Redbud wood in a ukulele?

Hello UU Luthiers!

Have you ever heard of, or would you consider, using redbud wood in any part of a ukulele? Which parts?

My parents just trimmed the redbud tree that my grandmother gave them when I was born. I'm wondering if I could eventually have some of the wood built into a ukulele, once I explore custom instruments.

I'm not ready to order an instrument; I'm hoping to get some insight into what sorts and sizes of pieces they should save from the discard pile, if any.

Thanks!
Veronica

Around here redbud is strictly a shrub. Even the tallest are pretty wispy. Remember, if you are going to quartersaw you only get to use half the width of the trunk, at most. But I don't see why a big enough piece couldn't be made into bindings, a head cap, a bridge, or even a fingerboard. That goes for any small tree. Lotsa work, though, for an unknown result. Sentimentality is a dangerous companion.

I don't know if I've ever seen a redbud big enough to consider it.

Down here in the Piedmont Redbud is a fastgrowing weed tree that is usually found on the forest edge. Unless someone grows it by itself in a cleared area they rarely get over 8-10" in diameter. It has an internal coloration when cut like Walnut with a dark center and white sap area. The dark area does not seem to be stable, fading to a muddy brown after slabbing. If you can find someone to cut it into 1/4 sawn boards and seal the ends you could see how it looked when dry. I would be tempted to dig out the stum and see if anything was usable in that area. You could save some chunks for headstock veneer.

Hope you find a way to keep some around.

Redbud would make a great back and side wood. I've never done it, but I will as soon as I have the opportunity to. I've seen a tree or two around here with a few soprano or concert sets in it for sure.

Hey everybody!

Thanks for all the great ideas. Sounds, overall, that it would be a bit risky, but has the possibility to fit nearly any part of the instrument (besides the top, of course, and neck).

I like the idea of using it for one of the more decorative purposes, like binding or headstock veneer. I think it's more likely that my parents cut pieces big enough for that. I'll let you all know what we manage to keep.

jcalkin—I'll heed your warning well; look at it as an experiment, and not get excited until it makes its way into an instrument and find out whether it worked or not.

gyozu—Do you mean "stump?" The tree's still around at this point; just a bit thinner than it was before. I'll be sure to talk to my parents and "plant the seed" of saving the stump, for when the time comes.

Oh, and regarding the size—It's been awhile since I've seen it in person, but the trunks toward the bottom of the tree are at least a foot in diameter. It is rather bush-like, in that it has a lot of trunks, but it did grow out in the open, and has grown to be at least a story tall. It's to the left in the attached photo (pre-trimming), in the shade of a bigger tree; at the right you can see the baby trees that showed up the last couple years, thanks to them surviving an herb garden that we let go wild.

—Veronica




Summary of suggested parts for redbud wood:
bindings (jcalkin)
head cap/veneer (jcalkin, gyozu)
bridge (jcalkin)
fingerboard (jcalkin)
back (oudin)
side (oudin)

I do not know the characteristics of Redbud wood, how dense it is, how stable it is, it's behaviour while it is drying. It might be a good idea to rough mill the wood ASAP, and carefully control it's drying, not drying it too fast. It may be really friendly, but it may want to twist and check. Other people may have suggestions on how to treat the wood. If I was feeling really cautious about it, I would probably slab it on a bandsaw, maybe quarter saw it for maximum QS yield, I would probably remove the live edge. Larger pieces might be more prone to checking. QS pieces are likely to be the most stable, the most likely to be usable by the time it is cured. Some tactics for controlling the drying rate are keeping it in a cool place, maybe keeping it in a plastic bag for a couple months, opening it every once in a while. Maybe putting a thin coat of shellac on it. For some species of wood, when they come into my shop, as a rule I rough mill them, coat them in shellac, one, or two coats, wax on the ends, (sealing the ends is important) and then put it on the rack where it sits until it is ready to be used. Some woods I watch almost daily until I get the sense that they are stable, filling any developing hairline cracks with THIN super glue. Redbud may be super friendly, it may need no special tratment at all. It also, might want to check like crazy. I have no idea. Leaving the wood 'in the round' in log form will most likely require the wood to develop some large checks in order to compensate for the uneven shrinkage during the drying process. Milling it now will give you some control in what you end up with. You will probably need to let this stuff dry, at the minimum, for a year or 2, and at that speed, you will need a 'plan' so that it will be ready. Thin veneers will dry more quickly than thick pieces, but cutting thin veneers too soon might leave you with a bunch of junk. If you want to use this wood, get it to a 'wood whisperer', pronto Let them know your intentions. Give it to your luthier. Cheers....

My bad. I missed that it had just been trimmed. Ergo- No stump as of yet.

Haha, no worries, Gyozu. Thanks again for your help!

—V.

Hello Chris,

This is so helpful, thanks!

My dad is pretty handy at the workbench (hence the two of them trimming the tree themselves), so it's possible he and I might be able to do the processing ourselves, perhaps even just with your tips.

Before I go for that, I'm right now attempting to find a luthier or other "wood whisperer" near my parents to help me out. That way, we can get it treated if it's useful, and if it's too late for this wood, at least we'll know what to do the next time they trim the tree.

—Veronica

I thyink you can, if you want to. Waxing the ends is a good idea, cutting the pieces as small as possible, but still plenty big. Figure out how to Quartersaw. Watch the wood, if it looks unstable, slow it down. If it looks stable after 4 months, maybe more, maybe a little less, maybe speed it up. Avoid the temptation to rush.

Cheers!

Neat! We may just try it. Will let you know if we do.

—Veronica