a router table out of a 2 ft. x 2 ft. piece of plywood and a garbage can.
My lumber problem was solved by two Menards stores and their good hardwood selections. So right now I'm just waiting for the next warm front to move in so I can work in the garage.
Chris,
The threaded rod in the mandolin is adjustable. I countersunk the nut on the outside of the box so that it can't be seen. Works very well.
Chris Thomas said:
Hi Tim and Fred, never made one before and I am new to CBG's too was thinking on the lines of a wooden truss but the tie rod is a far better idea, can the rod be adjusted, should be possible. Thank's to all at CBG's for your help, Tim let's do it mate were not on our own, not sure how it will turn out, he who dares mate, let me know how you progress. Chris. :)
Tim Gale said:
Sorry Fred, missed the bit about poplar, here it makes good packing crates and pallets, waste of time, stick with the hardwoods mate. Just ask around, someone somewhere always can or will know a man who can, some nice people in the world mate. Chris. :)
Hi Fred, I live in the good old UK and we have some real lousy weather and wood moves day to day depending on the conditions, winters wet and windy, summers hot wet and anything that the gods throw at us and a well seasoned oak should be six years air dried or terminal kiln dried to be fine. I don't have that problem as I have the cheek to go to joiners shops, furniture manufacturers, shop fitters etc cap in hand as we say and very politely ask to see the man in charge and ask if they can spare any off cuts. You might get a real bargain price, or sweep the floor as payment or as I have always done, come away with a wood yard of exotic wood in the back of the car and done the return visit to pick up the rest and on one occasion an invite to the office party! Talk to people, ask politely and once they get the swing of things you will start getting short of space to store the bloody stuff. Honest mate ask around and someone knows someone who has more than you can cope with then who gives a bugger if it warps or bends or does the twist. More wood than I can cope with, shame you don't live next door. Let me know when your cursing me and can't give it away, won't be long mate. Chris. :) Theirs nothing nicer than nice people, went down memory road and never came back. :)
Fred, if you have the milling capabilities, like a jointer and planer, you should try and find a source of un finished wood. You can get allot of yield out of a stick of 5/4. Oak seems to warp, de-stress, more than other woods. Whatever you buy it would be good to acclimate the wood to your environment before and after you rip it, slightly oversize, in case it de-stresses and you need to straighten it again. Temperature effects raw wood allot. If your shop is un heated at night etc. you might want to paint the end grain of all your raw wood with paraffin the keep it from checking. Hope this sheds some light.
http://www.rockler.com/c/lumber-sold-in-pre-cut-lengths.cfm Rockler carries a fine assortment of pre- cut exotic`s and domestic woods. Their prices are resonable and they send it right to your door. Alot of builders by their fretboard material from them. Their nice because they come in 1/8" and 1/4" and 1 1/2" wide, prefect for a 1x2 cgb neck. They also carry thicker stock for necks if you would want to get that pre-cut wood also. But i`ve learned over the years that if your using an oak neck without a truss rod or inner neck support to use an exotic wood for the fretboard. It helps in supporting the neck from bowing and looks killer !!
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next