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Catalpa for tone wood

m-lud

Stainless
Joined
Sep 4, 2016
I have a large cadalpa tree that was taken out by a storm last spring. It was dead in the center but there is quite a bit if good wood in the diameter.
I know it's used as a tone wood. Is it worth trying to cut it up into dimensions or should I just burn it in the wood stove. I would have to slab it off with a chain saw into sizes that I could cut on the table saw.
What would be good dimensions to cut?
Thanks mike
 
First question is how large is your tree? Acoustic guitar makers will want quartersawn wood. For a full size guitar need 8" or 9" width x 22"lg for backs and tops, 4" - 5" width x 34" for sides. Smaller stuff will make smaller instruments, right on down to ukuleles.

If it is big enuf to get quartered stuff, You could just cut the trunk to lengths and then split out blanks with a wedge and maul. I wouldn't try to resaw with a table saw, going to be very inaccurate and wasteful.

Your best bet would be to find an instrument maker who's interested in it before you cut anything, and let them make the cutting decisions

PS - heres a thread on a catalpa guitar build by an accompliished luthier Catalpa "spec" build - The Acoustic Guitar Forum
 
Thanks Richard. I will get some pictures and take some measurements. The tree was at least 40 inches across the base. It all depends on that dead in the center.
 
depending on what you want to make out of it. For general use I would slab it into 2" to 2.5" thick slabs. Enough to re saw but not too thick to dry. Air drying will take a year or more. If you want it for furniture flat saw it for instrument quarter saw.

dee
;-D
 
Tonewood "billets" for bowed string instruments (violin, cello, viola, stand up base) are split radially on the quarter large enough to then flatten the sides of the blanks leaving enough thickness to dry, and for the luthier to later bansaw down the center to bookmatch the pieces for the front or back of an instrument.

I suspect that in modern times more sawing than splitting is done to improve yield for the initial raw material vendors, but the point is that if the trunk is sectioned into a bit over-length rounds with the mentioned hollow center; quarters can be split off for easier handling before taking to the bandsaw for continued butchering on the true radial with the grain.

smt
 
All good information. I still need to get pictures. There is good wood on the outside the dammeter of the dead center I think the first four feet of the trunk is good all the way through. This was a massive tree. The landowners grandson cut all the top that broke out for firewood and seen that massive trunk and just left a mess. I don't do much woodworking but love wood and appreciate it. My grandfather was an artist with wood. I'm going to play with some on my south bend. Probably not the best lathe for the job.
Dead and diseased trees are abundant in my area. More trees should be harvested while still healthy. I would hate to make firewood out of something that could make instruments. Most of the oak I burn for heat would rot otherwise.
The tree was a landmark for years. When young the top was taken by a storm which made a large limb grow horizontal. A rope swing hung on it for generations of kids. It needs a second life. Ill take deminsions mentioned into consideration when cutting. Starting with large pieces to leave more options.
I will also do some web searches getting more information. I'm most likely getting the best advise here. These forums are loaded with hundreds of years of experience.
I'm not bad with a chain saw. I will cross cut and rip initial blanks to have less waste. Manual labor to keep an old man up and running.
I do have a marvel tilt head band saw. Also a 36 inch Do All that I haven't tested for operation. I play with that metallic stuff.
I need to cut it and get it under cover.
 
Catulpas are really neat trees. I grew up in a house that had 2 massive ones right next to the house. The bigger is 5-6 feet at the base and 120' or taller. The earliest pictures of that house I saw were taken in the late 40's and those trees were about the same size then as they are today.

I'm surprised they aren't more common. The huge leaves make fantastic shade and the flowers are breathtaking for a week. They do make a mess, but everything is relative.
 
I have a large cadalpa tree that was taken out by a storm last spring.
Thanks mike

I think you may have waited too long, but different climate and different wood than I deal with. If I don't cut oak or hickory up in a few weeks it starts to discolor and get brittle (i.e. it rots)

Slice some up and take a look before you put a lot of money and effort into it.

CarlBoyd
 
In case you don't know, the bugs go for the sap wood. It would have been good to keep the trunk off the ground all the time it was down.

1.5 to 2 inch thick slabs as wide as you can get. You can look at quarter or plain sawn pictures to see what the cutting sequences are. A bandsaw mill is what you really should use for long boards. Coat the ends with wax and sticker off the ground.
 
I have busy just feeding the wood stove fed. I don't think it's rotting. It is mostly off the ground. We have been in a severe
drought so rain has been minimal.
With all the good cutting advice I'm getting I will re access it and go out there with a plan. I will know quickly if it's still good.
I have been fighting that flu. When I pick up a log it feels like a punch in the chest. The congestion is breaking up. The shot didn't work.
Thanks for all the responses.
Mike
 








 
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