Neck-Making Lumber Question

[mcknigs]

I know next to nothing about the qualities of wood for woodworking.

I took a walk in some nearby woods lately. There's a lot of newly-fallen trees/branches, which got me thinking. I know necks are normally made from a plank cut off a larger log, but I was wondering -- If I found a straight section of branch that was a bit larger than a neck, and I could season it for a while, then cut/file/sand it into the shape of a straight guitar neck, is there any reason it would not work well? From a stability standpoint, does it need to be cut out of a larger/thicker piece of wood?

 

[Engraver-60]

You would need to find a pretty decent size piece of straight wood, large enough to get well away from the heartwood (pith), and no bark, and it would have to be seasoned and still straight enough to make a neck from. It could be done, but the drying time alone might be a couple of years.

 

[mcknigs]

You would need to find a pretty decent size piece of straight wood, large enough to get well away from the heartwood (pith), and no bark, and it would have to be seasoned and still straight enough to make a neck from. It could be done, but the drying time alone might be a couple of years.

Thanks. I take it the heartwood is at the center of the branch? So that could not be at the center of the neck? I'm curious as to why not. Not hard enough? I'm just starting to learn this stuff.

 

[R. Stratenstein]

Yes, the heartwood is the center of the branch or trunk. Trees generally have 3 layers, the heartwood, which is relatively inactive, the sapwood, which transports water and minerals, and the bark layer, which is a dead layer. Trees grow in diameter by adding a layer of sapwood each year right under the bark; this is the most active area of water and nutrient "sap" transport.

For objects which are under constant stress, like a guitar neck, the main thing is to avoid mixing the sapwood and heart wood, because they tend to act differently under stress, and can cause twisting, which is pretty much death to a neck. Obviously bark has no strength or nice appearance, so you want to stay away from it. Because the heartwood is essentially "dead storage", sometimes the very middle, the oldest part, does become pithy and soft or spongy, or just starts deteriorating from fungus or rot. This is usually in the very oldest trees, though, and is not found in all trees. Most of the stable, desirable wood used for woodworking is the heartwood.

Probably the biggest reason to avoid using the dead-center of the tree or branch is that you'll have grain going in all kinds of directions, flat-sawn, rift-sawn and quarter-sawn, again, you're up against the stability issue. I personally like flat-sawn wood for necks, because the most likely movememt is in the direction that a truss rod can correct. Some like quarter-sawn wood, because it is inherently more stable.

I'd also add that with branches, because they hang horizontally (more or less), stress is induced in the wood near the junction of the branch and the trunk. If you use wood from a tree branch, it will more likely be stable if you use wood that is cut somewhat away from the branch's junction with the tree.

 

[guitarbuilder]

For about 10 dollars or less you can get kiln dried maple to make a neck that will be perfect. You could get your fallen wood cut up and air dried for 18 months while you learn to make a neck and then see if you want to spend all that time on an iffy project. You probably want to start with something 1.25 -1.50 thick by 5-6 inches wide and 36 inches long. The ends will most likely crack some. You need to end up with about 1 x 4 x 27 inches long. The wood will probably warp some necessitating thicker wood to square up.

 

[Bentley]

I think someone here did once take a branch and make a neck, but that was for a CBG, and he knew it wasn't anything to be proud of.

 

[Ronkirn]

A neck blank, for Fender type necks need to be 1 1/2 inches thick to start…. that would take about 2 years to dry properly…. a carved neck much thicker, would require more time…

Never use a branch for a quality project, the internal stresses created by gravity's natural pull means the neck has little chance of remaining straight..

Ron Kirn

 

[Nick JD]

Making musical instruments out of questionable wood is like BBQing roadkill.

 

[printer2]

The only thing I can see doing with a branch is making a fretless cigar box guitar with the strings high enough that any twists and turns will not make a heck of a lot of difference.

 

[Olgabowl]

Making musical instruments out of questionable wood is like BBQing roadkill.

Wow.
All this time I thought branches would suck for making necks....

 

[Rich Rice]

I did it once, and it took a very long time for the neck to settle down. It's pretty good lately, but had enough issues with movement that I won't release it to the public. On the other hand, I love that neck and play it all the time..

