Search found 201 matches

by curly
Thu Jan 25, 2018 10:28 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Wood identification?
Replies: 13
Views: 15769

Re: Wood identification?

Nothing like a wood question to get me to pop up , I've been on holidays and ignoring the phone to be with the trees . My vote is light colour fast grown Blackwood. I've cut mountains of shimmery light colour Blackwood like that out of the Otways . It looks really familiar All the best Pete Curly ti...
by curly
Fri Sep 22, 2017 7:27 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Vacuum molding
Replies: 28
Views: 36269

Re: Vacuum molding

G'day all , it's been a while . I'm puddling around with the idea of actually building an instrument again , rather than handing all the fun over to everyone else. Laminate is definitely part of my preferred build style . Just wondering if anyone has found a good ready made bag that I can order dome...
by curly
Sun Aug 06, 2017 9:43 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Cupped board - use or not?
Replies: 22
Views: 24691

Re: Cupped board - use or not?

That red gum was reliatively mellow . Still short fibred, interlocked and figured ! But reliatively mellow and even to work . I'd be confident personally so long as you've got good tools and they are sharp . I agree generally though , red gum can be pretty ornery!
Thanks
Pete
Curly timbers
by curly
Sat Jul 15, 2017 7:18 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Monterey Cypress
Replies: 18
Views: 25995

Re: Monterey Cypress

I did a shared job in macro last summer where we bought in about 80 tons , 3 semi trailer loads . There were some of the best logs I have seen in the species , some 8 metre dead clear logs . My interest in the job was mostly home wood for my own house and yard building though I've gotten out plankin...
by curly
Tue Jul 11, 2017 8:01 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Cupped board - use or not?
Replies: 22
Views: 24691

Re: Cupped board - use or not?

G'day Michael . Bring the board up when you come to get the other bits . I can buzz it flat no worries , no cost . It'll take about 20 seconds on the big barker buzzer !
Thanks
Pete
by curly
Sun Jun 18, 2017 8:27 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: I'm retiring
Replies: 45
Views: 65150

Re: I'm retiring

Awesome work to you bob , it's a great legacy you've created .
I usually just retire with a whisky , you're retiring to make the stuff !
All the best with what comes next , sounds like a mighty fine plan to me .
Pete
by curly
Sun Jun 18, 2017 8:21 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What do you do when,,,,??
Replies: 11
Views: 13845

Re: What do you do when,,,,??

Geez Rod ,
That's gotta hurt .
I can see how you'd be feeling like reassessing . Only thing I could add is that if your anything like me it's possible to do ok or f up just anything you try so a new endeavour isn't necessarily the answer. Your work is awesome . Hang in there mate
Pete
by curly
Thu Jun 01, 2017 8:38 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: ebonising wood
Replies: 11
Views: 14860

Re: ebonising wood

In that quick trial I haven't added any tannins , it's simply a reaction to the tannins present in the timber . A 2 stage process might improve results and it's a good prompt . A couple of local wattles A.pycnantha and A.mearnsii are both traditional tannin species with up to 40% tannin content in t...
by curly
Tue May 30, 2017 7:05 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: ebonising wood
Replies: 11
Views: 14860

Re: ebonising wood

Over the last couple of days I've run a trial utilising a strong solution of steel wool in vinegar on various timber species to test their reaction to the mix , along with depth of penetration . Gidgee , Blackwood in both high and low density samples , vic ash , messmate , red gum and satin box were...
by curly
Sun May 28, 2017 7:13 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: ebonising wood
Replies: 11
Views: 14860

Re: ebonising wood

G'day Ross , I'd be pretty certain that you would only achieve a shallow penetration of whichever dye or reactive liquor that you are using . Perhaps if there was something that reacted with the heartwood extractive that dyes my hands yellow when I'm wet milling Gidgee you may get better results . I...
by curly
Fri May 26, 2017 4:01 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Pete McCurly Article
Replies: 6
Views: 10971

Re: Pete McCurly Article

Sorry to say that was when I looked a whole bunch brighter and fresher too . Don't know what I was getting up to with that mushroom either ....
by curly
Fri May 26, 2017 3:13 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Pete McCurly Article
Replies: 6
Views: 10971

Re: Pete McCurly Article

Sounds like a bloody hippy to me !
by curly
Sun May 21, 2017 7:27 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Blackwood milling
Replies: 14
Views: 15640

Re: Blackwood milling

Geez Steve , I'd be really happy with that as a start , that much figure showing at the end is really promising . I find 600 is about the cutoff for much recovery . Sometimes you might squeeze sets out of smaller logs by allowing roll in the lower bout but you never get much and the faults are right...
by curly
Fri May 19, 2017 1:06 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Blackwood milling
Replies: 14
Views: 15640

