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Bingo, good things come to those who wait!

My postal carrier was out for a couple of days and her subsitute made delivery today of my Auction Zoot (photos coming) and she inquired what was "Tonewood". I told her I was a hobby Luthier and she perked up and ask "You want some Black Walnut". They have a tree that has been dead for 6 years that is she estimates 36" across at the trunk. They are also cutting down another one this coming weekend. I am going to look at the tree this weekend. I have a sawmill right down the road from me and they will quarter saw this in billets for me. The mighty Sergemeister definetly gets one or two but if anyone else wants any, it will be FREE to you, or if Lance and Brock want to Auction it off to raise some monies for the OLF that would be fine as well or both. I don't resaw, the only thing I am going to want in return from one or two of the brothers, is to send me back a set or two.

I am going to make sure it does not have any decay, rot or bug damage. If all is OK, I will have it picked up and delivered to the mill. I will post some pic's if all is OK and keep you all posted.

Also, I will check the new green cut, some of you guys with alot of patience in waiting or have a kiln might want some of it. I will photo the trees themselves this weekend and post, not much can be known from that I realize.

Mike
White Oak, Texas

If any of you wood guys have a diagram that would show how the Mill should quarter and cut please PM me with it so I make sure it is done right. They don't do alot of that down here I would expect.

Thanks again,

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Mike...I'd be interested in a set. I love walnut Thanks for the offer. Of course, I'll pay you for the S&H.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I'm definitely interested...!

I'd like a couple billets, and would be happy to return sets to you in exchange. Heck, I'm willing to buy them from you. Problem is getting across the border..

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

What a find!!! I have a bunch of cherry planks in my basement from my Mom's farm in downstate Illinois which are almost 3 inches thick and up to 17 inches in width. It was cut 30 years ago, without my knowledge and stored in a barn for years. When I found out I got pretty excited as you can imagine. It was like finding a classic old corvette in a barn or '59 Strat under the bed.

It pays to be friendly to folks, you never know what you might discover!!

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Mike, I'd also be interested in some. I've got sitka out the hoochie-koochie if you are interested in a trade.

oh, I misread your post. If I understand it, you will trade the billetts for a few sets that come off of said billetts. Yes? Pwoolson38945.6908564815

JJ - you got it, it will be billets (although I have never seen one in person) not sets

Don, I live in Texas so we should not have any problem getting them across our borders if you live in the US.
I am not in the Wood business and don't want to be either. I get so much from all of you guys here on the OLF so free is free. I also hope some of the Wood guys want some as well so they can sell it back to guys like myself who don't resaw. Like you Don

You guys do get to pay S&H

Steve, I love Cherry wood, I have been hunting some for some time now. Found some but it was just big enough for sets but pretty boring in figure and color. Hoping this older larger tree will have some nice everything about it. Hope it is not junk.

Paul, I have sucked your brain dry on a few issues over this past year so. You are good about helping all the new guys as well and that is appreciated as well. You can certainly have all you want and if you send me back a couple of good sets of Sitka, I would be happy, but you don't have to.

Don or Paul, I need some instructions on how to instruct my mill man to hack this thing up, if you know, let me know.

Thanks

Mike

Mike, I'm out the door to take my girls to gymnastics. I'll check in when I get back, if nobody has answered by then I'll draw you a quick diagram. P

Paul,

Yes, but not everyone, I have a stash of wood righ now that at my current rate of building gets me well into my 70's and I am 51 right now. I suffer from WAS bad.


Mike
White Oak, Texas

wow, this might be enough to persuade me to continue building guitars....Sam Price38945.7046180556

Count me in if possible. Small billet would be great if I could get it cut my self into a couple of sets or so.

If I get some help resawing, I would be happy to send a set back.

Just let me know about S&H when the time comes!

Thanks
Donovan

I'd very much like a little of this wood, if it turns out to be OK. But I don't have a big enough bandsaw to resaw it myself. Could I offer to pay someone to cut me a set or two?

Thanks.

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John Cavanaugh
Saint Paul, MN
"What could possibly go wrong?"

Mike, if you split a log through the center it is halved, if you split it again at 90 degrees to the face it is quartered. You need to cut to the center wherever it ends up in the tree, basically.

That is quartered log. Now for quartered billets you cut off the faces of that quarter log, with an occasional adjustment to get the grain perpendicular to the face again.

IF you were splitting Spruce, you'd just split billets that were wedge shaped. But since you are dealing with a hardwood, you need to saw to get back on quarter.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
looking at the end of a billet the grain runs vertical if laying flat.

