Is this Queensland Maple Useful for Guitar Making?

[ozziebluesman]

I have aquired a piece of naturally dried Queensland Maple.

I would like to ask the forum members if they could give me some advice to weather the piece could be useful for guitar building. It is crack free, 600mm long, 55mm thick. I have marked out 200mm on the end. My idea is i may be able to get two neck blanks from the slab.



Any advice how to resaw it, or suggestions for other uses with guitar building in mind will be great thanks.

If majority think it is a waiste of time i will donate the piece to the local woodturners club.

Cheers

Alan

[kiwigeo]

I reckon you could saw it to get some useable neck material. if you make up some laminated necks then youll probablly get more necks out of the slab.

Tim S will be able to give you good advice on resawing.

Cheers Martin

[TimS]

I have aquired a piece of naturally dried Queensland Maple.

I would like to ask the forum members if they could give me some advice to weather the piece could be useful for guitar building. It is crack free, 600mm long, 55mm thick. I have marked out 200mm on the end. My idea is i may be able to get two neck blanks from the slab.


Good question Alan!
I recently ordered and recieved half a cubic metre of Qld maple which was cut in slab form to enable me to resaw for guitar necks. Some of the outer slabs were very similar to what you have posted. So my advice would be to resaw the pieces into four and swap two of the pieces end for end and then add a lamination. This is probably a better option than trying to follow the quarter face too closely and wasting a lot of wood.

Please note that the drawing below is for two necks

[joel]

How about an electric body?

[TimS]

Electric Guitar Body would be fine but it would need to be 360 wide while maintaining a thickness of 50. Alternatively a matched pair for a carve top or a drop top would also work.

regards

Tim

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Martin and Joel for you input.

I like Tim's suggestion. The piece is not wide enough for a one piece neck blank. I read somewhere you have to be careful what woods you laminate together in case one type of wood shrinks. What type of wood should i use Tim for the centre laminate?

Cheers

Alan

[TimS]

The centre laminate is really an aesthetic issue. I would personally use something that is the same or similar to the back and sides. Possibly also incorporating purfling strips that are in harmony with the bound edges of the body.

regards

Tim

[kiwigeo]

Fish paper - mahogany - fish paper?

Or maybe maple - mahogany - maple?

[ozziebluesman]

Well I the re-sawed the Queensland Maple as per Tim's adivce. Many thanks Tim.

I think this wood will make good necks. The smaller blanks are for two concert uke spanish heel necks and the others for two 000's built to the stew mac plan. I have some Sapelly Mahogany to laminate between the two halves.





Thanks everyone for your interest.

Cheers

Alan

[Larry Davis]

Those look great and I do like Queensland Maple a lot.

If I might make a suggestion to re-orient the lams in the two taller blanks by switching the two pieces around. As they are, if any movement occurs while acclimating they will cup towards the bark side of the log. As they are they'll pull or cup away from each other if that happens. Oriented the other way they push against each other. I don't think it matters either way for the other two smaller sets.

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Larry.

That suggestion makes good sense and i will laminate the wood that way.

Cheers

Alan