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NEWS: Pictures soon
AVAILABLE WOOD, 12/15/03:
(1) Western Red
Cedar 23" x 9 1/2" x 5-6mm thick, 20-30 grains per inch. I have
both color stripped and clear: $45.00 per set.
(2) Figured
Western Red Cedar 24" x 9 1/2" x 5-6mm thick, 15 - 25 grains per
inch, beautiful cross silk, and a nice soft figure throughout:
$55.00 per set.
(3) Highly
figured Western Black Walnut sets: $150 - $300 per set.
(4) Moderately
figured Western Black Walnut sets: $75 - 150 per set.
Also: Myrtle, Maple, Spruce, and other woods.
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Under construction:
Check out my eBay auctions, they include woods
that are not listed on this site. Click here:
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BLEACHING & COOKING YOUR SPRUCE
SOUNDBOARDS Try these
techniques at your own risk. Although I plan to try this soon, I
no nothing more than what is printed here. Jim G.
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Here is an
interesting bit of info
from Frank Ford (frets.com) who is a renowned luthier
located in Palo Alto, CA. He gave a presentation at NCAL
on a recent visit to the Taylor Guitar factory. At Taylor
they "Cook" their tops in a huge
oven to create a catastrophic heating environment
prior to construction. This simulates what can
happens to an instrument left in a hot car which
results in permanent disastrous effects on the
soundboard.
In experiments they found by exposing the wood to
just such a heating situation prior to building they
effect a significant reduction in the amount of
shrinkage a top will go through when later exposed to
a catastrophic heating incident (car) and eliminate
the damage typically done to the instrument top. So
its a kind of insurance against future problems.
Frank Ford's recommendation for us small builders is
to cook our tops in the kitchen oven at 200 deg.F for
1 hour to reproduce Taylor's effects. I know someone who
reluctantly tried it and expected to see his DaCosta
wood crack to pieces. It didn't. It came through
unscathed.
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BLEACHING -
Bleaching the Wood
1/2 gallon of bleach to 5 gallons of water
Keep wood under the water for 72 hours
Don't worry I know the wood will look funny when wet
Dry by standing tops up and turn once a day for a week ( this is for
tops only )
Sand to final finish Bleach again ( sand to take outer crust off )
You can now cook the wood after it has dried This will make the wood
bullet proof.
Don't cook wood when it is wet from the bleach make sure it is dry
first.
Do so at your own risk. eLuthier.com can not be held liable for this
process
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UPS Shipping for sides and back is usually
$10.00 -
$15.00 in the continental United States, insurance included. We
charge a standard $5.00 packing fee which is very low considering that it
takes about forty five minutes to make the boxes and package the wood so
it will be safe.
E-mail Jim for questions
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ANOTHER BLEACHING METHOD -
by Frederick Oughton
'The Complete Manual of Woodfinishing' by Frederick Oughton (Stobart &
Son, London, 1982). (from the book):
"No 1 solution. Take 4 parts of .880 ammonia, one part water and mix.
No 2 solution. Take one part hydrogen peroxide (100 vol) and mix with
4 parts water.
The No 1 solution is alkaline and it will momentarily darken the wood
as soon as it sinks into the fibres. When the No. 2 solution is put on
the wood, there will be a chemical reaction and the bleaching will
start.
It will be helpful to consider the process as a series of steps.
Step 1: Apply No. 1 solution plentifully and allow between five and
ten minutes to penetrate the fibres.
Step 2: Apply No. 2 solution, using a broad, soft brush along the
grain of the wood.
Step 3: Observe the action as the bleach dries. An appreciable
lightening of the wood should now occur.
Step 4: As soon as the required degree of bleaching is reached, wipe
the surface with a cloth soaked in methylated spirit.
Step 5: A white chemical residue will probably
materialise on the wood when it is completely dry. If it cannot be
wiped off with methylated spirit, use a fine sandpaper to clear the
area.
If the initial bleaching fails to come up to expectation go through
the entire process once more. Unless something happens to be seriously
wrong, such as an incompatibility between the wood and the bleaching
solutions, the results should prove satisfactory.
The bleached wood should be allowed to stand in a well ventilated
place for two to three days until it completely dries. The surface
finish should be applied as soon as possible, otherwise the wood will
begin to darken again. |
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