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Thread: "Roasted Wood"

  1. #26

    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    Quote Originally Posted by StevenS View Post
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    After thinking about how instruments were totted about (pre-airconditioning) and had to survive on the road and in tremendously variable conditions as the seasons changed; and also about the hard, bright "ping" of Douglas Fir framing lumber that has been seasoning inside walls that I've demolished in the name of home improvement . . . I decided to try accelerating the process.

    We have an old Wedgewood stove that is about 125 deg F all the time because of the pilot light below the oven.

    This year, I've been experimenting with wood in the oven for several months and also with cycles of taking the temp up to around 200 deg F. and then letting drop back down.

    This is not the "Torrification" autoclaving process, but more in line with the idea of accelerating the seasoning process that wood experiences in the real world.

    I really like the results with Sitka Spruce. The tops are light, hard and feel/tap bright and dry like older wood. Not sure if I can see/feel a difference in the maple I've tested so far.

    Of course, one can continue the process on a one-piece top or back . . . but that is another story.

    Steve
    You have a special wife to allow you to do that, Steve. Mine only allows leather to cure in the oven...

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  3. #27
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    Steve, your wife sent that shot after she was going to bake something a couple of weeks back.
    She said she didn't know it was in there! You could end up with an interesting dinner one day.
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  4. #28
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    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    When Johnny Hutto lived in Salem Va. and first started building mandolins, he "baked" (his term) a few of his. He was playing in a local band at the time that I was playing guitar in. He said he did it to dry the wood and to take out the new look of the insides. I assume that the carving would have been done to accomplish that.

  5. #29

    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    Here's a green way of "baking" I just came across using fungi to age tonewoods. I wonder if you can grow some mushrooms on the side.

    http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/201...-of-fungus.cfm

  6. #30
    Registered User Steve Sorensen's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    Quote Originally Posted by Timbofood View Post
    Steve, your wife sent that shot after she was going to bake something a couple of weeks back.
    She said she didn't know it was in there! You could end up with an interesting dinner one day.
    I was wondering why her banana bread tended to be flat . . .

    Steve
    Steve Sorensen
    Sorensen Mandolin & Guitar Co.
    www.sorensenstrings.com

  7. #31
    poor excuse for anything Charlieshafer's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    The process involves eating the wood inside a vacuum, driving out all the moisture, and slightly compacting the cells in the process. The natural resins in the wood harden. It's hard. It's not something that can be done at home, and the process needs to be done to the raw wood, before carving, as it'll deform the wood slightly, and probably really warp a pre-carved top. The set-ups now are rather expensive, so unless you're going to have a really large production setup, it won't pay. it's different stuff, and the working process are different. Just ask my chisels. It's also tough to make take a finish, as the cells have closed so completely. It was originally developed as a way to treat wood for siding and decking, with no finish necessary. Comparing it to anything else is just not all that accurate, but tonally, at least in the guitars I've heard, it's a beautiful sound.

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  9. #32

    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    Quote Originally Posted by JAK View Post
    A new Red Diamond F5 listed in the classifieds just sold at Morgan Music, and is described as having "Roasted Wood." It was a $1000.00 upcharge from one of the other Red Diamond F5s they have without roasted wood. What the heck is "roasted wood" and why does it cost so much to roast it? And I'm interested in buying a wood-roaster if anyone knows where I can get one, or can I just use my own oven?
    roasted wood or thermally modified wood is wood that has been treated at very high temperatures resulting in greated stability, appealing darker color and moisture / midew resistance please see https://www.thermallymodifiedwood.org/ for more information

  10. #33
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    Quote Originally Posted by andre beauchamp View Post
    roasted wood or thermally modified wood is wood that has been treated at very high temperatures resulting in greated stability, appealing darker color and moisture / midew resistance please see https://www.thermallymodifiedwood.org/ for more information
    We ask that vendors identify themselves as such.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  11. #34
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    I was Born in the Napa Valley, they will have a lot of roasted woods..
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  12. #35
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    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    Being retired from construction I can agree with those who said 100 year fir was hard. In 100 year old houses all the wood is hard pine floors as hard as oak and if you run into oak framing you can hardly drill a hole to drive. A nail through. Something makes it harder I don’t claim to know what, but I have a couple thoughts. It’s been said that when wood reaches the moisture content of the surrounding air it doesn’t dry any further, true but how could it without lowering the relative humidity of its envirment. The heat would do this. Now does the relative high heat do something so the wood doesn’t absorb moisture from it’s surrounding. If so I think it would make instruments sound different better is in the ear of the hearer. I think my mandolin sounds better when it’s not so humid. Back to the wood in old houses, it has been out of the weather but not out of the heat for 100 years. Is the airless (so it won’t burn) heat used in tone wood just speeding up the process. Another question for us to ponder, but if heat over time does this wouldn’t that confirm the “opening up” question. Enquiring minds want to know.

  13. #36

    Default Re: "Roasted Wood"

    After 3 years, it's good to see this is still a hot topic.

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