Violin Forum/Message Board

[L P Reedy]

BK,
For drying willow (and most woods) the first thing to do is split it so that it can shrink in the tangential direction with minimum checking. Sealing the ends is good, of course, but willow doesn't usually check too deeply so if the pieces are long enough you can simply cut off a little after it is dry. I have a pretty good supply from several years ago and didn't seal any of it. I lose a couple inches from each end.

The other important thing is to get it as high off the ground as you can to minimize powder post beetle damage. I have extensive experience in this regard. I have lost some pretty nice pieces by storing it within a couple feet of the ground. My present supply of willow and most other woods is stored six feet or more above the ground and I have almost no damage.

[BK]

Thanks LP!

So you are splitting it down the middle, right?

Right now, the pieces that I have are just in log form. So maybe I need to split it down the middle. Also, I only have a board underneath them, so maybe I need to prop them up more. I'm not sure if I will be able to get them 6 feet because they're pretty heavy, but I'll try to get them at least a bit higher. Thanks for the tip!!

Also, now that I'm thinking about it, the logs are not necessarily "straight". There's a bit of a curve to them due to the way the tree grew. I'm wondering if that will be problematic for the linings. They're pretty thick pieces so maybe towards the middle I can find some strips that are a bit more straight. We'll see. Always an experiment!

[L P Reedy]

Right, split down the middle. You can split a few more times as long as the pieces don't get too small to use and it will dry faster. Also be lighter to handle.

How long are your logs, and how large diameter? My "logs" are mostly about 30 inches long but where there are sharp bends or knots I cut them shorter. If you run linings across the corners from neck block to tail block 18" would be plenty. Otherwise you could get by with about 8 or 9" pieces. Linings don't need to be cut straight. You're going to bend them anyway. If you have a band saw you can saw them pretty much with the grain.

I would recommend putting some of it ON the porch, if you can get permission.

Lyle

[BK]

OK, great. I'll cut them down the middle. I think I might be able to find someone with a band saw big enough to do it. It might not be good to hammer down a wedge because the pressure from the blows might break the fibers, I'd imagine. If worse comes to worst, I guess I could use a chain saw to cut it down the middle. Not ideal, but probably better than a wedge.

Ya, the logs are pretty twisty, but there are some decently straight sections which I think will probably supply me with at least a couple decades of linings and blocks.

They're probably 3 to 4 feet in length and maybe 6" to 7" in diameter.

[L P Reedy]

I split all of mine with wedges. Not as neat, but the split follows the grain, which can be helpful later on. I split out blocks a little oversize so that I don't find surprises when trimming. Split planks for linings also makes bending and trimming a little easier. All that splitting makes more waste but it can save time and work.

I wouldn't recommend the chain saw. That can make even more waste.

Lyle

[BK]

OK, thanks Lyle!

I'll give that a shot then. I was reading this book called The Museum of Early American Tools by Eric Sloane and in it he mentions this tool called a "froe" which was used for splitting logs down the center. I picked one up off of the internet. So when it arrives, I'll split it down.

I did get "permission" to put the logs on the porch. Haha. I think that will work out much better. Free from rain, bugs and the damp earth, yet still has air flow to dry it out naturally.

Thanks for your tips on drying! Very helpful.

-BK