After some neck material for lute

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:14 pm

Hi people,

Im after some neck blanks for my lute building. If anyone can help please get in contact. Im willing to pay for the wood or wood swapping is another option (Im sure there are many itching to get their hands on some of my stash).

Specs are as follows:

Wood: maple or beech (quarter sawn if possible).
Dimensions: At least 250mm x 80mm x 30-40mm (grain parallel to 30mm face).
If possible I'm after 6 lengths of the stuff.

I'm also after some plum or pearwood. Its for making up lute bridges. Dimensions - 230mm x 25mm x 12mm. 6 pieces, grain as straight as possible.

Cheers and thanks Martin

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:50 pm

Will apple do for the bridges? I have a trunk sitting in the back yard.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:28 pm

Apple has its uses but plum is my first choice. How long has the trunk been sitting in your backyard?

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:22 pm

About 3 months, I just got a new bandsaw so I wouldnt mind trying to resaw it.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:05 pm

Let me know when youve got it resawn and I might take some of your hands if theres any going spare.

Hippety Hop · Post by **Hippety Hop** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:37 pm

Not an ad. ALS has these

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:04 pm

What we wouldn't do in order to be shown the deep recesses of the tonewood bunker, but alas, I've got nothing on you list.

I've been told that this fellow on eBay is very good to deal with. He might have something in the way of maple for your needs.

http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Porosky- ... QQ_armrsZ1

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:24 pm

Thanks Hip. I checked out these blanks but grain runs parallel with 100mm face.....I need it running paralell to the shorter face.

Cheers Martin

Hippety Hop wrote:Not an ad. ALS has these

Dave White · Post by **Dave White** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:45 pm

Martin,

David Dyke here in the UK has plum wood (he has it for fingerboards and lute staves) and for the bridge sizes you are looking for the postage probably wouldn't be that expensive. Check him out. If he won't do the posting to Oz I could buy it from him and post it to you.

J.F. Custom · Post by **J.F. Custom** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:14 pm

Hi Martin,

I think you'll find those dimensions a bit small for that banjo you're building

Unless you're doing some fancy multi lamination just to hide the truth... Bit extreme isn't it

Firstly just to clarify, is this what you are after with regard to grain orientation etc?

Were you wanting Qld Maple or American Maple? If either, your preference? Figured or plain? I may have what you are looking for, no promises but I'll check the stash for you as soon as I can and let you know.

Also, out of interest, what size stock do you require to re-saw your Lute ribs from? And what size do you dress them to before profiling them to shape?

Cheers,

Jeremy.

Mike Thomas · Post by **Mike Thomas** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:29 am

Martin, a few years ago, when I lived in Adelaide, I used to get some of my timber from Otto's. They certainly had good stocks of maple and beech 6 or 7 years ago, but maybe they've gone downhill a bit since then, at least for our purposes. Still, they may be worth a try, if you haven't already.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:59 am

Jeremy - grain needs to run paralell with the 30mm face (ie side of neck).

Dave - thanks for the link and also for the offer to help with freighting. Will let you know if this becomes an option.

Thanks to all others for comments and assistance.

Cheers Martin

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:02 am

Hi Mike,

I used to lurk around the tonewood alcove at Ottos but of late theyve gone downhill in terms of stocks and service and looking at the way alot of the wood was just chucked onto the shelves nobody seemed interested in looking after the stuff. Ill pop in next time Im down Magill Road and report back ny findings.

Cheers Martin

Mike Thomas wrote:Martin, a few years ago, when I lived in Adelaide, I used to get some of my timber from Otto's. They certainly had good stocks of maple and beech 6 or 7 years ago, but maybe they've gone downhill a bit since then, at least for our purposes. Still, they may be worth a try, if you haven't already.

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:32 am

J.F. Custom wrote:Hi Martin,

I think you'll find those dimensions a bit small for that banjo you're building
.

OMG lutes are medieval banjos !!!!

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:00 pm

Jeremy,

1. either sort of maple would do the job. Plain as Im most likely to put a veneer around the neck (commonly done on lutes).
2. lute ribs. I used Allied opp grade IRW guitar side sets for my ribs. I found I could get two of the narrower ribs out of one side but only one of the wider ribs from one side. A fair bit of wasteage in the latter case. Before bending and profiling the ribs I thin them down to round 0.065". Quite thin they have to be as around the arse end of the lute there is quite a tight right angle bend.

Cheers Martin

J.F. Custom wrote:Hi Martin,

Were you wanting Qld Maple or American Maple? If either, your preference? Figured or plain? I may have what you are looking for, no promises but I'll check the stash for you as soon as I can and let you know.

Also, out of interest, what size stock do you require to re-saw your Lute ribs from? And what size do you dress them to before profiling them to shape?

Cheers,

Jeremy.

J.F. Custom · Post by **J.F. Custom** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:54 pm

Hi Martin,

Sorry for the misunderstanding. What you have clarified is what I originally thought you wanted (parallel to the 30mm face). You threw me when you said you had checked the link Hip posted. I looked at this too and assumed you could re-saw to get what you needed like this -

But then you said you needed the grain parallel to the 75mm side instead which put me off course

So now I'm figuring this is in fact what you need, just that it is 5mm too narrow being only 75mm not 80mm correct?

I'm in the shop tomorrow so I'll check the stash for you then.

The ribs sound larger than I imagined from what you've said. I'm looking though, for the tightest dimensions to get a single rib from. Probably the largest rib as any others could obviously be cut from the same dimensions thereafter. I mean for example, could the largest of them be cut from a piece 500mm x 50mm x 3mm or what? Obviously the width of the ribs would be dictated somewhat by the number used on the build overall - the more ribs, the narrower each individual would be but the length would not vary. I ask because I have some timber of unusual dimension and I'm trying to think about what I might use it for in future. I had thought a Neapolitan (Bowl back) mandolin which I believe may have smaller dimensions than that which you are building. Thanks in advance.

Jeremy.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:27 am

Hi Jeremy,

Not quite sure what I wrote regarding the neck material.....been running on 3 hours sleep a night out here for last few days so brain isnt firing on all cylinders. What I need is a blank 80mm (width of fretboard) x 30-40mm (thickness of fretboard) x 250mm. Grain has to run paralell to side of neck (30-40mm face). Sorry for any confusion.

Re ribs to allow for shaping of rib on an 11 ribbed instrument I'd allow at least 65mm. Im away from my workshop so cant supply the actual widths off the templates. I can do so when I get home around Sept 17th. Id also be generous with length of the stock as what often happens is you do a bit more trimming of the edges than planned and eventually you run out of room on the end of the stock. I allowed about 60mm over the end of the template for this reason.

Cheers Martin

Arnt · Post by **Arnt** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:42 pm

Hi Martin, I have some pear wood drying in the shed. I can slice up some bridge blanks for you if you're interested.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 pm

Hi Arnt,

Thats very gracious of you. Im at work right now but when I get home on Sept 17th Ill get in contact and discuss with you.

Cheers and thanks Martin

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After some neck material for lute

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