# Tonewood massacre?



## Matthew (Jan 19, 2009)

I am in a cabinet making apprenticeship by day and an amateur guitar builder by night. I recently bought a 20 foot long, 9" wide and 4" thick sitka spruce board that was 800 years old from the Queen Charlotte Islands. The board was at 13.8% Moisture Content. It was air drying for some time. It has 12 to 15 rings per inch, quarter sawn showing vertical grain that wonders a little left towards the last two inches of the width. 

The cabinet maker leading my apprenticeship said that air drying would never get the moisture content of the board down to the 6 - 8% which, as I understand, the necessary M.C. for stability in furniture making and for my purpose, carving archtops.

I sent it to the kiln. After this I had instant remorse. I read all kinds of articles saying that it kills the cell structure and takes the life out of it. Is this true? Have I instigated a tonewood massacre?


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Matthew said:


> The cabinet maker leading my apprenticeship said that air drying would never get the moisture content of the board down to the 6 - 8% which, as I understand, the necessary M.C. for stability in furniture making and for my purpose, carving archtops.


Well, I hate to disagree with your instructor, but I have 20+ years of experience as a custom woodworker that says otherwise.

I often take air dry lumber (in my area, Northern Ontario air dried lumber will not go down lower than 11%to 12%) and bring it into my shop, and stack it. It will, in a hheated environment, go down to the 6% to 8%. It may take another 6 months for an 8/4 plank, but it will definitely loose its moisture. I know from my own studies (including a course in drying lumber) that it is not supposed to, but in my years of practical expeience it will. I think it is not feasable to dry wood this way in industry. But for a small number of boards it works. Also, it must be inside, in a controlled heated enviroment. 

On the happier side, I doubt highly that your spruce will be spoiled. Its not a lot of moistiure to let loose, and unless the kiln tries to dry it too fast, I doubt you will notice any difference.

Remember, if you are talking wood for archtop guitars, guys like Bob Benedetto just get the spruce wedges and dry them in their own "drying rooms" which are just basically rooms closed off to the rest of the shop and kept at a warmer temperature. No kilns per say and they obvioulsy get dry enough.

AJC


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I often blast wood to dry around my wood boiler to bring it down to around that. The smaller pieces dry pretty quick. Wood will gain moisture back so I wouldn't freak too much. Sounds like an amazing board. 

You giving anyway :wave:___:wave:


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

You're so lucky.

This is what happens to all the hardwood, fruitwood and old growth softwoods around Chilliwack


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## geezer (Apr 30, 2008)

I know a couple of guys up by Campbell River that used to sell bookmatched sets of figured maple to major guitar makers in the states.They dried it themselves in a homemade dehumidifier kiln.On a negative note,I once lost about 500 bf of fig. maple in a Woodmizer Vacukiln due to cell collapse.


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## Matthew (Jan 19, 2009)

ajcoholic said:


> Well, I hate to disagree with your instructor, but I have 20+ years of experience as a custom woodworker that says otherwise.
> 
> I often take air dry lumber (in my area, Northern Ontario air dried lumber will not go down lower than 11%to 12%) and bring it into my shop, and stack it. It will, in a hheated environment, go down to the 6% to 8%. It may take another 6 months for an 8/4 plank, but it will definitely loose its moisture. I know from my own studies (including a course in drying lumber) that it is not supposed to, but in my years of practical expeience it will. I think it is not feasable to dry wood this way in industry. But for a small number of boards it works. Also, it must be inside, in a controlled heated enviroment.
> 
> ...


Muchas Gracias for your experienced response. The board was put into the kiln with other boards that had a much higher M.C. I am told that this will increase the M.C. in my board and then they will all release moisture equally down to 6 - 8%. The board has been in the kiln for three weeks and I get it back monday. Only time will tell I guess. Do you think I can start carving after it settles in my shop for a while?


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## Matthew (Jan 19, 2009)

shoretyus said:


> I often blast wood to dry around my wood boiler to bring it down to around that. The smaller pieces dry pretty quick. Wood will gain moisture back so I wouldn't freak too much. Sounds like an amazing board.
> 
> You giving anyway :wave:___:wave:



That is encouraging. I will do that next time. It is an amazing board but odldy enough a couple of guys from Steinway out of California looked at the board and they didn't like how the grain wandered. One mans garbage is another man's treasure.


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## Matthew (Jan 19, 2009)

geezer said:


> I know a couple of guys up by Campbell River that used to sell bookmatched sets of figured maple to major guitar makers in the states.They dried it themselves in a homemade dehumidifier kiln.On a negative note,I once lost about 500 bf of fig. maple in a Woodmizer Vacukiln due to cell collapse.



I feel for you on the woodmizer debacle. That would anger me greatly. there are a couple of mills before Campbell river that have experienced some mold problems but the figured maple they are supplying is Gorgeous.


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## Matthew (Jan 19, 2009)

Geek said:


> You're so lucky.
> 
> This is what happens to all the hardwood, fruitwood and old growth softwoods around Chilliwack


That pains my heart.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Matthew said:


> Muchas Gracias for your experienced response. The board was put into the kiln with other boards that had a much higher M.C. I am told that this will increase the M.C. in my board and then they will all release moisture equally down to 6 - 8%. The board has been in the kiln for three weeks and I get it back monday. Only time will tell I guess. Do you think I can start carving after it settles in my shop for a while?


Its always a good idea to let it aclimatise at least a few weeks in the place you will be working on it.

WHen I bought my spruce and maple I left it in my shop for a few months before I started working on my archtop and it didnt move at all.

AJC


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## Matthew (Jan 19, 2009)

Thanks. I just got the board back...the guy did a great job at the kiln (local high school).... I couldn't be more excited.

P.S. Just noticed your collection...Awesome.


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