Happy New Year!
Time to start a new studio thread. This year you will see that I am continuing my commitment to more sustainable woods. I am enjoying the treasure hunt finding extraordinary local and domestic woods and I am asking the hard questions about the source and sustainability of any exotics I purchase.
I've made an investment in equipment to do my own re-saw work which enables me to have complete control making the best cuts in the best billets I can find.
Here is an example to start the year off;
After tuning up my new 22" 5hp band saw and working the bugs out of my re-saw milling sled I am ready to start biting into the good stuff. Here's a picture of me working the set up:
Here are several billets of spalted, quilted, Western Big Leaf Maple. They're thin but, there's enough for two back and side sets if I don't mess up!
I didn't mess up
Here are a couple pictures of what the wood looks like dry;
It would look great with Bloodwood trim;
Another advantage of cutting my own sets is I get the cutoffs for rosettes, headstocks, etc. without worrying about matching colors!
So this is the first of many more I have in the works. Wait until you see what I have in store. I intend to really expand your concept of what domestic wood can be!