Local wood for guitar body

[jbarot]

I have an old Narra wood at the back of my in-laws house in Bulacan. I wanted to saw it into separate planks but i don't know where to start ha ha ha...

That's my problem too.  We can find wood, that's easy, but to find a mill that will cut the planks to workable sizes is the trouble.  Anyone know anything about this?

[stringman]

That's my problem too.  We can find wood, that's easy, but to find a mill that will cut the planks to workable sizes is the trouble.  Anyone know anything about this?

Grabe tigas nung wood. Even my jigsaw can't cut it!

[jbarot]

Grabe tigas nung wood. Even my jigsaw can't cut it!

A jigsaw doesn't have enough power to cut narra, as you have found out    What we need is at least a 14 inch bandsaw with high tension blades.  Even with that the blade will blunt and if you go too fast the bandsaw's motor may overheat.  

Can you take pics of it please?  I'm curious

[stringman]

A jigsaw doesn't have enough power to cut narra, as you have found out    What we need is at least a 14 inch bandsaw with high tension blades.  Even with that the blade will blunt and if you go too fast the bandsaw's motor may overheat.  

Can you take pics of it please?  I'm curious

I'll take a picture when I get back at Bulacan. The size of the wood is almost a whole door.

[jbarot]

Let's cut that bad boy into workable pieces

[alex_kayat]

pwede ba gamitan ng circular saw or chain saw?

[jbarot]

pwede ba gamitan ng circular saw or chain saw?

the thing is with these saws the blade is not fixed on a stable fixture.  chain saw is dangerous since the long blade may move left or right and if you don't know how to use one it may get bloody.  so to me no on the chainsaw.  besides it can't make fine cuts. its only for trees and twigs

circular saw can be used for initial cuts.  but i'd rather use a table saw where its the wood that we push  to the blade instead of the other way around.  and i'd rather have someone else do it for me even though i know how to use one.  takot talaga ako sa table saw.  i only used them when no one else will do it for me.  one time the piece of wood i was cutting slipped and the blade threw it across the room denting the wall.  it turned the fretboard into a spear.  yikes!!!  but can you imagine that in a circular saw, where the blade can throw itself across the room?
dapat gamay mo yung gamit.

pwede circular saw (straight cuts only), but i recommend that the blade must be new and very sharp and you know how to use one.  and it has to be powerful enough, no less than 1 hp.  if not, the motor can't drive the blade in the wood and the saw may slip.  yikes!

but for thin plates for acoustic sets bandsaw talaga.

[alex_kayat]

sir, i've just searched youtube, they use chainsaw to cut logs into lumber. They fabricated a jig for the chainsaw.

[free2rock]

I found a place that offers woodcutting services here in Taytay. I'll check their rates when I have the time to drop by.

[jbarot]

I found a place that offers woodcutting services here in Taytay. I'll check their rates when I have the time to drop by.

cooool!

ask what kind of machines they have as well.  no use bringing old growth wood to a place that says they can do the job but in reality just said yes just to take your business. take pics if you can.  thanks!!

i hope they can mill wood to thin plates.

we're getting somewhere, boys...

[stringman]

Let's cut that bad boy into workable pieces

Lots of wood at the back. There's even a big chunk of tree at the back just laying there, just forgot what tree it is.

[free2rock]

cooool!

ask what kind of machines they have as well.  no use bringing old growth wood to a place that says they can do the job but in reality just said yes just to take your business. take pics if you can.  thanks!!

i hope they can mill wood to thin plates.

we're getting somewhere, boys...

The place is located between Federal Hardware and a shop that makes customized furniture. Hopefully they can accomodate our requests.

[jbarot]

It's looking promising

Anyone else knows of a mill anywhere else?

This looks good...

[kurtseth]

the thing is with these saws the blade is not fixed on a stable fixture.  chain saw is dangerous since the long blade may move left or right and if you don't know how to use one it may get bloody.  so to me no on the chainsaw.  besides it can't make fine cuts. its only for trees and twigs

circular saw can be used for initial cuts.  but i'd rather use a table saw where its the wood that we push  to the blade instead of the other way around.  and i'd rather have someone else do it for me even though i know how to use one.  takot talaga ako sa table saw.  i only used them when no one else will do it for me.  one time the piece of wood i was cutting slipped and the blade threw it across the room denting the wall.  it turned the fretboard into a spear.  yikes!!!  but can you imagine that in a circular saw, where the blade can throw itself across the room?
dapat gamay mo yung gamit.

pwede circular saw (straight cuts only), but i recommend that the blade must be new and very sharp and you know how to use one.  and it has to be powerful enough, no less than 1 hp.  if not, the motor can't drive the blade in the wood and the saw may slip.  yikes!

but for thin plates for acoustic sets bandsaw talaga.

wow parang freak accidents ng final destination movies xD

[jbarot]

wow parang freak accidents ng final destination movies xD

I know bro!  My guess is that the writers get their ideas from things like this.   

