Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on September 30, 2018 at 11:07am

Hi, here in Australia I go to hardware chain Bunnings, for cbg neck timber and fingerboards.

The neck wood is Tasmanian Oak and the fingerboard timber is Merbau. The oak is whitish to cream and the merbau is dark to light...ish mahogany colour. A great combination for necks I think. As I have said I pick the eye's out of the stack and often come away with nothing. The nearest store is 130km away.

I have posed some photo's of what I look for and a bunch of oak necks and Merbau fingerboards.

Cheers Taff

1/4 sawn.

Great figure, you don't see that every day...and.....

Merbau wood fibres hold the fret tang well.

 

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Permalink Reply by Frank Scott on September 30, 2018 at 5:12pm

Those look like some pretty nice necks your building Taff.  Are those fret markers the basic 1/4" rounds that CB Gitty sells?

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on October 1, 2018 at 1:30pm

hi Taffy, those Merbau finger boards look great. where do you get them from? Do you rip them down from bigger stock?  some of the Merbau i have seen is finger jointed. i used the 18mmx40mm Tas Oak from bunnings and also used 8mmx40mm Tas Oak as a fretboard..

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 1, 2018 at 11:37am

Considering most 6 string necks are 1 & 11/16" wide at the neck and 2 & 3/16" wide at the heel, 1 & 1/2" should be fine for a 4 string. All 4 of my 4 string CBG's have 1 & 1/2" wide necks, even did a 6 string(3 groups of 2) with one without any problems. 

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Permalink Reply by Kigar on September 30, 2018 at 12:26pm

I have been fortunate to have been able to supply my habit mostly from the free section on Craigslist.  I have gotten some nice oak and a little maple for necks.  I like oak and am used to it, so working with it is ok.  Whenever needing lumber from the stores the quality seems pretty random, sometimes very nice and sometimes a pile of garbage, and often it is wet as others have mentioned. 

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Permalink Reply by Frank Scott on September 30, 2018 at 5:07pm

For the price we pay for it the box stores should supply better quality hardwoods. I agree sometimes it is more like culls instead of quality lumber.

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on September 30, 2018 at 5:14pm

Call me lucky, I’ve never had those woes? But it does pay to inspect what you’re buying thoroughly? 

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on September 30, 2018 at 6:53pm

Hi Frank, the markers are burnt into the wood with different designs of round wood burning tips. The boards have not been fretted yet.

And whilst on the subject of timber being wet when purchased, bare in mind that timber takes on and gives up moisture even after being dried. For this reason I stack mine as in the photos until I'm happy it has stabilised. Stickering it like this allows air contact to all sides.

Taff

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on October 1, 2018 at 10:13am

I store my wood the same way

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 1, 2018 at 11:50am

My area Lowe's/Home Depot only has Poplar, soft Pine and Red Oak. Different areas will supply Maple, White Oak and others. Do remember that if it's not on display, you might be able to find it online or order it.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on October 1, 2018 at 8:46pm

Hi Timothy, I get the Merbau from Bunnies, its decking boards, and I resaw it. I buy the metre long lengths and get maybe eight fingerboards out of one length.

Taff

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Permalink Reply by Fergus Lester on October 2, 2018 at 4:48am

Im B&Q (they are here in Irl as well as UK) I got some square oak stair spindles that seem fairly straight. Seem about the right length for my Canjo project.

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