seasoning wood...if cored?

M

mrinsatiable

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm looking to have a gaboon ebony plain jane made..and am working with a cuemaker..He does not have gaboon ebony.

if I send the cuemaker a gaboon ebony stock lumber that has already been waxed and stored...

does it have to be seasoned for any length of time? even though the cue will be cored with another wood?
 
mrinsatiable said:
I'm looking to have a gaboon ebony plain jane made..and am working with a cuemaker..He does not have gaboon ebony.

if I send the cuemaker a gaboon ebony stock lumber that has already been waxed and stored...

does it have to be seasoned for any length of time? even though the cue will be cored with another wood?
Click to expand...

Yes. It needs to be checked with a moisture meter and even if the moisture content is low enough it would still need to be acclimatized to the builders area. Wax is put on woods when they are fresh cut and are going to be air dried. It is there so that the wood doesn't dry to quickly causing checks and splits. As long as the wax is present I doubt that the wood will ever dry. Once the wood has been in the shop for awhile, the wax should be removed on the outer surface but not on the end grain as this is where most of the moisture transfer takes place and you certainly don't want this to happen to quickly. That is when you check your wood with a moisture meter.

If you are in a hurry you need to purchase kiln dried ebony from a dealer who deals in it. Expect to pay a premium for such wood, often double what non-dried ebony costs.

Dick
 
rhncue said:
Yes. It needs to be checked with a moisture meter and even if the moisture content is low enough it would still need to be acclimatized to the builders area. Wax is put on woods when they are fresh cut and are going to be air dried. It is there so that the wood doesn't dry to quickly causing checks and splits. As long as the wax is present I doubt that the wood will ever dry. Once the wood has been in the shop for awhile, the wax should be removed on the outer surface but not on the end grain as this is where most of the moisture transfer takes place and you certainly don't want this to happen to quickly. That is when you check your wood with a moisture meter.

If you are in a hurry you need to purchase kiln dried ebony from a dealer who deals in it. Expect to pay a premium for such wood, often double what non-dried ebony costs.

Dick
Click to expand...

+1

If someone gave me a waxed gaboon ebony square to core and put in a cue, I would tell them to come back in a few years.

Kelly
 
I wouldn't touch a waxed piece of anything especially ebony for atleast 1 year, and that's being generous. Even though I core, I still season the wood as if I wasn't. No short cuts, they only lead to headaches later.

Pay the price for kiln dried ebony, but it still needs to acclamate in the makers shop. Food for thought.
 
you can call prather and get a decent piece and even get it cored if you need it now the cost is way up there but it would work.
 
wood

If it doesn't say "kiln dried", I won't buy it. Even then, I poke it with the moisture meter when it arrives just to be sure. Then I let it sit a month or 2 before using it. If it is too low in moisture, it needs to gain a little from my atmosphere. If it is too high it might need to lose a little moisture. Straight grain wood, I sometimes bore and let it sit. Heavy figured or "swirly" grain wood I will bore and core right away and then watch it for at least a month.

My humidity is always 40 to 50 percent.

Kim
 
huh?

don't take this the wrong way but,

What kind of cuemaker doesnt have gaboon ebony?
Why can't he secure a pc from a reputable source since his name is going on it?

Maybe this is a buddy/buddy deal and none of this matters, but if not, well...i'll leave it at that.
 
He has macassar ebony..but I wanted gaboon since he's coring his cues. The cuemaker does not do high volumes of cues but he has been making cues for over 30+ years.

Like Sugartree cues he only makes stuff that interests him and does not take orders..but is doing this as a special request for me.
 
Moisture content when coring...

What is the correct amount of moisture content in Gaboon Ebony is safe to work with?

I understand the meters range from 6%-40%..but wanted to know what the safety range would be.

Also when coring the blank does this need to be considered as well? just drilling the hole and plugging it up with maple...

or does the wood need to be measured for both procedures?

