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Showing results for tags 'spruce'.
Found 10 results
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Hi all. I am a long-time woodworker and amateur-musician working on building my first violin. I've obtained some spruce for the top but unfortunately, the blank was apparently cut near a branch because the grain curves out and back in along the length, not unlike a violin bow. So it is impossible to get a straight-grained joint. This is my first build and I expect it to be a learning experience (mistakes included), so while I'm disappointed in the quality of the wood, I'm prepared to move forward for the experience. See the attached images (note this is in early stages of planing). My questions are: 1) Would any professional luthier ever use wood with diverging grain like this? I've personally never seen an such an instrument. 2) Other than aesthetics, would this wood present any structural or sound quality issues? 3) The change of grain occurs near the end of the board so that it would impact about 70mm of the top. Would there be a preference in having this divergence of grain at the upper or lower bout? Thanks for your thoughts and comments, Terry
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All the posts on spruce have really got my pea brain going. I have a couple of projects that are in process that relate to some of my violin and viola posts I have made lately. When those guys are ready I am sure they will share with everyone. I think the projects will be fun for everyone and I know I will enjoy the results. My question for the assembled congress of luthiery is this: Does the grain width of the spruce for the top of an instrument matter? I have always been fond of medium to wide grain for a top. I know that many makers, especially earlier ones?, liked very fine grain spruce. Is this anything that matters or is it just visual? I have found the playing properties of fine grained spruce to be stiffer and less responsive, this without any real basis at all. I have a feeling it is all in my head. Dwight
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A local luthier is closing down, and has offered me an instrument with a very decent discount. It is a brand new cello built by the Hungarian master builder Péteri Károly in 2014. The instrument sounds really nice, but it has this "artifact" on the top: https://i.imgur.com/OgdMddD.jpg On the instrument, it is located here: https://i.imgur.com/Qj94RsY.jpg?1 Does anyone have an opinion on wether or not this is, or can become, a problem? Thank you in advance for your opinion in this matter!
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Hello makers, The time has come for me to thin my herd a little. I have for sale some very fine red maple cut between 1993 and 2003. The photo shows a pretty good representation of what I have. There is more. In some cases I have more pieces from the same tree. Most of the maple is top grade stuff. I do have a few more economical pieces if anyone is interested. In most cases I have matching ribs and scroll blocks as well. I have some engelman spruce available also. Several violin and viola, and 2 cello. top grade violin/viola maple sets: $150 second grade violin/viola maple sets: $85 violin/viola spruce: $50-$85 cello tops: $150/$400 Please pm me with requests for more pictures or info. grayviolin@hotmail.com thanks, Damon Gray p.s. Shop cat not for sale
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Hello to everyone this is De Paoli from Canada I would like to add more photos of tone wood and accessories that we have if there is an interest please let me know as we are moving from our present location over the next month and would like all this wonderful collection to go to luthier's hands! the next few posts will be of pics but if you request something specific i can post many more! thanks again for the interest!
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I got some nice big viola size spruce (500mm) , It is in very nice wedges and the grain seems to be just about perfectly quartered. It is stamped 2013 so it is a bit new to use on anything but I was going to put it away in my hope chest/wood scholarship closet for a few years. Should it be sawn in two so it will season faster or should I just leave it alone. It is european wood if that matters. How new is too new? The spruce is really something, you can run your hands over the edges and the stuff just sings when you hold your ear to it. It smells so lovely and clean. OK, I'm a nut case :-) I I was thinking that I would need to find someone with a large bandsaw with a re-sawing blade or can it be done by hand (not by me!) DLB
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Hello, This question is slightly painful to ask, but where could/would/should I purchase wood for varnishing test strips? Since I don't make instruments, I don't have random wood pieces laying around. Would I be fine testing on kiln-dried wood bought from a local lumber store? Should I purchase some actual tonewood and turn it into test strip pieces? Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm afraid I've gotten infected with the 'violin varnishing disease' ...and now I really need a place to test out some certain methods, recipes and ideas. Thanks.
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I have a bunch of Engelmann Spruce which is cut and split into sizes suitable for double bass. This is master grade wood cut from a tree killed in the "Blackwell Fire" in central Idaho in 1994. This wood was cut into 52" rounds and then split into quarter and eighth segments which measure 52" X 12"-17". The log has a density of .33-.34 and the moisture content is 7-9% with straight, even winter grain lines. I have about 30 tops, maybe more. Available individually or potentially as whole. If someone wanted all of them I'd guess the whole load would be about 1500-2000 lbs. Individual tops can be shipped via USPS but if someone wanted much more than a few tops he/she would have to either bring a truck to Idaho or arrange freight. The third to last photo is of about one third of the total amount of wood available. Individual bass tops are $400-$500 ( there is some variation of quality within the log). Cello and violin pieces are also available. Price for the whole load can be negotiated.
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Hi guys! So, I'm about to re-glue a top plate to a clunker violin I opened up recently. I noticed that there's lining/ chamfering that helps support the glue joint where the ribs meet the back plate. I also noticed that I might have cut through some kind of lining between the ribs and the top plate when I removed the top plate. My questions are 1. Am I correct in thinking that when a violin box is initially closed up construction, there is lining/chamfering (of willow or spruce) installed to re-enforce the connection of the top plate to the ribs? 2. If so, any tips for installing that lining? 3. When re-gluing the top plate, must I first do something to prepare the lining/ chamfering? Is is acceptable to not pay attention to the lining when re-gluing a top plate? (I'd rather err on the side of caution and *pay attention to it*, that way the repair is done as well as possible ;D ) Thanks for the help, guys! I really appreciate it! - Sarah
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Hey guys! I have an old trade instrument that I'm cutting my repair teeth on (don't worry, it was long gone as a functional instrument when it got to me). One of the things I'd like to do is to repair a couple of deep gouges on the exterior o the top plate. In some places, the gouge is about 1 mm deep and covers a surface area about the same size as a quarter. I was thinking that I could sand the area down and patch it, like one would do to make a soundpost patch on the interior of the top plate. But, before I did that, I wanted to ask if there is any existing, accepted method for an exterior gouge repair? Or does anyone have some war stories they'd be willing to share? Thanks in advance, guys! -Sarah
