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Author Topic:  grain orientation
Daniel Nehring

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2015 10:52 am    
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I have some cherry planks that I want to use to make some lap steels. The planks are about an inch thick so 2 pieces need to be laminated to increase the thickness.

How should the grain be oriented? The planks are flat sawn, Should they face the same way or opposite ... that is, should the end grain be like this (( or like this ()?

Or Would it be better to cut the planks into strips and rotate them 90 degrees to simulate Quarter Sawn wood?
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Tom Pettingill


From:
California, USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2015 11:34 am    
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As long as the wood is dry, stable, and flat, it really does not matter. If the pieces are prone to a little cupping, you can glue them up with the concave sides to each other for a little added stability.
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Daniel Nehring

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2015 2:48 pm    
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Thanks Tom. By the way, your guitars are beautiful.
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Chris Sattler

 

From:
Hunter Valley, Australia
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2015 11:24 pm    
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Yes I agree with Tom too. Cherry is a stable timber and the project is not the size of a table now is it? I don't think it matters how they go together, but probably not like this )(

What is more important is to orient them to get the best looking face on the most visible surface ie the top and then the sides. Just try to make the pieces flow so the grain appears to be seemless on the side grain. Not hard to do really.

Good luck with the build. I will be making a steel within the next year and I may want to pick your brains then. Is that OK?
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