1) coring the wood with another wood and

2) actually tapering the wood in different cuts



thanks


whammo57 said:
If it doesn't say "kiln dried", I won't buy it. Even then, I poke it with the moisture meter when it arrives just to be sure. Then I let it sit a month or 2 before using it. If it is too low in moisture, it needs to gain a little from my atmosphere. If it is too high it might need to lose a little moisture. Straight grain wood, I sometimes bore and let it sit. Heavy figured or "swirly" grain wood I will bore and core right away and then watch it for at least a month.

My humidity is always 40 to 50 percent.

Kim
Click to expand...
 
You need a dry piece of ebony, preferably kiln dried. West Penn sells a 1.5x12" kiln dried ebony for $20, and a 1.25x18" piece for $30. I'd suggest buying whichever (or both) you need for the cue. Being already kiln dried, he can let it sit in his shop for a couple weeks to acclimate and then can turn round & core. He won't have any of the hassles that a piece of wet ebony would have.
 
Wood exceptable for (the wear and tear of joints. )

I got some dessert Iron wood the other day. Is this wood good enough (hard enough) to use as a joint. and matching collars?? I realize it's heavy- but I think it will look really good - on a couple of sneaky's I'm making- from New Old Duffrins. I have a few outstanding shafts- SW and Schons- that will be the shafts for these cues. Or do I just use brown,blk linen,Micarta, and stainless steel for the joints. thanks in advance for all responses. god bless- mark I am making underwater maple butts- was told to use g-10 to preserve the hit. But again I would like to use the dessrt-Ironwood. I realize I need to weigh out the pieces. butt cap, or fat rings. Anyone see (the news about Ebony and Gibson guitars) ?? thanks again for help- I remember reading about using woods - but I can't remember if there was a process for exotic wood joints pieces.? mark
 
HollyWood said:
. I have a few outstanding shafts- SW and Schons- mark
Click to expand...

i believe they would but u could sell one for 100 to 150 and get 5 or 6

great and seasoned shaft blanks from Chris hightower or prathers

and when the guys boost how great it is you can take pride in the fact it was your work and not sw or schons work making it play great

as for hardwood joints ive done a few on some butterfly cues the look great
lots a feel retro look , weight is no issue there maybe a few grams more than the maple you cut away and a little less than phenolic
 
mrinsatiable said:
I'm looking to have a gaboon ebony plain jane made..and am working with a cuemaker..He does not have gaboon ebony.

if I send the cuemaker a gaboon ebony stock lumber that has already been waxed and stored...

does it have to be seasoned for any length of time? even though the cue will be cored with another wood?
Click to expand...

Hi,

You can buy Kiln Dried ebony and use it in a short period of time if your are coring without any problems. Unless maybe you are in an extreme high or low moisture environment region. Even then if your maple dowels are seasoned and you gun drill them and glue them up right away you should be good to go in short order. I usually dowel the square and gun drill & glue it within a week or two here in the midwest.

On a 30" coring dowel, a full ebony plain jane with a 4.0 oz shaft should come in at about 20 to 21 oz without a front or back weight bolt.

Rick

Here is a cue we call "The Black Momba"an Ebony plain Jane I built for a friend about 6 months a go and from the time I got the ebony into my shop until I cleared it was only about one month. It spins like a laser between centers and is 20.3 oz with the 4.2 oz shaft.
IMG_3693.jpg

Tapered Ebony forearm on a seasoned 30" coring dowel
IMG_3692.jpg
 
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great stuff...

Thanks for the advice Eric...i've purchased some ebony from Bellforest Products for around $30..that was kiln dried...Although I don't know what moisture content it had before it shipped.

I am trying to help out my cuemaker as much as possible as he's old school and doesnt use the computer.

Was thinking that i had to go out and buy a moisture meter to determine if bellforest's ebony was dry enough.

I'll have him test a small sample of the core to see if it's dry enough if not..purchase the meter and then core it with maple...and let it acclimate.

The thread about "relative humidity" help out alot in terms of understanding the wood selection process. Wishing many cuemakers were as thorough as eric about the science of cue making...but i'm glad we have some information to clear up a lot of the mythology.
 
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