Wet, damp Weather

[Bob Connor]

I'm over it.

This has been the dampest bloody winter in years. The de-humidifier is going 24/7 and I can't get the RH below 60% unless I chuck a fan heater on as well.

So I've given up on a a few jobs involving tops, backs and bracing until spring, having to be content with putting together neck blanks etc.

I'm even having trouble finding days fine enough to spray (given that the spray booth is in the great outdoors)

Quite frustrating really.

A couple of projects are still moving, albeit slowly, including the pics below which is an all Huon Pine Weissenborn. The only foreign wood in it is the bridge plate which is Honduran Rosewood.

I'm trying to source a fingerboard, headplate and bridge for it actually but I need some highly figured, birds-eyed and preferably darker Huon Pine if anyone has a couple of bits they want to sell.

BTW it's got a reasonable tap tone at present so I think it's going to make a nice sounding instrument.

[Craig]

Wow that's nice Bob. The Huon pine is a knockout .
Know what you mean about the damp weather . Day after day..........

[J.F. Custom]

Wow Bob!

That looks great in all Huon - very well dressed.

Sorry I can't help with any Birdseye Huon. I've seen some really nice pieces over the years but never actually picked any up.

I have to concur on the weather here though... It's ridiculously frustrating. My small dry room I am able to keep, well, one unit tells me 35%, another 50% and a third 44%, so I'll assume it is in the ballpark.

Does not help with spraying though. I can't spray in there so am as dependant on natures booth as you are. Any acceptable conditions are few and far between that is for sure - particularly here in the mountains where we are a few degrees cooler than you on average. I'm looking at the hard shellac as an alternative for these long months now so I can do it in the dry room and not delay instruments indefinitely.

Jeremy.

[Tod Gilding]

I know what you mean Bob, my build has come to a stop with this weather, but Im finally finding time to do all those things around the shed, just built a new bench and about to start on a couple of new jigs,and isnt the shed tidy

[Nick]

Gentlemen prefer blondes
I know what you mean about the weather, it's been wet & cold here for the past week! It was lovely leading into it but now turned to custard & wouldn't you know it?..... I've got a spray job coming within the next couple of weeks, on a uke
I've got a bit of Birdseye maple I got from LMI a few years back but their neck blanks are only 3" wide so I've never used it (I prefer to laminate up using a 4" wide blank), I'll see if I can dig it out & get a picture up. If it's got enough figure I'll send it across the ditch if you don't come up with anything else, You'll just have to resaw it into the sizes you need (it's 1" thick so should render enough for the bits you need).

[Bob Connor]

Thanks Nick but I already have some birds-eye maple. I'd really like to keep this one all Huon Pine.

Regards

[Kim Strode]

Hi Bob,

I've got quite a lot of Huon Pine, which I'm currently still un-packing from the house and workshop move. If you can give me a week or so I'll have a good look through and report back...send pictures.

[peter.coombe]

Has been fine and sunny here in Bega NSW. Has been 37-45% RH in the workshop for many weeks. Have been flat out gluing as much as I can. Today is supposed to be 19deg and dry, tomorrow 18deg and dry. Wonderful. Summer time is another matter.

Peter

[nnickusa]

Yeah, wet, wet, BLOODY WET! Only get a chance to spray on Sundays, so it's a crapshoot.....

Almost done with the Mirotone on #2...will final sand Sunday and see how she looks....then buff....this one will be finished soon......

My Poor man's Dry Room keeps around 40-45% RH, according to the averages on two metres I have, so I'm OK with that, but #3 has been giving me fits! Inside out back plates, stuffed up the neck cut, cracked a bit of the side, but it should be in the binding.....Remind me never to work on a guitar if I'm not in the right frame of mind......been lots of stress lately, sick kid, shit at work, sleep deprivation from worry, and that's not the proper time to work on a guitar....However, the kid's getting well, the shop may be sold this week, and then it owes me about 1 1/2 years of full time off

Patience, grasshoppers.....

Our time will come. El Nino is said to be on it's way back, and then, if your house doesn't burn down, there should be plenty of time.....

Please, no fires in Martin's neighborhood, else the tonewood market will be gone for the next 3 years

In 8 years back in OZ, I've found that the whole bleeding place is either under water or on fire.

as I turn 50 in October, I'm of a mind to take the missus and do a three week drive round the coast all the way to Adelaide and see some of the beauty Australia has on offer......happy daze...

BTW: the weissy looks great, sorry I can't help with your timber request....just having a bit of a rant....

[Nick]

Thanks Nick but I already have some birds-eye maple. I'd really like to keep this one all Huon Pine.

Regards

Oh shit! Talking of blondes! I just re-read your original post, how stupid am I? Sorry Bob, as you were, smoke 'em if you got 'em.

[Taffy Evans]

HI Bob, I like that all blond look, nice looking guitar. If I see any blond colored strings I'll let you know.

[ozwood]

Hi Bob,

I'm Going to the Sydney wood show on Saturday, they normally have a heap of Huon there , I can keep an eye out if you like , I have seen some nice bits of birds eye there in the past .

Just PM how much you want to pay and what size and I can see what I can find .

Cheers,

[charangohabsburg]

Beautiful guitar! Flamenco players will want to switch to a weissy blanca!

[Bruce McC]

Huon1.jpg (61.69 KiB) Viewed 19249 times

Huon2.jpg (64.28 KiB) Viewed 19249 times

Bob

I have this piece of Huon birds eye. It is 270 mm long x 80-60 mm wide x 25 mm thick.
Rough sawn, very cranky grain, definitely not quarter sawn. I bought it in Strahan about
25 years ago and was "gunna" do something with it. It has sat in the top of my wardrobe
ever since so I think it would be stable by now. If it is any good to you you can have it.
Just PM me an address and I shall post it to you.

[ozziebluesman]

The Weissbenborn copy looks great in all Huon Pine.

I think you will have to record a few notes on this one Bob.

Cheers

Alan

[Bob Connor]

Bruce

Thanks for the offer but Kim Strode has me sorted.

Thanks for posting the pics

Regards

[Bob Connor]

Kim Strode dropped down a couple of weeks ago with a bootload of huon Pine pieces which we had great fun cutting to see what sort of figure they contained.

Here's a pic of Kim sizing some up for the bandsaw.

And here's what came out of that lump of wood.

[Kim Strode]

Love the end result...not sure about the picture of me!

[auscab]

Fruit Tingles that's nice, specially the bridge.

[Kamusur]

The f/board and headstock look good enough to eat.

Steve

[Bob Connor]

They'll look nice once the jam goes on.

[Taffy Evans]

I really like that, very nice touch's to a fine looking guitar.

[lauburu]

If you rub some ointment on the bridge those spots will clear up in no time.

[P Bill]

Rich and understated at the same time. Best guitar I've seen in a long while.

[H3ytm@n]

Mighty fine looking Weiss!!
The new additions look very tasty indeed.