Reclaimed wood

Got a question. I'm not going to do anything with it until I have at least a couple scratch builds under my belt. But I have a question for the pros before I consider what I am thinking.

I have an absolutely beautiful piece of reclaimed rosewood. It had been reclaimed from 200 or so year old railroad ties from South America. It is in strips 2" or so wide. I would like to rip it into several strips, laminate them together (edge to edge like bookmatching, but many strips together) to make a top, if there is enough a bottom and also use a strip for the sides. Or, if there isn't enough for a top, maybe just the sides, I don't know, this is just a first thought.

1st) Would that work to make multible 2" planks to make a top and/or bottom? Would it be structurely ok, and sound wise? Or, would it make good sides, and bend ok?

I hope there is enough to build a soprano, or maybe even a sopranino size, but would like to know if they would work in narrow strips like this. I was originally going to make just fretboards out of it, but it having the history it does, I think would just be a cool complete uke.. Just a thought.. What are your thoughts?

I'm certainly not a luthier by any means, but isn't this how they make the current bamboo ukes? If so, seems like it should work. I'm sure someone who knows much more than me will chime in.

Now that you mention it, I think so. I forgot about those.. Never heard how one of those sounds tho.

Mike at UkeRepublic did a review... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocHmieFenu4

Musicguymic also has a demo on a Tenor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr_Tqxf5h00

How thick and long are the strips, they sound like they would be perfect for fretboards, and maybe sides on a soprano. Depending on how they match up I think they would work well for a back as well. I would be concerned that the rosewood would be too dense for the top... but what do I know I have built 3 ukes this far, all out of cherry.

I am planning a concert out of Cocobolo with a QS Sycamore top and really cool one piece cocobolo back... I am really excited about it, hopefully I will get to keep it and not have someone want to buy it from me... well I guess if someone has to have it that would be ok....

Rosewood back/sides with a Western red cedar top is a great-sounding combination.

Yes, use the rosewood for the back and sides only. There are much better choices for the top. I think you are going to run into trouble trying to bend sides that are made up of a couple of strips glued together. Good luck.

I've made a uke using only 2" wide pieces of mahogany (a wardrobe frame).

Back and top, no problem - I bookmatched the centre pair of strips and didn't worry about a close match for the outer pair, as most of these would be cut away anyway for a figure 8.

Sides were two strips glued with hot hide glue and bent over a hot pipe. This worked OK, but the glue seam was starting to separate as I finished bending. Just re-glued them (this is a big plus with hot hide glue as it reactivates the old glue, so no need to separate the strips and clean up the gluing surfaces. In a Fox style bender you should have no problem at all, other than re-gluing.

I fear a rosweood top would be very quiet - as others have said, spruce or cedar would be better and look good as well.

Makes sense.. I might just end up using it for fretboard. I just was thinking it would be nice to make it "The Star" being it had a history. Maybe design a fretboard with train related inlaid markers.. That might be cool, and would connect the woods history with the uke.. That might be a better idea anyway.. Thanks for the input..

Since you say this wood has been in the ground for 200 years as a railroad tie, you might want to make sure it isn't treated with some kind of creosote or other oil product before you cut away at it. I can't imagine any wood lasting for that long without some kind of treatment, especially a hardwood like rosewood. Maybe the natural oils in the rosewood kept it in good shape? Just a thought.

Another Good point. Actually, this wood didn't come directly to me from the ground. It is actually double claimed wood. It was reclaimed rosewood flooring that was made from re-claimed wood. I failed to mention that I am actually the 3rd claim with it. The story I got from the source which is trustworthy claims that the flooring was from a custom home and that flooring was made from the reclaimed wood that was a 200 year old railroad tie from south america. So it's not just a dirty rotted chunk of wood at this point. It is segments of the wood flooring.