sample wood for testing

[vtpcnk]

there is a home depot close to where i work.

on their site i see that they sell blank pieces of wood - i would like to practice pore grain fill and truoil finish on something like it before i try it on the guitar body.

on their website i see that they have "boards" for sale - mostly seems to be poplar, buff cedar, red oak etc.

which of these woods would be an ideal testing ground - especially for practicing pore filling.

and is it possible to get a board of swamp ash anywhere?

 

[guitlouie]

Home Depot and the like will not likely have anything fancier than what you have mentioned, but if you look for a local lumberyard, you will probably have no problem finding some ash.

 

[vtpcnk]

>Home Depot and the like will not likely have anything fancier

i'm only looking for some pores to grain fill and some wood to tru-oil - that is all.

 

[guitlouie]

and is it possible to get a board of swamp ash anywhere

This is the question that I was answering.

 

[vtpcnk]

>This is the question that I was answering

oh thanks.

i just called a hardware/lumber shop nearby and they told me i can get wood there.

i think swamp ash is called "southern ash" right?

i hope i can get a piece of it there.

 

[dbw]

If you have a Woodcraft nearby, they have every type of wood ever.

 

[blue313]

If you have a Woodcraft nearby, they have every type of wood ever.

+1.  You'd honestly think they shop at the same store as Warmoth sometimes.


A couple of online sources.
http://www.woodcraft.com/depts.aspx?deptid=2123
http://www.comptonlbr.com/
http://www.edensaw.com/

 

[vtpcnk]

there is no woodcraft near nyc - nothing in jersey either.

but maybe i can order something online.

their site lists these for ash :

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=670

is this swamp ash?

and what size would be ideal for testing pore filling and truoil finishing?

and i hope these would not be finished?

 

[Soylent]

I'd get as much as you can afford.. try different things etc.. and document your work with pictures and notes.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Swamp Ash is sort of an umbrella term.  There can be several species from different areas collectively called swamp ash.  The best way to avoid getting caught up in this sort of detail is to go to the wood shop and find a piece of ash with some grain to it.  Take your fingernail and drag it across the wood perpendicular to the grain with your palm facing you.  After several pieces you will know which ones have deeper grain.  Choose some of those for test pieces.  You want something that is not going to take forever but will give you an idea of deep grain wood that needs filling.  Good luck and don't worry too much about the name.

One other thing to consider is that some pieces of wood take more finish than others.  So staining and finishing will be a bit different from one to another.  While that sounds like the practice piece won't do what it is supposed to, the practice piece will show you how the finish is supposed to behave, and let you know when you are done.  So in the end although two pieces of ash might not behave that similarly, the experience will let you know when work is needed or when it is done.  Good luck.
Patrick

 

[vtpcnk]

i went to a lumber shop on saturday. they guy had only poplar and oak.

poplar seemed to be without any mark except for some ugly green veins - also a couple of real holes.

the oak had tiny marks all over (like somebody pressed their finger nail on a soft wood and left marks there) - this is grain?

but beyond that i couldn't see any pores or anything like that - maybe i do not know what to look for.

but i was not sure if testing with oak would be relevant for working with swamp ash.

any views?

 

[Rick]

Let us know where you live (not the street of course, just the general area) and we'll find you a guitar tech who will have scraps and can give you advice.  I have an excellent one in NYC, if that's where you live.

 

[vtpcnk]

yea nyc would be good. do let me know. thanks.

 

[Rick]

I have a couple.  I used to live in NYC so this info is good as of a year ago. 

The first one is very easy to get to, and just a few blocks from the Altantic Center mall and the one I like the best.
Fried Guitars
516 State St
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-855-2504
If you meet the owner, tell him Rick sent you.  He's great.  He worked on my tele. Small shop.

Matt Umanov on Bleeker.  I wouldn't use them because they are so expensive, but you might like them and their work is impecable, and they can answer any question you have.

Same for Mandolin Brothers on Staten Island

Carmine Street Guitars
42 Carmine St.
NYC, NY 10014   (212)691-8400
I don't really care for this one due to bedside manner of the owner, but he's cheaper than Umanov and his work is OK.  Only go to him though if for some reason you think downtown brooklyn is siberia (which it ain't)

As a fall back,

Mazzotti Music
284 3rd Ave. (btwn President & Carroll)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (718) 715-1420

I know the music scene in Brooklyn.  The scene in manhattan has fossilized.  Do you play out anywhere?  What's your favorite club?

You'll be a lot happier going to places and talking to humans, and asking a human questions, then to the cyber denizens here.  Here will get you started, but a good tech will get you finished. 

 

[vtpcnk]

hey thanks for the info. i'll try to check out the first one. and are you saying he would have some ash to sell me?

no i dont play anywhere nor do i have a favorite club or anything like that.

i know one guitar tech in nyc (who btw has a similar tele to the one i am talking about). i wrote to him only yesterday and wating to hear what he has to say on the issue.

thanks for your help.

 

[Rick]

He may have.  The best thing is to call him, get his hours, stop by his store and tell him what you're doing and ask for his advice.  After you've got it all together, he can do the final set up. Or if soldering is too daunting, he can do that too.  Tell him Rick in Albany sent you.  His work is impeccable.

If you're in his area, and if you get there early, you can kill some time over at the guitar center in atlantic center.  Or head down to Mazzotti.  One of my favorite clubs is right down the street from him, Hanks Saloon.  I don't know if it's still there.  I hope so.  Of course, BAM is there too.

Once you make your guitar you should start playing out.  Before I left I was doing background music at roof top garden parties.  It was pretty sweet.

 

[vtpcnk]

>If you're in his area, and if you get there early, you can kill some time over at the guitar center in atlantic center. 

oh ok. yea that would be a change as the guys in guitar center in nyc don't really like me - because though i occassionally go to check some specific guitar there i have never bought one (they never have what i want because my needs are always slightly unusual - a strat with a gibson scale neck, les paul with a belly cut, jazzmaster with p90s etc, and you know the tele i'm looking for now)! i have bought some pedals, cables etc from them though.

the last time i went there to check the tele with the belly cut, after i had the checked the guitar out because i had to say something to the guy who helped me, i told him i'll come back later. to which he asked : what for?

ha ha

yea but over the years i have learnt not to be too sensitive about such stuff (well you got to give something to get something right? and my pride is cheap

>Once you make your guitar you should start playing out.  Before I left I was doing background music at roof top garden parties.  It was pretty >sweet.

oh i don't know when that is going to happen to me - because i'm working hard on becoming good at playing hendrix and cream and peter green etc and i'm giving myself time to achieve that. anyway i am not in a hurry. so ...

 

[Rick]

Good luck.  Be nice to Fried.