But my point is I don't recommend folks to go out and borrow power tools if they have no experience using them.  and for a job like milling wood for guitars.  A excited guitarist with a circular saw and a chunk of really hardwood.   A recipe for disaster.

I say let the pros do it.  I wouldn't hehehehe

[free2rock]

I say let the pros do it.  I wouldn't hehehehe

Pardon me if I digress a bit, does anyone know where Woodworking Classes are held?

[free2rock]

Not Narra, I know. But looks nice

[jbarot]

Nice! Is this local wood? Looks like ziricote to me

[maxi_musikero]

this thread is going somewhere! 

i spend my free time browsing LMII and estimating costs for different types of wood combinations for both acoustic and electric.  if local wood can prove to be as diverse and suitable for guitar building, i might not need to visit that site too often!

[free2rock]

Nice! Is this local wood? Looks like ziricote to me

I know. Something about exotic woods that get me excited. Hahaha!

For the fretboard, what local wood would you consider?

@jbarot: Since you have some experience working with local wood for your gutiars, I have a question for you. How would you descibe the acoustic quality of the different local woods when tap-tuned (Dark, bright)? Narra, Kamagong, Molave, etc.

I was considering shaping a body then getting a replacement neck to match it. Of course there's the bright maple and the dark rosewood to consider.

[jbarot]

this thread is going somewhere! 

i spend my free time browsing LMII and estimating costs for different types of wood combinations for both acoustic and electric.  if local wood can prove to be as diverse and suitable for guitar building, i might not need to visit that site too often!

Bro if you think their website is something, you should see the warehouse! Nakaka depress kasi I can't buy them all  shoulda bought that African blackwood set when they offered it to me at half price! I'm such an idiot.  
 the kit wizard will drive you crazy The options are mind blowing.

Now I miss their sales, when they sell the sub par woods by the pound regardless of species and part.
And they have lots of rejects becuase of a few minor flaws.  Thank God For their high standards, otherwise a bottom feeder like me can only watch and drool.

Let's get these local woods going!

[free2rock]

Thank God For their high standards, otherwise a bottom feeder like me can only watch and drool.

On that note, here's something interesting and frustrating.

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/127194-wood-shopping.html
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/127702-group-buy-honduran-mahogany-spanish-cedar.html

[jbarot]

I know. Something about exotic woods that get me excited. Hahaha!

For the fretboard, what local wood would you consider?

@jbarot: Since you have some experience working with local wood for your gutiars, I have a question for you. How would you descibe the acoustic quality of the different local woods when tap-tuned (Dark, bright)? Narra, Kamagong, Molave, etc.

I was considering shaping a body then getting a replacement neck to match it. Of course there's the bright maple and the dark rosewood to consider.

The only experience I have with local wood is with kamagong.  Like most ebonies it sounds dead when you tap it but somehow it works well. But I seem allergic to it so I'm avoiding it for now.  I hope that my experience with local woods expands.  I really think we're onto something here.

The thing with tap tuning is that it's open to debate, kind of like the tone debate we're seeing on another thread on this forum .  Subjective.  Carl Thompson, the bass luthier guru (he made les claypool's basses) says that when a customer orders and says something like "I want it to sound dark, bright, or whatever" he only scratches his head because it's so hard to quantify.  
For me when I tap tune I look for a bell like sound.  when I go through raw plates I look for a metallic sound when I tap it.  It should sound like a sheet of aluminum when you tap it.

There are lots of articles re tap tuning, from the simple to the nerd like complete with graphs and equations.

I think I'm swerving off topic...

[free2rock]

For me when I tap tune I look for a bell like sound.  when I go through raw plates I look for a metallic sound when I tap it.  It should sound like a sheet of aluminum when you tap it.

I see. So basically you're looking for quality wood with minimal dead spots that resonates when tapped. Simple enough. I think.

[jbarot]

I see. So basically you're looking for quality wood with minimal dead spots that resonates when tapped. Simple enough. I think.

That's how I do it, bro

But here the plot thickens.  With raw plates the tone will change once you thin it. With a simple stroke of a hand plane or sandpaper the sound can change dramatically. Shaving off 0.5 mm from a plate makes a world of difference.  It may be for the good or bad.

Likewise with bad sounding wood, it may turn out great once you thin it.  So some add cross grain stiffness to their choosing criteria. And don't get them started on chlandi testing...

So for me I need more practice.  Experience pa mate.  But this is what makes me do this, the thrill is in the hunt sometimes.