Re: Blackwood milling

Thanks for the feedback , I tend to run Blackwood sawn to 50 or 60 mm on a one year turnaround . It's probably the easiest timber to dry that I deal with , it readily lets its core moisture go without adverse moisture gradients . The year tends to be 9 or 10 months air dry with the remainder in a de...
by curly
Wed May 17, 2017 6:58 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Blackwood milling
Replies: 14
Views: 15640

Blackwood milling

I put this whopping great Blackwood across the mill today , creatively named P10 . I'm Pete and this was the 10 th tree I cut this summer past ( got to 16) . If only they were all this good , huge , round full of colour and figure . A proper metre diameter and 1900 long in the first Log , 2700 in th...
by curly
Mon May 15, 2017 7:09 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Not a guitar...
Replies: 7
Views: 11321

Re: Not a guitar...

Ditto to everyone else Martin , I love it .
As an aside I got a fiddle Blackwood in big enough to quarter double bass backs out , there's a challenge !
Pete
Curly timbers
by curly
Mon May 15, 2017 6:59 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Non Autoclaved Carbon Fiber
Replies: 3
Views: 4941

Re: Non Autoclaved Carbon Fiber

Hmm , there's a heap I can't answer in your post and a fair bit more that I'm just vague as to exactly what you mean . The little I've got something to say about is regarding how the timber will behave under autoclave conditions. Aside from the pressure the conditions sound similar to a commercial h...
by curly
Wed May 10, 2017 6:58 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Blackwood guitar
Replies: 15
Views: 15240

Re: Blackwood guitar

That topic had me thinking about the weight of Blackwood , so i fished a stick out that I remembered as being at the lighter end of stuff I've handled . It cubed out to 438 kg a cube which is probably a bit high considering the factory humidistat is reading 80%+ this week . Ive also cubed drier dist...
by curly
Sun Apr 30, 2017 12:12 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Blackwood guitar
Replies: 15
Views: 15240

Re: Blackwood guitar

G'day Jim , I agree with the comments earlier about Blackwood being variable . It has a huge distribution range and also grows across quite diverse habitats . The stand genetic variability is very high and distribution genetics as well . I've supplied a heap of Blackwood from wetter districts wholes...
by curly
Wed Apr 19, 2017 7:25 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Getting sued and going to court
Replies: 25
Views: 23954

Re: Getting sued and going to court

I'm sorry to hear of that Steve , your quite obviously a busy man and make use of whatever free time you find sharing it generously with this community . It's an unfortunate truth that some small percentage of the broader community have a completely different idea of what is reasonable . I operate i...
by curly
Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:03 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: A new mandolin
Replies: 2
Views: 6920

Re: A new mandolin

It looks lovely Peter , I agree that King Billy and Blackwood get along beautifully together , good news for the maker as they're both pretty mild to work with . It's great to hear your work taking that sort of leap . I've heart mandolin player mates talk with that sort of passion for a good mandoli...
by curly
Mon Feb 27, 2017 6:00 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Hello and Thanks
Replies: 4
Views: 6478

Re: Hello and Thanks

I'm really glad you loved the timber Jon , you've certainly got an eye for the good stuff !
My next project is how to get timber legally out of New Zealand where I'm currently holidaying ......
Thanks
Pete
Curly timbers
by curly
Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:31 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: A Mountain Ash tenor ukulele
Replies: 2
Views: 6338

Re: A Mountain Ash tenor ukulele

That's a beautiful batch of work there Frank . Great attention to detail and a well harmonised overall aesthetic . As to your mystery soundboard my best bet without any other prompts would be cherry .Cherry dries pretty poorly , if that's what it was you will have noticed a fair bit of degrade in dr...
by curly
Sun Jan 01, 2017 2:08 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: A long time between drinks
Replies: 3
Views: 5653

A long time between drinks

G'day all , Merry new year , hope the hangovers aren't too nasty ! I found myself with a few hours free this morning and thinking better than to do one of the usual endless work chores , I fished around under the bed for the parlor guitar I'd started for the missus birthday . Minor issue being that ...
by curly
Fri Dec 23, 2016 8:01 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: wood id?
Replies: 13
Views: 14481

Re: wood id?

I've got a fair quantity of satin box coming through at the moment . About a half cube of quarter sawn guitar cants come in just this week from the Otways . It's very strong and long fibred , has a close , even texture and appears to be quite stable once dry though is pretty splitty in drying . The ...