Aussie Hardwoods in action

cclancy · Feb 15, 2012

Nothing new in the build area here, but thought some of you might wish to see some of our 'other' hardwoods - just in case you come across some yourself

First up is some Western Australian Sheok bound in Jarrah & with Mulga Headstock overlays. Desert Oak is synonymous with central australia and I've used it here for the fingerboard & bridge.

cclancy · Feb 15, 2012

Next is some Black Hearted Sassafras (gotta love that name

).
Again, I've made use of the local Desert Oak.

Hope you've enjoyed the perusal.

(and this was the last of my "Desert Ukes" as I am re-locating back to the east coast)

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Feb 15, 2012

Real nice. The binding with the black purfling is classic combined with the sassafras. I like the look of the desert oak as well. Lucky you've got some good, dark local woods suitable for fret boards and bridges. Good for bindings too if it could be bent.

cclancy · Feb 15, 2012

The local woods can indeed be bent.
One of our guys from the ANZLF used gidgee for this little number.
http://www.anzlf.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=2393

Here's a couple of bad photos of a simple Twitching trophy I made for the local 'centralian' club using mulga, desert oak & gidgee (the central piece is ebony with mulga inlay)
The 'bird' at the top is bent from mulga, but I made versions in all 3 woods while coming up with the trophy design.

Rick Turner · Feb 15, 2012

Aussie hardwoods are an incredible resource. Too bad the King Billy and Huon pines are so endangered because there are not many other guitar top woods that work well down under. King Billy can look and feel amazingly like Engelmann spruce, and it sounds great, but both that and the Huon were over-harvested for the ship building industry in the 19th and early 20 centuries. I can only hope that the timber rape of Tasmania is slowing down...

tonewood · Feb 15, 2012

That Western Australian Sheok is beautiful. Never seen that before. Nice work. Looks like the kind of wood that while sanding you want to be in full respirator mode.

BR Ukuleles · Feb 15, 2012

Nice work Craig. Looks like ukes are the business out in Alice.

Sheoak is a beautiful wood to work with. I've not noticed any harsh effects from working with it. It's hard as nails but bends like a dream. I'd like to find a way to keep the figure so distinctive, but it tends to oxidise to a more uniform colour.

We do have some other natives that really can give you fits. One that's available to me that grows in Far North Queensland has a local name of "Sneeze Wood". I don't know anyone that can stand working with it. Don't know if it would be a suitable tone wood, and I doubt I ever will.

Rick Turner · Feb 15, 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze-wood

kkmm · Feb 21, 2012

It seems to me that ukulele can be built with many different types of wood while mandolin top sound board always require spruce (unless it's laminated).

Liam Ryan · Feb 22, 2012

Customers drive what's acceptable in stringed instrument. The ukulele community accepts and enjoys the many and varied timbers used in their manufacture. Mandolin players want that spruce top sound. That said, Aussie mandolin builder Peter Coombe has used king Billy pine and radiata pine as mandolin tops.

WOBster · Feb 22, 2012

I am developing serious lust for Western Australian Sheok...
Beautiful work!

Pete Beardsley · Feb 22, 2012

WOBster said:
I am developing serious lust for Western Australian Sheok...
Beautiful work!

Me too! The Shoek is simply stunning. :drool:

Rick Turner · Feb 22, 2012

There is also Aussie "he-oak". Great sense of humor down under...

BR Ukuleles · Feb 25, 2012

As I just started this latest build for a lady down south, I thought that I'd snap a picture of some of the most outstanding Blackheart Sassafras I've seen. Unfortunately it's my last set.

Liam Ryan · Feb 25, 2012

Looks like you didn't have to sand too much there Al. It's damn surprising how elusive those black heart markings can be with a minimum of sanding. Resawing with a well tuned bandsaw with a low kerf blade is a must if you want anything that resembles a symmetrical bookmatch.o

bluesuke · Feb 25, 2012

Allen said:
As I just started this latest build for a lady down south, I thought that I'd snap a picture of some of the most outstanding Blackheart Sassafras I've seen. Unfortunately it's my last set.

View attachment 34283

Allen thats awesome looking wood I know for me its hard to use the last of a great looking billet and I think will I ever find another as nice .
But that makes the hunt even better for the next one

Aussie Hardwoods in action

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