Kauri top

[rocket]

I've just started another arch top build, and this time i;m using Kauri for the top, never used it before and can't get over how nice it is to work, just thought i'd share that!! no pics yet but very soon.
Cheers,,,
Rod.

[christian]

Good stuff Rod Look forward to the pics !! is it Aussie or NZ Kauri?
Cheers,

Christian.

[woodrat]

I have used Aussie Kauri and NZ Kauri in furniture but not in instruments.....The NZ stuff leaves the Aussie Kauri for dead (deid) in the looks department...The NZ Kauri has a beautiful golden luster that I have not seen in Aussie Kauri.

John

[rocket]

This particular set is Aussie, picked it up at Mathews in Melbourne, but i do have in the stash, a chunk of ancient Kiwi Kauri, i'm looking forward to getting stuck into that a bit down the track.
I'll organise some pics for you lot ASAP.
Cheers,,,

Rod.

[christian]

I use NZ kauri all the time for instruments it machines like butter, as has the most amazing tone but have never seen or heard any Aussie Kauri so will be interesting, all the best to you Rod !!
not sure about Aus but we are getting alot of Pacific kauri and now Malaysian Kauri which actually looked pretty good on the quarter.

Cheers,

Christian.

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Rod,

I've been working on my second Archtop from the Benedetto book and plans and I'm using Queensland Kauri for back and sides. The back set I have are not book matched but the pieces I have are straight grained, match well in colour so I figured it would be fine to use. The sides where very easy to bend even around the cutaway area. I have a Queensland Maple archtop backset in the stash and it is one piece with wings. The Queensland Maple and the Queensland Kauri backs I have are very similar in weight so I thought why not use the Kauri as back and sides. The tap tone on both backs are very different so it is going to be an interesting project. The Kauri is a beautiful golden brown colour and I have a Stew Mac AA spruce wedge set to go with this Kauri.

Looks forward to seeing your progress pictures.

Cheers

Alan

[Clancy]

The NZ Kauri has a beautiful golden luster that I have not seen in Aussie Kauri

Try this then John.
Queensland Kauri (& qld maple)

Kauri Archtop 1b Small.jpg (96.06 KiB) Viewed 13619 times

Kauri Archtop 2b small.jpg (92.84 KiB) Viewed 13619 times

[rocket]

IMG_1523.JPG (81.82 KiB) Viewed 13609 times

Got the basic shape of the top carved and smoothed off a bit, here's a pic of the timber.
Cheers,,,

Rod.

[Mark McLean]

Yep, I reckon you'd be getting excited about that already!

It's going to be nice Rod.

[christian]

Wow Craig !!
that guitar Looks beautiful, love that warm honey glow looks pretty similar to NZ kauri.
your top looks great Rod !!!
you should use your Ancient Kauri for the back and sides would make a great combo !!

Christian.

[rocket]

I haven't got enough for making sides besides, i'd like to use the ancient stuff with some blackwood or silky oak on another build that is an acoustic, the current build is a hollow body elec, with flamed maple b/s.
Keep yooz posted!!
Rod.

[woodrat]

The NZ Kauri has a beautiful golden luster that I have not seen in Aussie Kauri

Try this then John.
Queensland Kauri (& qld maple)

Kauri Archtop 1b Small.jpg

Kauri Archtop 2b small.jpg

That certainly is beautiful Kauri Craig. As I said I have only used it in furniture and the stuff I have come across didnt have the golden shimmer that I have seen in EnZed Kauri.

Nice Archie there too!

John

[curly]

Seeing the results of skilled work on Qld Kauri is getting me really excited . I have just milled a really special old growth South Queensland Kauri - Agathis robusta for instruments . I don't reckon this tree was as golden rich in colour as that on the archtop pictured , we'll see how it matures on drying . It may well be an oxidising / photosensitivity process to colour up .
See the Aus . tonewoods section for more on the milling process so far .
What is really interesting is the very low density of the A. robusta . My samples are still equalising but it's looking like a really favourable 380kg a cube air dry . According to Keith Bootle , Kiwi Kauri is 560kg a cubic metre . It's also likely much stronger in kind though .
The blocks of Qld Kauri in being handled are definitely "talkative" , that's to say they are resonant when bumped around .

[christian]

Curly, exciting if your MOE is up there at that density look forward to hearing more about it.
not quite sure how keith Bootle got his weight for NZ Kauri cause 560kgM3 is really heavy I wonder if he meant Heart Kauri or the really old growth Kauri. I don't use anything close to that. The more suitable NZ Kauri for instruments are 2nd growth and plantation Kauri here are the numbers.
Second-growth 472kgm3 10.8 MOE
Plantation 451kgm3 13.6 MOE

Cheers,

Christian.

[curly]

Yeah , I agree Christian , Bootle puts Qld Kauri ( all species though ) at 480kg a cube which is miles from what I'm getting in my samples . There is always the difference tree by tree but that's a big difference on both counts ( Kiwi stuff included ). Bootle puts the M.O.E. for north Qld Kauri at only 7.8 which would pretty well knock it out for high grade steel strings by most makers measure . We'll see , just hand flexing some plates it seems much better than that .

[christian]

Good on you for not being dictated by the numbers, your so right about the variables in trees, and thats where us Luthiers dial in our expertise.
I'm sure Qld Kauri is much higher than 7.8, radiata averages over 8 !!!
look forward to hearing your results Curly.
Cheers,

Christian.