Storing neck blanks

[Reason]

Hi all,

I found a very nice flamey piece of maple at HOME DEPOT the other day for $15. It is 3/4" thick and more than three times the length of a tele neck, so I'll resaw one third and make two good necks maple necks.

...but I digress... It will be a few weeks or so until I get to building necks, so my question is, how should I store it? Vertically? horizontally? cut it into blanks? put some weight on it? (there is some slight movement at one end.)

Many thanks,

[Nick JD]

I'd lay it down on a flat concrete surface out of the sun. Let any movement happen ... best to have it happen before you make the neck(s).

[guitarbuilder]

I'd stick it in a closet in the house horizontally on a shelf and let it acclimate. You may find it moves around some and it's a good thing to let it alone for a while,especially curly maple.

[treadwm]

I typically stack my wood with stringers under each board and add weight to the top. This doesn't stop movement but delays it until the MC equalizes.
When I go to use it, I'll cut it oversize, put it on the top of the stack w/o any weight and let it move however it wants. If I have the time I'll wait 2-3 days before cutting it to final shape.
It's still a battle. I've had kiln dried maple sitting in my workshop for months, followed the above procedure and still had the neck twist 3 weeks after I cut it. Sometimes no matter what the wood wins. :grins:

[Reason]

Thanks to all for the input.

Originally Posted by treadwm

I typically stack my wood with stringers under each board and add weight to the top. This doesn't stop movement but delays it until the MC equalizes.
When I go to use it, I'll cut it oversize, put it on the top of the stack w/o any weight and let it move however it wants. If I have the time I'll wait 2-3 days before cutting it to final shape.
It's still a battle. I've had kiln dried maple sitting in my workshop for months, followed the above procedure and still had the neck twist 3 weeks after I cut it. Sometimes no matter what the wood wins. :grins:

Cool. I'll do that. thanks!

[Hackguitarist]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

I'd lay it down on a flat concrete surface out of the sun. Let any movement happen ... best to have it happen before you make the neck(s).

Nick, wouldn't you be concerned that normal water vapor evaporation ou the concrete would cause issues with the wood ?

[Nick JD]

I'm not sure, maybe. My concrete is pretty dry! Does concrete moisture change a lot?

A few weeks would be okay though - I often store dry wood flat on concrete with no worries.

[Hackguitarist]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

I'm not sure, maybe. My concrete is pretty dry! Does concrete moisture change a lot?

A few weeks would be okay though - I often store dry wood flat on concrete with no worries.

Yes, Concrete moisture can change a lot. Does not mean it does, the moisture source would need to be present. So I would say in the middle of a basement floor in a Central AC controlled house, no problem. Out on the floor of my shop that swings with the weather in relative humidity.. no so much. I would ad that of said concrete is showing and signs of effervescence [light mineral power/residual], keep you wood away from it. ;)

[irishtele]

What about a stewmac neck blank and fingerboard?
How would you store them?
I have just purchased them but probably wont be using them for a while!

[treadwm]

The concrete in the basement of my house is the biggest sponge I ever saw. One these days I've got to seal it.
The humidity in the shop fluctuates enough that I always sticker my wood. In the last two weeks the outside humidity has gone from 95% to 40% back to 75%. Makes it tough dealing with wet or freshly sawn wood of any kind.

[Hackguitarist]

Originally Posted by treadwm

The concrete in the basement of my house is the biggest sponge I ever saw.

Everything is a sponge really. And if it is not it is a convetion medium for condensation. So either way... ;)

I figure my basement with the Central A/C about this time of year is 'relatively' stable 'humidity' wise [ahem ;)] The A/C has hd the house at 40% humidity for a few month now, and I'd say the concrete is pretty dry. But look at the color of the concrete by an exterior door compared to the middle of the floor on the the side of the floor away from the door.
dark concrete=damp concrete. So I probably would never put wood on a concrete floor myself. If it is dry, it is just waiting to get wet again.
I should mention I have done a lot of water related solutions for residential sub structures etc.

But bottom lining it: Concrete generally will be shedding water vapor at any given time. And the wood sitting on will make a great alternate sponge the way I see it. ;)

[treadwm]

Hahaha... yup! I agree, Hack.

Of course, I didn't do my basement any favors when I was turning wet wood on the lathe down there for 3 years! You know its bad when you have to run a dehumidifier even in the winter.

[JasonRobert]

if you are going to lay it on concrete, couldnt you just lay some of this down inbetween the wood and the concrete?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/100mm-DPC-Damp...QQcmdZViewItem

[treadwm]

the easiest thing is to just cut some 1" stickers out of pine and use those. You want the best air circulation around the wood that you can get.

[Hackguitarist]

Originally Posted by treadwm

the easiest thing is to just cut some 1" stickers out of pine and use those. You want the best air circulation around the wood that you can get.

+1 and lay down some poly on the concrete 1 foot wide for a 2-1/2 wide piece of wood. The spiders need homes too you know. ;)

[guitarbuilder]

I'm getting at least a gallon a day at 50% out of my basement right now. I don't keep the wood i'm using soon stored in there either.

[mlp-mx6]

That lovely maple you bought is most likely NOT hard rock maple, but soft maple. You should be sure about this before you use it in a neck.

[Nick JD]

Heh heh! I'm not used to your northern hemisphere guys concrete!

My garage concrete is as dry as a bone. It hasn't rained here in six weeks and is almost constantly 50% humidity and 23 degrees C. It's kind of polished and shiney too, so that might help water getting in and out.

For "a couple of weeks" it's my dry, flat, wood storage solution!

[treadwm]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

Heh heh! I'm not used to your northern hemisphere guys concrete!

My garage concrete is as dry as a bone. It hasn't rained here in six weeks and is almost constantly 50% humidity and 23 degrees C. It's kind of polished and shiney too, so that might help water getting in and out.

For "a couple of weeks" it's my dry, flat, wood storage solution!

I'll trade ya, Nick! I live in the northeast US and in June we only had 3 days where it did NOT rain. On the other hand, 6 weeks seems like a long dry spell.

[Nick JD]

Originally Posted by treadwm

I'll trade ya, Nick! I live in the northeast US and in June we only had 3 days where it did NOT rain. On the other hand, 6 weeks seems like a long dry spell.

It's the dry season here. In summer you've got to swim to get around.