kerfing material

[buckhorn]

I.ve always used basswood for my kerfing as per Siminoffs' first book...got to thinking what other woods would work as well...got a nice straight grained piece of cedar for a top once (about 16in long) ,but later found a flaw right thru the center...not wanting to waste the piece, I sliced it up to use for kerfing...question is, is cedar stable enough to be used for this purpose....I'm way cheep and hate to waste anything the Lord gives us....

[Jerry Haynes]

I guess you could use about any type of stable wood if weight is not an issue. I have used Popular before and it has worked fine.
Basswood is probably the preferred choice , easy to work with, and weighs near nothing... JMO

[pfox14]

I've only used mahogany or cedar. I like mahogany for additional strength

[sunburst]

Cedar is stable enough, I would think, but it does split fairly easily. Not sure it would be my first choice for linings, but it should work fine.

[Spruce]

Cedar is stable enough, I would think, but it does split fairly easily. Not sure it would be my first choice for linings, but it should work fine.

+1...

Back when I was building alot, smell was a big consideration...
Port Orford Cedar, Yellow Cedar, and Incense Cedar were all candidates, and they all seem to be a bit more rugged that WRC...

And supposedly "that" smell of old Loars and other Gibsons is all about old basswood linings...
(Not sure if that one is true or not)....

[Skip Kelley]

Bruce, I have some old rulers made into templates by C.E.Ward and they have that old smell.

[Larry Simonson]

What is the current opinion of using bent solid strips, maybe 1/8" thick like used on violins instead of traditional curfing?

[sunburst]

What is the current opinion of using bent solid strips, maybe 1/8" thick like used on violins instead of traditional curfing?

I use solid linings, I don't know what the collective current opinion is concerning them, I don't pay much attention to "current opinion" other than mine, and other than what works for me and makes the best instruments I can. Arguments can be made in favor of standard kerfed lining, reversed kerfed lining, solid lining, tentellones, or perhaps others, but the job they do is simple; provide gluing surfaces at the edge joints, and add strength to the joints. I've chosen to use solid linings for mandolins and kerfed linings for guitars for several reasons, and both systems do the job just fine.

[Spruce]

Bruce, I have some old rulers made into templates by C.E.Ward and they have that old smell.

Interesting...
Can you ID them as basswood?

[Mandoborg]

Bruce your comment brought to mind two things. One is this box of really old basswood cutoffs i have that does indeed smell like an old instrument whenever i open it. And the other is that anytime i get my hands on a very old instrument, after visually checking it out, i always stuff my snout in those F holes or round holes to see what it stinks like !!! That sounded filthy didn't it ???