Source of woods for repairs?

[malcolmbebb]

Frank's suggestions in another thread brought to mind a question I've been wondering about for a while.

 

Where does one get woods like mahogany and rosewood, and other woods used in concertina construction or repair, in the sort of sizes and quantities required?

 

From a quick Google I could probably get a couple of planks of mahogany fairly easily, but from experience in other activities sourcing small quantities can be tricky.

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

[SteveS]

Frank's suggestions in another thread brought to mind a question I've been wondering about for a while.

 

Where does one get woods like mahogany and rosewood, and other woods used in concertina construction or repair, in the sort of sizes and quantities required?

 

From a quick Google I could probably get a couple of planks of mahogany fairly easily, but from experience in other activities sourcing small quantities can be tricky.

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

Rosewood boards can't be had (or are extremely difficult to get from legal & sustainable sources).

Rosewood veneer can be had - Honduran or Guatemalan rosewood can have a nice red colour and good grain - Indian rosewood is more grey.

I've never sourced mahagony though - you could try John Boddy's in Boroughbridge - they have a huge stock of different woods.

Edited December 26, 2011 by SteveS

[Alex West]

Steve

 

Can't you get rosewood from a guitar luthier? It won't be from the same timber sources as originally used by Lachenal/Jeffries so may not give a good match for repairs, but a guitar back can be used for new fretwork I would have thought

 

Alex West

[SteveS]

Steve

 

Can't you get rosewood from a guitar luthier? It won't be from the same timber sources as originally used by Lachenal/Jeffries so may not give a good match for repairs, but a guitar back can be used for new fretwork I would have thought

 

Alex West

Alex - yes that may be an option.

I had a long conversation with the proprietor of a wood yard a few months ago about sourcing woods like ebony and rosewood - I was told that it was virtually impossible nowadays because of the paperwork, CITES and other trade and export/import restrictions.

Where it is available it is likely to be very expensive.

You may be lucky enough to find a source of old stock.

One would of course want to acquire materials from ethical, sustainable and legal sources.

Edited December 26, 2011 by SteveS

[new english]

Hi this may be of interest

I use quite a lot of rosewood ebony in my restorations Brazilian Rosewood sonokeling (Indian Rosewood) and guitar fingerboards and backs and sides would probably be a good source .I have a stock of very old Ebony Macassar and some Gaboon All species are pretty much unchanged over the last few hundred years and I can relatively easily match ,say the sides of a washburn 1900 parlour guitar. I bought a 100+ year old harmonium totally beyond repair solid rosewood faded but planed its almost identical (obviously not grain Patten LOL) to some newish boards I bought last year.

Maple is readily available and properly stained is indistinguishable from ebony its hard durable with virtually no creep I built a maple replacement body for an old Cajun accordion(ebonised)for a friend and if I may so it looked lovely it’s also a bright sounding wood with good resonance

 

Tony

[Andy Holder]

Frank's suggestions in another thread brought to mind a question I've been wondering about for a while.

 

Where does one get woods like mahogany and rosewood, and other woods used in concertina construction or repair, in the sort of sizes and quantities required?

 

From a quick Google I could probably get a couple of planks of mahogany fairly easily, but from experience in other activities sourcing small quantities can be tricky.

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

 

Malcolm, I share a workshop with a Harpsichord maker and he gets quite a bit of good quality timber from Geoff Tyler, near Marlborough http://www.tylerhardwoods.com/timber.htm

 

I have used black walnut for small rosewood repairs, very similar colour.

 

Andy.

[new english]

Hi sorry should have mentioned

I have a local sawmill that specializes in the slightly more exotic

 

North Heigham Sawmills LTD

Paddock Street

Norwich NR2 4TW

Telephone: 01603 622978

 

Ebony ,Zebrano ,Rosewood, Purpleheart and lots of interesting species it’s a place I absolutely love to browse and have never left without buying something LOL

the chaps are very friendly

Thanks

Tony

[oggie]

John Boddy's doesn't have anything like the stock they used to have, mahogany's not a problem but anything else is very hit and miss. Last two times I've been there I haven't been able to spend any money and my wants list is quite wide. I would suggest giving them a ring before travelling.

 

Steve

[OLDNICKILBY]

You could try

LINCOLNSHIRE WOODCRAFTS

GRANTHAM

Nice people with good stocks of a very wide range of timbers including African Blackwood, like Ebony but easier to glue and Indian Roseweood

[spindizzy]

We inherited 2 victorian solid wood wardrobes (supposedly mahogany) with our last house, that we couldn't even give away!

They were of no merit as articles of furniture, but the the wood was heavy, straight and obviously well matured :-)

 

Haven't modern instrument makers made use of this sort of timber before?

 

chris

[Dirge]

We inherited 2 victorian solid wood wardrobes (supposedly mahogany) with our last house, that we couldn't even give away!

They were of no merit as articles of furniture, but the the wood was heavy, straight and obviously well matured :-)

 

Haven't modern instrument makers made use of this sort of timber before?

 

chris

I think I remember Colin Dipper telling me that many years ago he acquired a dead rosewood grand piano and salvaged the veneer for use on his instruments.

[AnnC]

I think I remember Colin Dipper telling me that many years ago he acquired a dead rosewood grand piano and salvaged the veneer for use on his instruments.

 

that's interesting as, back in '89, when I ordered my Anglo from Colin Dipper he said he'd make it of rosewood from an old piano ........ the ultimate recycled instrument perhaps .............. a minaturised grand piano ?