/////////////////////////////////////////////
if your cuts look like this they are going off quarter, still very usable but less quartered. Around 45 degrees skew and folks call it rift sawn.

flatsawn wood is basically with the grain laying flat, just imagine the above laying over twice what you see above and you have flatsawn. Flatsawn, while not preferred in tonewood is acceptable for backs more than sides. We really want the sides to be as quartered as possible, for ease in bending and strength.

Great opportunity, good luck with this endeavor.

DStewart & John,

Some of the Wood sponsors will be getting some of the wood. It won't be free anymore, but it will be well handled and sawed into sets so most of us guys can buy some. BobC the Zootman and Don the Don are both getting some.

Thanks for the Info Bruce Dickey, the first part seems pretty simple, it is from there that I get a little lost.

I have PWoolson sending me some additional info and I have solicited the assistance of the Zootman to assist as well. I will more than likely have the mill man talk directly with BobC and get sizing and all on track. They can have a Zoot conversation since they both speak that language. I will just be the photo man.

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Mike I'd be interested in a back/side set only if you accept payment as well as for shipping and handling.

I am flying down to Houston Tuesday -- how far away is White Oak...

Mike, I'd be glad to get a hunk if any is still left, and glad to saw off a set to send back to you.

Thanks for the author. I'm pretty far down the list at this point.

Jim Kirby

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Anthony, some sets will be available through our sponsors like BobC and Don. These guys will provide some nice sets for great pricing I am sure. If you are referring to a billet and you resaw then let me know and I will put you on that list. White Oak is in Northeast Texas next to Longview.

Jim Kirby - I don't have a clue as to what the potential yield is in this situation. That is why I have solicited some help so communications directly with the mill instructions will hopefully maximize potential. We are just a bunch of pulp wood and lumber cutters down here so with Bob's help I am sure things will go fine. I have you on the list.

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Mike,

I would like some also, if everything all pans out. I crave Walnut! I also sent you a diagram of QS wood...

Man thats awesome!

What a good postwoman.

Man I wood love some as well but I don't even have a band saw.

I have a 6" joiner and a contractor's portable table saw. I wood ;) be happy to trade out any work I could do with what I have as well as pay S&H both ways.

Mike, I could always use a couple of billets of nice black walnut. I built me grandson's little parlor out of it a couple of years ago, sounds sweet!

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Mike, here you go. I hope you can make sense of it. You'll notice that if the cuts are made straight, like my illustration shows, the ends of the cuts will be further off quartered. This is what BD was explaining. As you get way out, almost to the end of the wedge, the cuts will be quite rift sawn (more than 45?) which won't hurt much because they will be so small you can't use them for backs/sides anyway.
Hope this helps. Paul

guys, not to steal this thread, but how far off 1/4 is still a good back set. I have a few 1.125" walnut planks that were given to me.. There are a few 5" wide by 36" long sections that are close to perfect 1/4 sawn which i plan to resaw into sides, but also several 24+ inch long sections cut at about 60-70 degrees. Will this make good back sets. I don't think it had any great figure or flame, but this is for a first guitar and its free.. I guess i need to be sure rift sawn well make a good stable back.. its been drying for 20 yrs so it should be about ready
Mike

Mike, a lot of tonewood is flatsawn or rift sawn. A lot BRW is flatsawn as is quilted maple and works just fine. Walnut I believe is fairly stable so rift sawn should be just fine.

Mike, I have resaw and thickness sanding capability so a billet works.

Plan A

You are going to incur costs having the walnut milled -- please take payment for the billets plus S&H. If its S&H only I really can't accept -- it just doesn't feel right. If you wish to apportion some of the proceeds to the OLF -- that would be okay with me. So name your price.

Plan B

Pick the appropriate priced StewMac or LMI tool I will order it and have it shipped to you.

Plan C

Alternatively - I'll be equally happy to obtain a resawn set through BobC -- his zoot cave is only 90 mins down the road from me....mwhaa haa haa    

I am good with any of the above options -- you make the call.

Thanks a bunch -- I really like Walnut flattops!!Anthony Z38945.8439467593

I just finished a dred with crotch grain BW back and quartered BW sides. It is absolutely stunning, and has a strong deep loud sound. When you have it cut be sure and cut some crotch grain pieces. If they don't crack during drying, they will make really good looking backs. BTW crotch grain occurs where a limb comes off of the main trunk. The grain pattern will be found when quartered at and just below the limb.

Al