Kerf strip material

[Rick Lindstrom]

Any reason not to use basswood for making the kerfed linings? I went to the local lumberyard to get some mahogany, but they wanted $15.00 per BF- ouch. Basswood can be had for much less.

Rick

[billhay4]

Spruce is good. Basswood is good. Willow is used. All are cheaper.
Bill

[sunburst]

You want something light, strong (enough), easily worked, dimensionally stable, that glues well.
Any wood with those characteristics is fair game for linings, and bass is very good.

[TomMorici]

Rick,
Basswood for linings is an excellent choice. It has been
a standard for many builders. I feel it would be safe to say
that there are millions of instruments with basswood linings.
Another name for this wood is linden.

Tom

[Rick Lindstrom]

Thanks everybody.

I found out the hard way that red western cedar (some of which I had left over from guitar soundboards) is not good- the blocks split off way to easily when you try to work the lining down to the level of the sides. Now I've got to carve those strips out of there and start again.

Live and learn.

Rick

[Steevarino]

I have been using three types of wood for kerfed linings: basswood, mahogany, and spanish cedar. #I like the spanish cedar best, because it gives off a very faint, but pleasant aroma. #The mahogany is OK too, but a bit more pricey. #The basswood is not only less costly, but I find that it bends easier. #It is far less likely to crack or break around the tight bends.

Tone-wise, I have not been able to tell a difference.

Steve
www.CumberlandAcoustic.com
www.RedLineResophonics.com

[Rick Lindstrom]

I wound up using some pretty nice poplar that I found at (of all places) Lowe's. They carry various types of domestic hardwoods as "craft woods", and while the relative cost per bf is high, I was able to buy a piece that was just the right size for the amount of kerf lining that I needed for about $2.50.

The poplar made very nice linings, and the way it works and bends reminds me a lot of basswood. Doesn't smell the same though- I always kind of enjoyed the fragrance that you get when sawing up basswood http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Rick

[Bill Snyder]

FWIW Hobby Lobby has a bin with basswood and balsawood of different thicknesses in it. For about $5 you can get enough basswood for 6 or 7 mandolins.
Then again for about $3 (and shipping) you can get mahogany linings for one mandolin that are already kerfed from International Violin.

[Rick Lindstrom]

I sort of enjoy making the kerf strips- there's something kind meditative about it.

I will check out Hobby Lobby- I think there's actually one here in town, Thanks for the heads-up.

Rick

[jc2]

If you can get your hands on it, try sassafras. It bends easily enough that you could even try it without kerfing it, and has some nice tonal qualities of its own. The logs RING when you strike them!

[Joe Mendel]

Hibdon Hardwoods hibdonhardwood.com sells 36" bundles of cut-off mahogany strips for 50 cents a pound. I paid $12.50 for 25 pounds and have enough to make kerfing and binding for at least 50 guitar sized instruments.