Body blanks and body weight

[old_picker]

Had posted this in Tele technical but was advised to repost here so here we go:

Currently looking at importing some swamp ash in boards sized at 2" x 8" x20" length to edge join into body blanks. I need them to be light weight yielding bodies of 4lbs or less.

What weight per board foot should be specified?

thanks in advance for any and all discussion advice and experiences

 

[guitarbuilder]

1-3/4 x 12-3/4 x 16=357 ci= 2.48 bf

If an ideal body is 3.75 lb. Then 1.51 lb per bf is ideal.

Of course that is all routed out.

Somebody once calculated that a tele body is 265.57 ci.

So a solid body before routs would be 1.344 times as much weight as a routed body.

That makes a solid body weighing 5.04 lb more or less ideal.

Making a rough weight about 2.029lb per bd foot.

Now if you are going 2" thick instead of 1-3/4", then it is a bit more.


Your single piece of wood 2 x 8 x 20 is 2.22 bf....you'd probably want each of them about 4.5 lb thereabouts.

Check my logic and math.

 

[Outcaster]

Somebody once calculated that a tele body is 265.57 ci.

I think that's in the Terry Downs body drawing thread. I recall 1.83 board feet for a Tele with the traditional body routing. Thats right in line with the above.

 

[TRexF16]

Concur - ~2 pounds per bf on your raw timber will produce bodies weighing ~3.75 pounds.

 

[RogerC]

1-3/4 x 12-3/4 x 16=357 ci= 2.48 bf

If an ideal body is 3.75 lb. Then 1.51 lb per bf is ideal.

Of course that is all routed out.

Somebody once calculated that a tele body is 265.57 ci.

So a solid body before routs would be 1.344 times as much weight as a routed body.

That makes a solid body weighing 5.04 lb more or less ideal.

Making a rough weight about 2.029lb per bd foot.

Now if you are going 2" thick instead of 1-3/4", then it is a bit more.


Your single piece of wood 2 x 8 x 20 is 2.22 bf....you'd probably want each of them about 4.5 lb thereabouts.

Check my logic and math.

Marty, I think we need to petition Paul to come up with another member badge. Instead of "Doctor of Teleocity", yours should read "Archivist and Keeper of All The Knowledge"

 

[guitarbuilder]

Marty, I think we need to petition Paul to come up with another member badge. Instead of "Doctor of Teleocity", yours should read "Archivist and Keeper of All The Knowledge"

Nah...I just keep recycling the same stuff over and over... kinda like Fender....LOL...

 

[FirTrader]

265ci/144ci/bf = 1.84 board feet in a tele. If you want that thing to be 4 pounds, say, then 4/1.84 = 2.17 pounds per board foot.

IF that 265 is right. Off the top of my head, I would have guessed more but that's just guessing. We need someone to weigh a plank we know the size of, cut the body out, and then weigh that.

 

[guitarbuilder]

2 x 13 x 16 =416 cu in ......... 416/144=2.89 bf for a rectangular blank .... the body comes out of that. ...... 265 ci is what's left over at 3.75 lb........ 416/265= 1.57.........1.57 x 3.75=5.88 lbs per minimum blank.......2 x 2 x 8 x 20=640 ci ..... 640/416=1.54 .......1.54 x 5.88= 9.05 pounds per 2 pc or 4.5 lb per piece.

 

[koolaide]

Nah...I just keep recycling the same stuff over and over... kinda like Fender....LOL...

Marty, that is only partly true. You often recycle information yes....

However, many times it is your willingness to share your experience that has saved some of us from ourselfs.

I for one really appreciate your advice.-Thanks

I vote for title Sage- defined as follows:
1.-a profoundly wise person; a person famed for wisdom.
2.-someone venerated for the possession of wisdom, judgment, andexperience.

Now back to the regulary scheduled thread. Old Picker please excuse the momentary hijacking of your thread.

 

[RickyRicardo]

One of the sites I visit for wood list their very light swamp ash blanks at 2.5 lbs. per BF. Another site is 2.7. Not sure how that would work routed out but its close to what Sage Marty The All Wise One said above..

Marty you are very much appreciated.

 

[old_picker]

Thanks to all. Now I can tackle this with some real authority.