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| Wood weights http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=53012 |
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| Author: | Ruby50 [ Fri Mar 13, 2020 11:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Wood weights |
Visited a small tallship under construction. They are using Live Oak, Ipe (Cortez) and Osage Orange in the framing, Angelique and White Oak in planking, and Douglas Fir for decking and spars. The head shipwright gave a tour to the group I was in and at one point he said that White Oak has a weight of about 48 lbs/ft3 and Live Oak had a weight approaching 90 lb/ft3. I knew that wasn't true and on looking it up it in 63 lbs/ft3. Then I got interested and looked up what the heavier woods are. Here are some guitar woods that are extremely heavy: Kingwood - 74.9 Snakewood - 75.7 African Blackwood - 79.3 African Blackwood is the 2nd heaviest wood listed - remember that fresh water weighs 64 lb/ft3, so anything heavier starts to float below the surface This compares to woods like: Various Spruces at about 30 Cherry and Walnut about 40 Cocobolo - 69 Rosewoods from 52-69 Brazilian RW- 52 (surprising) Wenge - 54 Mahoganies about 37-40 All of these weights are from https://www.wood-database.com Live Oak might make an interesting guitar set - the grain can be very wavy on a scale that would look interesting, and the surface is very hard. It so hard that it eats saw blades and edge tools. It has so much tannin in it that when left on an iron saw table overnight it leaves a rust stain - for boatbuilding you can;t use iron or steel fasteners. Ed |
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| Author: | Clay S. [ Fri Mar 13, 2020 2:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wood weights |
With the high tannin content I wonder how well live oak would take the vinegar/iron treatment. It might make an interesting substitute for ebony fingerboards. Whenever you changed strings you could wipe the board down with fine steel wool dipped in vinegar. 
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| Author: | jfmckenna [ Fri Mar 13, 2020 2:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wood weights |
I would have thought Wenge would be more up there too. |
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| Author: | Clay S. [ Sat Mar 14, 2020 10:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wood weights |
jfmckenna wrote: I would have thought Wenge would be more up there too. Wenge comes from the Heart of Darkness..... The pores! The pores! The Horror! The Horror! |
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| Author: | Ken Lewis [ Sat Mar 14, 2020 10:59 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wood weights |
Wenge isn't up there in weight because the pores don't weigh very much. 
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| Author: | jfmckenna [ Sat Mar 14, 2020 11:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Wood weights |
Ha! Yeah it is like Swiss cheese isn't it. |
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