 

[I_build_my_own]

Making musical instruments out of questionable wood is like BBQing roadkill.

Ok this get's an A+++. I love the quote!!!

 

[trev333]

a fallen branch would make a good neck for a bush bass...

image removed

 

[Nick JD]

Wow.
All this time I thought branches would suck for making necks....

Tandori pre-tenderized possum. The bits of tar and gravel give it that crunchy zing.

But seriously, unless the wood has some intrinsic value or meaning to you, just pay ten bucks and get something worthy of your woodworking butchery.

I have lost too many euthanized guitars because I thought wood was never disobedient.

 

[Ronkirn]

as a general rule, in the lumber industry branches are for making pallets, particle board, and pressed wood chip fire logs… ya NEVER use it for anything serious…. this is also true of trees that grow leaning….

Now, there is always someone somewhere that went against "common knowledge" and succeeded… that doesn't mean you're gonna be so lucky… besides . . . no one really cares if a door stop warped…

Ron Kirn

 

[Colt W. Knight]

as a general rule, in the lumber industry branches are for making pallets, particle board, and pressed wood chip fire logs… ya NEVER use it for anything serious…. this is also true of trees that grow leaning….

Now, there is always someone somewhere that went against "common knowledge" and succeeded… that doesn't mean you're gonna be so lucky… besides . . . no one really cares if a door stop warped…

Ron Kirn

DIY/Homemade projects are like ugly babies, the parents always think they are the most beautiful and wonderful things alive.

 

[bigeyedfish]

DIY/Homemade projects are like ugly babies, the parents always think they are the most beautiful and wonderful things alive.

So true.

 

[20721]

I have lost too many euthanized guitars because I thought wood was never disobedient.

Perfectly phrased: "disobedient"

I bought a couple hundred bucks worth of the most gorgeous flamed maple back in the day, when I was starting out and a couple of hundred bucks was serious money. I bought my woodworking buddy over to look.

"Uh oh"

"What?"

"Wood's warped"

"Ah hell man, I'll just plane it out"

He didn't say anything else, I was going to have to learn this the hard way. Plus I'd already bought the wood, wasn't anything he could do except let the learning commence.

I planed it up straight and true.

Three days later I'm looking at it...it's warped. Oh God so definitely most assuredly warped. In exactly the same direction and extent that the original board was.

"What the ****?"

My buddy then explained to me that most wood has a bend. And no matter what you do to it, it's going to bend that way. Steam it, bend it, truss rod it, it doesn't matter, if that board has a bend or twist it is going to bend or twist. Or break if you fight it hard enough, but any way you slice it it will never obey your desires.

I never went wood shopping again without a straightedge, and preferably also someone who knew wood better than I did. Eventually I learned enough to go out on my own, but that took a while.

 

[Ronkirn]

actually, to be honest… I cannot understand why necks today are not made by ripping the lumber down the middle, flippin' one side 180 degrees and gluin' em back together… that's how it was dome in years past… and why so many oldies have fancy wood strips down the middle…

Do it today and too many think you're a screw-ball….

Most today don't actually know or care about making a "good" guitar, they wanna make a fashion statement… thinking that's a "good" guitar…

rk

 

[crazydave911]

. . . no one really cares if a door stop warped…
Ron Kirn

You guys wasted WOOD for a door stop , We always just used 3rd cousins

actually, to be honest… I cannot understand why necks today are not made by ripping the lumber down the middle, flippin' one side 180 degrees and gluin' em back together… that's how it was dome in years past… and why so many oldies have fancy wood strips down the middle…

Because one of the corners they've found to cut (for profit) is un-necessary wood machining and wood quality. Though you would think for 4 or 5 grand you'd get better quality wood process and electronics than a China made SX

Do it today and too many think you're a screw-ball….

Remember when we went ape over Alembec basses and guitars (dating myself here) and thought they were so cool?

Most today don't actually know or care about making a "good" guitar, they wanna make a fashion statement… thinking that's a "good" guitar…

Oh, you've seen the new Gibsons too!