Comments

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  Randy S. Bretz February 5, 2014 at 8:55am

  
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  smilingdog1 April 22, 2013 at 3:47pm

  Here we go! Found a little flea market that has bundles of these veneers at a ridiculous low price. Wish I wasn't so broke today I'd have bought all of them. A stack here of 21 sheets Birdseye maple each measures 8"x14".
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  smilingdog1 February 10, 2013 at 7:40am

  Thanks guys, I'm using a scraper then sanding this piece after running it through my 13" table top planer. I'm learning the scraper is a good way to remove material, keep it leveled and less likely to chip the grain. This piece will end up on a lap guitar in a few weeks.
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  Dooder February 10, 2013 at 6:28am

  For thin stocky, you can mill your own in small quantities easily.  I had a old luthier guy tell me this one.  Say I have a board that's 3/4 or so, but I want 1/4 or 1/8, my bandsaw won't make such a fine cut, and the table saw would just destroy it.  Secure the wood to the top of your workbench and plane it down with a power hand planer.  Be VERY careful, doesn't take much inattention to ruin a stick with way. 
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  Dooder February 10, 2013 at 6:24am

  It's really easy to tell the difference between white ash and white oak.  Seriously taste the wood, just a lick will do.  The ash will taste sweetish, oak will be bitter.  Oak tend to be a lot more brittle as well.  The rough cut ends will feel more prickly compared to ash.  I use a lot of local stuff here in Maine. Often in older wood color can be misleading, especially if weathered.  I have learned to identify primarily by feel and smell.
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  Mark Lindsay January 2, 2013 at 8:58am

  Morning, SmilingDog. The light colored wood in your 5th photo down from the top looks very much like white ash - in fact, I'd bet on it. White ash is a great hardwood to work. It machines nicely and takes a finish very well. I like it better than oak, but that's just a personal opinion. The most common use for it is baseball bats and tool handles, so you know it's a hard, stable, durable wood.

  All in all, it looks like you got a nice stash going!
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  smilingdog1 December 31, 2012 at 10:01pm

  The neck above is maple, Cocobolo fret board, head stock is sandwiched in with layered ebony/Cocobolo/ebony. Local wood middle, ebony chunk bottom.
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  smilingdog1 December 31, 2012 at 9:52pm

  Wenge wood at the bottom here, very hard and lovely colored grains running through it. Local cherry above that, next is a thin piece of Congolese rosewood, then Ebony of which I use all the time.
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  smilingdog1 December 31, 2012 at 9:44pm

  These are imports, Blood wood and purple heart, both of which are messy to sand but beautiful without adding color. The Mahogany here is tight grained lite colored, not sure where it's from, I have several varieties laying around.
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  smilingdog1 December 31, 2012 at 9:37pm

  This is local cherry, all these are from the Midwest east of St. Louis MO. 40"x4"x1"

  It has some weight to it and is medium density, I grade it nether soft nor hardwood.

  Easy to sand, nice for a neck I'm thinking.