[pianotech] Tool for Wood Selection at Lumberyard

jimialeggio jimialeggio at gmail.com
Thu Jul 1 06:47:19 MDT 2010


> Well, Sitka is preferable because it is the highest strength/weight 
> ratio wood out there.

yes, thats correct...or maybe that's correct.  Look at the 
strength/weight  #'s from FPL handbook chapter 4 pg 13




	sitka spruce
	red spruce
specific grav
	.40
	.40
moe
	1.57
	1.61
compression parallel
	5610
	5540
compression perp
	580
	550
sheer parralell
	1150
	1290



  ...pretty darn close I'd say.

But the point I was trying to make is not that Sitka is "better" than 
Red, or Red is "better" than Sitka, but rather if you design with a 
particular wood in mind, and your design accommodates the nature of that 
wood, it'll work. For me designing for a local  indigenous species which 
can be sawn by local sawmill,  artisans who are guys like us, makes 
sense to me, especially since sitka availability in my area is a pain.


> And just what is "tone grade spruce?"
>
> Terry Farrell
>
>
you're right, my bad...tonewood is a dumb term...especially seeing how 
well selected pallet wood would probably work as "tonewood", as long as 
you designed appropriately. Actually, my last experiment board had 
enough pitch pockets to run a small turpentine factory...and it sounds 
great...because its about board structure, not panel perfection.

...not yank'in on ya Terry...just a different take on things, as usual.

Jim I

-- 
Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
978- 425-9026
Shirley, MA

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