Laburnum stability ?

[mqbernardo]

How stable is laburnum once dry, can anyone tell me? I'm planing on buying some for making guitar fingerboards, I guess anything should be more stable than gaboon ebony...


Thanks!
Miguel.

 

[Jacob]

Rock solid. I have some for tool and cutlery handles. Is widely used for oyster veneers so must stay stable.
No idea about it for finger boards. You will hear rumours about it being toxic but these can be discounted (but don't quote me if somebody gets finger rot!)

 

[Kalimna]

I've used laburnum as a guitar fingerboard. Holds the frets really well, feels beautiful to play.
Not sure of moisture content (or method of drying) when purchased as rough sawn planks, but seems stable so far.
At some point I plan on using the remainder for back and sides for an acoustic.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[bugbear]

Is widely used for oyster veneers so must stay stable.

Veneers are stabilised by the substrate - that's why it's about the only way we can use beautiful burrs. Tell us a lot about the beauty of a wood, but not much (one way or the other) about stability.

Kalimna's report sounds most promising.

And a quick google for fingerboard laburnum throws up reports of more-than-one person using it.

BugBear

 

[mqbernardo]

thanks guys. I know it has been used for fingerboards, but my main issue is long term stability.. Ebony has been extensively used but still its stability worries me, so Laburnum could perhaps be an alternative. I might use it for an all domestic wood guitar, a thing most makers seem to want to build at some point.

 

[mqbernardo]

only now i´ve noticed... Kalimna, you´re using it for backs and sides? you have pieces that wide?


all the best,
Miguel.

 

[Kalimna]

Hi Miguel,
As it happens, I have about 3 planks, approx 5' long by 10-12" wide and maybe 3/4" thick. As yet I haven't resawn up for the back and sides, but I reckon there is enough for two acoustic guitars. I might just be able to squeeze out 4 side pieces of straight grained quartersawn timber, which is good. The backs, however, will be 3 or 4 piece affairs.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[mqbernardo]

nothing wrong there, i like 4 piece backs. i myself will sometime in the future be making an 7 (!!!) piece back out of thin Brazilian rosewood strips.

thanks,
Miguel.