Re: [Harp-L] Dating harmonica woods

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Jun 13, 2009, at 2:30 AM, David Payne wrote:

> I know Joe, that's why I said "about the most" I don't know about  
> these fancy woods of the wide world, but American Chestnut is more  
> resistant than locust, but, as far as decay goes, it's like saying  
> Roger Maris hit more home runs than Babe Ruth in a season- they're  
> still both dang good.

Dave, I wasn't saying my 3 woods were better. I was just 'adding'  
them. I could add several more. But chestnut is easiest to cut.  
Actually cutting SOFTWOOD is tough. That's because the tools have to  
be razor sharp or they will dig in and tear-out the wood. Then you  
need to clean everything up with rifflers. A real pita. I found that  
out cutting name boards.

> Locust was my favorite wood for making longbows back in the day.

I used Osage Orange (monkey ball tree). Common in our part of the  
world. And especially around Weston (W. Va.) where Cass is from.

> I have noticed a lot of similarities between chestnut, now that I'm  
> working with it, and locust. I wouldn't be surprised if they were  
> related somehow.

I don't think, locust is a pod tree with a sticky syrupy fluid inside  
the pods. It is diocodoledon. Chestnut is monocodoledon.

> The main difference I've noticed thus far is that a thin piece or  
> projection of chestnut is far more stable than such with chestnut  
> -- I've been thinking about this because I'm looking at making some  
> chromatic from them.
> Ultimately, the wood I am most interested in is hophornbeam for  
> chromatics. When I was a kid, I drove nails with hophornbeam just  
> to prove it could be done.

When I had my 29 foot Island Packet Cutter, I made custom hatchway  
doors from wormy chestnut. Really looked boss in the teak framing.

joey
> ________________________________
> From: Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>
> To: David Payne <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 11:27:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Dating harmonica woods
>
>
> On Jun 12, 2009, at 11:12 PM, David Payne wrote:
> > American Chestnut because it is about the most decay-resistant  
> > wood on earth.
>
> Honey locust (from same general area as your chestnut and your  
> babalones).
> Iroko (Africa)
> Lignum Vitae (C. America)
>
> > We all have our fortes here and I know there are lurkers on this  
> > board who
> > are whiz kids with wood. If anybody can help me with this, please  
> > lemme
> > know. I can get a 6 inch square crosssection when I cut the next  
> > piece.
> >
> > Dave
> > ___________________________
> > Dave Payne Sr.
> > Elk River Harmonicas
> > www.elkriverharmonicas.com
> > _______________________________________________
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