logs to tonewood questions

[Ned Milburn]

John and Roger, thanks for pointing out some more people who split then cut. Shane has moved a year or 2 ago, so is out of the business of wood supply. I didn't at all mean to imply that no other people supply split then cut wood, simply that I haven't met them yet. ;-)

[redir]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

Steve McMinn (Pacific Rim Tonewoods) cuts from split billets. Every red spruce top that Ted Davis and I cut was cut from split billets. Ted started cutting red spruce in 1985; I joined him in 1990. We cut about 9,000 red spruce guitar tops until Ted retired in 2002.
I have trained the Hampton brothers in the same methods. IMHO, they now have some of the finest red spruce available anywhere.

To reduce stress and inevitable cracking, it is always better to halve or quarter the logs. Most of the time, we cut 24" long blocks for guitar tops. That allows for some end checking, and allows shifting the pattern lengthwise to avoid defects. The blocks are split into quarters and sawn into tops as soon as possible. Getting the wood dry right away is important to avoid damage from insects and fungus stains.
Grain width and knots are certainly something to look for, but I think spiral growth is probably the worst defect of all. Any block that has more than 2" of spiral in two feet has limited use for instruments. Spiral growth (which is evident when the wood is split) causes runout in the quartersawn tops. Most of the red spruce tops we cut are joined along the bark edge, so sawing parallel to the split at the bark will eliminate visible runout in the joined tops.

Oh interesting so you actually cut the wood when it's green into tops? How thick are the green tops? Would this be a good method for hardwoods too? I was under the impression that most suppliers cut split quarters into billets and letting them dry for as long as possible before going to the resaw.

[Rodger Knox]

Originally Posted by Ned Milburn

John and Roger, thanks for pointing out some more people who split then cut. Shane has moved a year or 2 ago, so is out of the business of wood supply. I didn't at all mean to imply that no other people supply split then cut wood, simply that I haven't met them yet. ;-)

I knew that, and I also knew that Shane has pretty much gotten out of the business. Brent at ASW has some really nice Sitka, much of it with figure, both bearclaw and a kind of quilt or pillow figure. He's a really nice guy, and could use any business that can be directed his way, his house burned down a few weeks ago. He was injured in the fire, but I think he's completely recovered now.

[John Arnold]

Oh interesting so you actually cut the wood when it's green into tops?

Yes. As I said, allowing spruce to air dry in billet or log form invites staining, cracking, and worm hole damage. No matter how thin it is cut, QS spruce will not warp, and will not check when it is cut thinner than 1".

How thick are the green tops?

3/16", nominally. It is placed on sticks with a fan, and is dry in a few days.

Would this be a good method for hardwoods too?

No. Cutting hardwoods this thin while green almost assures warpage and cracking. I generally cut hardwoods between 1" and 2" thick and air dry to below 12% MC before resawing.

I was under the impression that most suppliers cut split quarters into billets and letting them dry for as long as possible before going to the resaw.

Only the ones who are comfortable wasting a lot of wood. I am not.

[redir]

Thanks John.

[Truckjohn]

I think the only reason someone would let top wood billets dry is because they don't have the capacity/resources to resaw right away. It's an invitation to cracks, checks, and stains all through the billet.

For example - you cut a whole tree... That's a giant amount of wood all at once. Perhaps several hundred top sets all at once. You may have to stack some billets and hope for the best till you can get through the stack.

Thanks

[redir]

Yeah that makes sense. And in that case you may want to cut your 'drums' about 26 inches.

[John Arnold]

It is possible to preserve the billets, but all methods I have found have their drawbacks. The wood can be stored under water, but once it is soaked all the way through, it becomes harder to resaw and takes much longer to dry. Another method is cold storage, which can be very expensive.

For example - you cut a whole tree... That's a giant amount of wood all at once.

The Hampton brothers have cut 12 trees each of the last two years. My upper limit is three. Anything more is troublesome.

Here is the thread that outlines our process.

http://theunofficialmartinguitarforu...5#.V5tc-tQrL6o