Brad Dorsey Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I am almost out of the willow that I've been using for replacement blocks in old instruments. I have some poplar that I'm thinking of using. Does anyone here have an opinion about the suitability of poplar for blocks? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
~ Ben Conover Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Not sure why you'd want to use it for restoring old instruments, willow or spruce is usual. I find it a bit 'hairy'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arglebargle Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I am almost out of the willow that I've been using for replacement blocks in old instruments. I have some poplar that I'm thinking of using. Does anyone here have an opinion about the suitability of poplar for blocks? Stick with willow or spruce, unless you have a specific example of different wood being used. Battenkill tonewoods usually has plenty of willow for blocks. I ordered some a few years ago and still have plenty. Good stuff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MANFIO Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Willow is much better, I use Michigan black willow for my blocks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marty Kasprzyk Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Willow is much better, I use Michigan black willow for my blocks. What are the physical properties that make black willow better than other woods? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
~ Ben Conover Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 It's from michigan of course. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Conor Russell Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 It's light and easily worked, and doesn't split too easily. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marty Kasprzyk Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 It's light and easily worked, and doesn't split too easily. OK, If its better than spruce I'll try it for a top too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Conor Russell Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Go for it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
captainhook Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 The end grain is less thirsty than spruce. When I size it I usually wipe almost all of the glue back off because it doesn't penetrate. I sometimes forget to size blocks and have never had the glue fail. To Brad's question, I assume you mean American yellow poplar (tulip tree) rather than a true poplar. If historical accuracy is not an issue I don't see why not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lyndon Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 youre saying youre repairing that many italian violins with missing corner blocks that youve run out of willow, impressive!!! try buying a cheap cricket bat from india, theyre made of willow Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Melvin Goldsmith Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Willow in the right species/ form is a wood that does not split easily and for that reason is used as a bat in the sport of cricket.....folk who have attempted to harvest it for fire logs will know that all too well,,,,Poplar comes in many species and hybrids some split and some dont...It can be a bit similar with willow but with generally more split resistence.willow's reluctance to split would have been a factor at a time when nails were being driven into top blocks.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tango Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Hello Melvin There are a lot of willow in argentina. ¿Do you know what type of willow is used in this work (what latin name)? Thamks Tango Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brad Dorsey Posted October 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 ...To Brad's question, I assume you mean American yellow poplar (tulip tree) rather than a true poplar. If historical accuracy is not an issue I don't see why not. I probably should have been more specific. The wood I have is not tulip poplar; it's from the tree that is also called quaking aspen. I'm not too concerned about historical accuracy on the types of instruments I usually work on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cbouts Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 It's from michigan of course. HAHAHA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cbouts Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 For what it is worth in a pinch once when I was waiting on some willow to come in I have made 2 violins with poplar blocks with no problems but I normally go after dense willow Makes for nice rib structures and easy quick knife strokes - not a bunch of splitting and tearing out and run out you find with spruce. When I was doing repairs I loved opening top plates that had willow linings.. I dono I guess everything always looked and seemed cleaner. I simply love dense willow. I have heard some ideas that denser blocks dont sink projection as bad over time. I have not lived to be 4,266 years yet to try this out scientifically in different methods with different wood with repeatable results but I did stop using spruce some time ago for blocks. Personally... WILLOW IS KING... love the stuff... . but there is some poplar floating about in a fiddle in europe and one in new york. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cbouts Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Battenkill ---edit - I also had a neighbor who had cut a black willow tree some time ago and had some on hand... that was my transition period and ran out - BING used some poplar till i got some willow. HAHA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cbouts Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 For all your willow block needs get ahold of Robert Crosby Battenkill Tonewood R. Crosby Box 780 Warm Brook Rd. Arlington, VT 05250 802/375-9965 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
~ Ben Conover Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Cricket bats are compressd with a high pressure roller to make them stronger....not what I need for violins. Thanks for the heads up on Battenkill Andrew. Is the black willow from Michigan Manfio mentions denser than Willow from Gleissner in Germany ? I also much prefer Willow for linings and blocks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alberto R. Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Hello Melvin There are a lot of willow in argentina. ¿Do you know what type of willow is used in this work (what latin name)? Thamks Tango I guess: in italian Salice rosso, latin; salix purpurea y sauce rojo en español. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stanley5184 Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Since i play cricket and know a bit about bats...i finally can contribute to something. try buying a cheap cricket bat from india, theyre made of willow I'm not sure if its the same willow....the blocks that came with my white viola has grains about 1mm apart. If this is the willow everyone is using for blocks, then you wont find it on a cricket bat. The grains on a cricket bat can range from 5-18 on the face which is about 15cm long. The closest grains i have seen were about 5mm apart, which is much further than the grains on my blocks. The cheap bats from india are made from kashmire willow whereas the better bats ($200+) are made from english willow which is grown in england. Kashmire heavier and harder which is why it is non prefered. English willow is softer and has more 'rebound' so it bounces off better for hitting the ball further. Cricket bats are compressd with a high pressure roller to make them stronger....not what I need for violins. The face of the bat is usually only compressed about 5mm down, so you could still use all the rest of the bat. This is done so that the impact of the ball does not create surface cracks and the bat remains crack free. Hope i havn't veered too much off topic and wasted you time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
~ Ben Conover Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Preferable to baseball at least. :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arglebargle Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 For all your willow block needs get ahold of Robert Crosby Battenkill Tonewood R. Crosby Box 780 Warm Brook Rd. Arlington, VT 05250 802/375-9965 Wait, that sound familiar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cbouts Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Wait, that sound familiar. Yup and now the contact information is easily available since you have to dig around to find it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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