Old box wood for saddles

[pete1951]

After a chat with Snakehips I realised I had some big chunks of box in my chisel draw.


The pale coloured handle had a crack so I have split it in two. Splitting ,rather than sawing, means that the ‘cut’ follows the grain and any weakness in the wood. As you can see, the grain runs at an an angle to the handle, so any saddles will be cut in parallel with the grain. Should get 6 or 10 saddles from it.

The wood for the handle was old when it was made by a workmate out of a croquet mallet head. The crack was noticed and the handle was left in a draw for the next 30 years
Pete





Old carpenters rule are also a possible source, though it’s hard to see the grain in box and most rules will have had a hard life and likely to have small splits. This rule is in good condition and will not be used, I try not to chop up things that are not already damaged.

[snakehips]

I'll buy it/them !

PM'd ya !

[davey]

I've been clearing a violin maker's Workshop recently and there are various interesting lots of wood I can't quite identify.

I would guess it's Maple but who knows. It's a hardwood, very fine grain, slight wavy figure and I have some pieces 5mm and 9mm thick by various lengths. I anyone fancies a piece to try let me know.

[pete1951]

Most violins will be made of maple ( sometimes sycamore which is very similar) which is hard and often ‘flamed’ on more expensive instruments. Tops are spruce,which has a plain straight grain and relatively soft. Poplar and willow can be used as small strips around the sides, and ebony for most finger boards. Rosewood pegs are the most common though box is sometimes used. That’s about it.
Pete

[davey]

I was thinking that the wood in the photo looks promising for making saddles. Anyway, if anyone would like a piece, it's available at zero cost.

The Violin maker was a close friend who died last year, we've sold quite a lot of his timber stock to some grateful Guitar and Fiddle makers and we just have the oddball things left now plus some complete Instruments. I've left it a bit late in life to be learning the fiddle but I may just buy one.