I need some Koa...

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Brewerpaul

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Hi-- I wonder if anyone here can help me locate some Koa. I make wooden pennywhistles from exotic hardwoods (see my signature below), and I have a potential customer who wants one in Koa. Trouble is, I can't find any in the size I need.
For a D whistle (most common size) I need a piece 1x1x12" with NO cracks-- the slightest crack, and the wood will split on the lathe during the process of turning it into a thin walled wooden tube. Nice figuring would definitely be a plus.
I was thinking that the process of turning a log into nice thin uke material might yield some "scrap" that was no good for ukes but might suit my purposes. Failing that, if anyone could steer me to a good wood merchant, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
 
Very nice of you to help another UU member like that Chuck. +1 for your good karma account.

Jack
 
What a guy!
I got two really beautiful chunks of Koa from Chuck yesterday with some terrific figuring to it. Probably enough to make a half dozen or more beautiful whistles-- gonna keep one of those myself :D. Another goes to a lady who asked me to make a Hawaiian wood whistle for her husband over a year ago. The others could end up anywhere.
 
I hope Chuck gets a whistle too :D
 
Paul's whistles are real works of art, worth far more than the koa
I sent him. It's just good to help out a fellow craftsman. You should see the koa I burn in my sauna. I have the most expensive saunas in the world! Years worth of scrap. Unfortunately most of it is too small to be of much good to anyone.
 
Thanks Cornfed
The Susatos are not bad whistles at all. Keep at it. Get to some traditional Celtic sessions if you possibly can and absorb as much of the feel of the music as possible. Ornaments will come with time.
I've toyed with the idea of bring my tenor Uke to a session, but some of those folks are SO into "authentic" music that I'd fear for my life. ;)
 
I think it would be totally in the spirit of celtic music to bring a ukulele, since that genre has adopted instruments from all over the world already right? I mean the banjo and bouzouki are relatively recent additions...
 
Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
Paul's whistles are real works of art, worth far more than the koa
I sent him. It's just good to help out a fellow craftsman. You should see the koa I burn in my sauna. I have the most expensive saunas in the world! Years worth of scrap. Unfortunately most of it is too small to be of much good to anyone.
Click to expand...

have you ever thought of gluing it all together and selling it as an electric guitar blank? you wouldn't even have to shape it most likely.

i have a friend who does this with scrap rimu, you won';t make heaps but it saves burning it!

Cliff
 
I would be very interested in a koa electric guitar blank...
 
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