Official Luthiers Forum!

I tried posting this on another forum as well, so I apologize in advance for the "crosspost."

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When I visited my parents this summer (about 650 miles from my house), a lot was being cleared, and a big cherry tree had been felled. When I got there, the entire tree had alredy been cut up for firewood, except for the bottom 6 feet of the trunk. I put my hand on the stump, and could see that there is more than 9" of heartwood, and about another inch or two of sapwood. Even counting that the central heart will check and will be worthless, this log should still be large enough for guitars.

There was one large branch coming out of the side of the tree, and thus the log, so I would guess that maybe 3/4 of the log might be able to be made into guitar sets.

Of course, I may find a bunch of pitch pockets or other problems that make the log truly worthy as firewood, but I just have to proceed as if there are a few guitars in that log.

I have a pretty good concept and working knowledge of lumber from the kiln to the finished wooden products, but I don't know enough about extracting lumber from a log to proceed. I'm hoping someone can give me the basic info, or point me to a resource where I could look it up.

Most sawyers saw through-and-through, and thus may end up with one or two quartersawn boards from a log. Of course, I want all quartersawn boards. There is a sawyer in the area of the log, with a big Wood Mizer (big enough to cut 20' long logs), and he knows how to quartersaw. Because of the diameter of this particular log, I think it would be easy to end up with a bunch of quartersawn 8/4 boards, that would only be 6-1/2" to 7" wide. That would be fine for most furnituremakers, but of course, I need 8" widths.

I'm thinking of just having the guy cut wedge-shaped billets, and that I would later take those to someone to slice out the sets. If I do that, the wood will probably be in billets for a full year before I can drive the 1300 mile round trip to get them (unless I want to pay to have them shipped.) I don't know if Cherry left in wedge-shaped billets is subject to more checking, or fungal attack, or...

My other quandry is how to ask him to cut the log. Should I try to preserve 1/2 the log, by asking him to make his first cut somewhere offset from the middle of the log? That would mean the entire side of the log with the limb would be too narrow for guitars, but would add insurance that at least 1/2 of the log will be wide enough.

...or, I could ask him to try to cut as much quartersawn 8/4 from the log as he can, as wide as he can, and let him do his thing.


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To my thinking, anything other than quartersawn wood is kind of a waste of time with Cherry for luthier wood. Cherry is not very dynamic in terms of grain. I have to assume that this has no curl, and if there is curl it will be a pleasant surprise. Cherry displays a little bit of medullary rays if cut perfectly on the quarter, and that might make the otherwise plain wood look pretty good.

Here are my thoughts for cutting the log. First cut: red line (just off center.) Second cut: green line.

That would yield 2 wedges that I could then take to a resaw bandsaw. (Cut a set, remove a wedge, cut a set, remove a wedge... ...to get the maximum number of quartersawn sets from the wedges. It might be that the wedges removed between 8" wide boards would yield sides/rims, or maybe they would be good for mandolins?

The blue lines would be the final cuts, and maybe those wedges would yield plenty of guitar sides/rims, and I could concentrate on getting back sets from the left half of the log.

The "X" marks the final wedge, that would have a limb in the middle. I'm assuming I won't get much of anything from that. But, maybe there's a surprise in there, and I might get something interesting near the big knot/crotch.

Does this seem like a good plan? And what about waiting an entire year with the wood cut into wedges - am I asking for trouble if I don't get the wood all cut and stickered immediately?

Sorry this is so long!

Thanks,

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

i have seen photos of the old wood mills in europe where the wood was air dried out doors under cover in wedges for years. seal the ends to help prevent checking. crazymanmichael38566.6471412037

Rule of thumb, one year per inch of thickness, for air drying. Needs to see the low humidity of winter time for sure. I really like the 6/4 material I've been using lately, but 4/4 would likely dry better and still yield the bookmatch sets.

If you have a guy with a woodmizer, he can saw off the face of the quartered log to get your best wood. Problem is small trees don't yield much if you are trying for all quartersawn.

You will undoubtedly appreciate your friendly wood dealer much more once you've driven the 1300 miles, hauled it home, stickered it, waited two years, then paid someone to saw it up for you. We don't do this stuff because it's practical always, we just love wood and want to save it from the fire.

Dennis--take this for what it's worth, but if it were my log, I'd be planning on getting some backs from the area of that branch. Not sides, but for sure backs. That will be the most interesting wood in the entire log, and perhaps your sawyer can help devise a plan of "attack". Good luck!

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thanks Michael, Bruce, and Steve.

Michael, I had planned to end coat after the initial cuts (so he can see what he's cutting.)

Bruce, I had calculated that 7/4 (from the Wood Mizer) might be a safe bet to end up with 6/4, where I should be able to get 6 slices. And yes, there is a chance that this Cherry will cost me more than the price of completed sets! Knowing that it would have been used literally as firewood is taking me a notch or two past rational, I think. If I am lucky, and get a number of sets, I might break even (as long as I don't consider the cost of my own labor.)

Steve, I think you may be right, and the backs from near the big limb/knot may very well be the most dynamic wood in the log. I really should adjust my thinking to optimize for it. I wish I could see "into" the log, to try to get an idea whether I need to stay just off to the side of the limb, or if I could actually incorporate the limb in the backs.

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia