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Was talking to a guy waiting for his buddy pruning the street trees for the city. Wanted an oak branch for a guy at work that wanted to grow mushrooms on it (and I thought I was a little different). They were trimming the dead wood of the trees and would not be cutting anything big enough for a few mushrooms at a time. Talked some more and then it dawned on me, sometimes these guys take down some fair size trees. Wonder if they come across any big enough to do a guitar?

The biggest stuff we have around here is some cottonwood, Dutch elm, and Manitoba Maple (Box-elder). Asked if they come across anything big enough if they could giving me a call. He said they get a lot of woodworkers asking them about wood but he will keep me in mind. Ran in the house to get a paper and pen, grabbed the walnut guitar I made to show him I really am nuts but was serious about getting some wood. Wrote my name and number, just happened we had the same first name. How could he say no?

Didn't think much of it but this evening I look out my window and there is this piece of a tree sitting at the side of the house. OK it was not on the door step, would have seen it there. Think it might have been there a couple of days as the ends did not seem that wet. Not big enough for a guitar, maybe a uke? Stripped the bark off and quartered it.





So now what? Other than painting the ends what else should I do? Split it once more or cut it into rough boards or just leave it as it is?

Funny. when I read your post title, my brain (apparently) added "the" and capitalized it so it was The Tree... So, I didn't get the figure I expected.

I'd wax/paraffin the ends you'll have checking with paint, zero checking with paraffin.

When I got into woodworking I started a side business where I took out urban trees so that I could get paid for the wood as opposed to buying it. I got a ton of really nice Quartersawn wood this way and some jingle in my pocket.

The smaller the pieces the faster they will dry. I sealed ends with painted on shellac and dried them away from light, standing upright, spaced with L shaped spacers.

Waxed the ends. So do I cut these into rough boards or leave that till it is dry?

Got a reply from a well trusted wood guy. Cut a few boards tomorrow and let it dry. Figure a tenor uke.

What wood is it?

Good question. It seems like red oak but with no pores.

Looks a bit like ash.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

That is my guess but I have never cut any before.

Sticker and stack and clamp. Or you are going to end up with potato chips

Hope this is good enough.

Nice wood. Looks like walnut to me. Do you have that there?

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Nice stacking job. You used screws in the clamp, right? Let that set for a couple of months

No not walnut, hopefully some day. Screwed together. Put a bit of tension on them. A couple of the boards do not have completely flat sides so I had to fiddle about with the stickers. I see some cracks in one board, hope this is not representative of the others.

As the wood dries, you'll find that the stack will be a little looser in the frame. Have some cedar shims on hand, and just tap them in to keep the boards nice and snug.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I had some Russian Olive that looked a bit like this. The neighbor cut it up in pieces too short for sides. I saved some for firewood, but the first use inside set off my asthma, so it went to a bonfire.

I looked up the tree and found it can be rather interesting. Would love to find enough to make a guitar out of this stuff.

Informed my log was Oak. Just as happy if not more with that. I like Oak. Enough to wave down the tree service that were cutting the neighbor's tree. Forget about making a Uke with this one. May get a couple guitars out of it. Just have to figure out how to whittle it down into manageable pieces.

Picked out how I wanted to quarter the log. Then I stripped off the bark. Changed my mind. Not as clear as I hoped. A few guitars in there though.

Time for a well deserved break, sweating bullets. Could not get the chainsaw so cut a slot with a circular saw. Let me tell you, it was not happy. After some hindsight I could have rubbed some wax on the blade, did that with a handsaw which I extended the cut with. Then comes out the wedge.



Thanks Dad for the wedge. A couple of wooden wedges and we have two halves.



Now to split these and clean up the surfaces. This is going to be an all day thing.

The log put up a good fight but I got a piece off of it.

Now to put it away for a couple of years.

It's oak. Lots of that grows around US. I've seen Oak guitars. Never was inspired. I will say there is a very nice home grown called Osage Orange. Horse Apple tree. You've probably seen the "fruit". Big green knobby looking stuff the size of a softball. Beautiful yellow orange color when cut. Oxidizes sadly to a dull brown. But tap tone is said to be Brazzy. I've got a bunch I've saved for bridges and plates. Ask your wood guy for chunks of that. It was planted extensively as a hedgerow during the dust bowl days to control erosion. Bow makers love it for recurves. Lots of French names (Boise de Arc?) I've seen some amazing Gum tree wood. Black walnut. I've always wondered about Beech. Sassafras. Others? David Newton is an amazing resource here.

Some of us really like oak guitars, I like the look better when the wood is stained darker. I've played John Arnold's oak dred and it is awesome - absolutely proves oak is a very nice tonewood.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"