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 Post subject: redwood neck
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:21 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:20 pm
Posts: 9
First name: Kevin
Last Name: Keith
City: Conroe
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 77384
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Has anyone tried making a neck out of redwood for an ukulele. I have some dry clear 4x4 deck post I cut into 2x3/4 strips and the wood looks pretty good and has not warped over the last month after cutting. It seems like it may be too soft for a neck but not much softer than Honduran Mahogany. I build only Spanish style necks now.


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 Post subject: Re: redwood neck
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:19 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:36 pm
Posts: 159
First name: Ed
Last Name: Miller
City: Wood Dale
State: Illinois
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
If you use a strip of carbon fiber to strengthen, which many builders do, it should work fine.

Ed


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 Post subject: Re: redwood neck
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:43 pm 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2013 4:58 pm
Posts: 1449
First name: Ed
Last Name: Minch
City: Chestertown
State: MD
Zip/Postal Code: 21620
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
A carbon fiber strip wold be insurance, but I think it would work on a uke without. I just built a guitar with an Alaskan Yellow Cedar guitar with an AYC neck with carbon fiber and after 4 months it still looks fine.

Ed


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 Post subject: Re: redwood neck
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:56 am 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 4:10 pm
Posts: 272
First name: Chris
Last Name: Reed
City: Stowmarket
State: Suffolk
Zip/Postal Code: IP14 2EX
Country: UK
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I once built an entire Western Red Cedar soprano uke, just to see if I could. The neck has held up nicely (5 or 6 years now), no neck reinforcement. Maybe a tenor might benefit from reinforcement as insurance, though my test is how stiff the wood is, not what species it is.

BUT, softwood necks (except yew) are horrible to carve (I've used pine also) because it's so easy to crush the wood rather than cut it. And easy to dent as you work it.

I'd take one corner of that billet and attempt to carve a curve, to see how it behaved. I'd also press my fingernail in to see how easily it dented. If it passed both those tests, I'd happily use it.



These users thanked the author profchris for the post: modkev (Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:19 am)
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 Post subject: Re: redwood neck
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:56 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:20 pm
Posts: 9
First name: Kevin
Last Name: Keith
City: Conroe
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 77384
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Well I tried it and you were right profchris. When it came to carving it was horrible, and i would not recommend it unless your wood has very tight growth rings, but that is not the nature of how Redwood trees grow because they are very fast growing trees.


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 Post subject: Re: redwood neck
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 7:39 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:22 pm
Posts: 88
First name: doug
Last Name: powdrell
City: hilo
State: big island
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I did a few awhile back without re-enforcing the neck.....would definitely re-enforce with carbon....one cracked under the nut after a few months....added re=enforcing splines on 'em under the nut. Caveat; I build thinner necks..


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