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Grading & Preparation |
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Structure, Tone and Cosmetics |
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Maple Grades & Description
Please note: Quilted Maple is flat sawn to obtain it's figure. |
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In the fall we start the search for tonewood quality trees to harvest for the coming winter harvest season. We target dead standing alpine trees (trees which have been killed by lightning strikes or a severe wind storms but remain standing), these trees are completely sound. These trees usually have a crack up through the center and are easily picked out for straightness of growth (no spiral) because the crack runs straight up the tree rather than spiraling around the tree. Most of these trees have no bark or very little left on them and very few branches. These trees are a dream to process into tonewood, the color is excellent and when the trees are struck with a sledge hammer they give off a excellent bell sound. The grain tends to be tighter in dead standing trees but the wood is still light weight but extremely stiff and strong. 65% of the trees we harvest are Dead Standing trees. All trees are checked to make sure that there are no bird nests in them before harvest. Each tree is a minimum of 16" in diameter and can get as large as 60" in diameter, each tree is carefully examined for straightness of growth (no spiral), if the tree is straight growth we then bore the tree with a increment borer and check for tightness of grain, if the grain is a suitable tightness 12+ grain lines inch. The first tap tone test is done to get a preliminary idea of the trees tonal quality. If the tree passes our above criteria, we then mark the tree with fluorescent tape and then mark it's location with GPS and log the location in our log book. We then return in the winter months on snowmobile to extract the tree. The tree is cut and hauled out of the bush in 100" lengths by snowmobile to our staging area (base camp) for primary processing. The greatest care is given to our environment, the only evidence of our presence where a tonewood tree was harvested is a stump and the tree (3" diameter) top is left for reseeding. There is absolutely no damage done to the forest floor.
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All of our tonewood is harvested in late fall and winter months. The logs are removed from the forest to our staging area (base camp) and then hand split into billets (quarter log) with a Froe & Splitting Wedges. The dead standing quarters are then transported to our shop and sawn into flat tops or hand-split into arch tops. The tops are then placed in a dry room for seasoning. The fresh green quarters are left at our base camp for further seasoning. Our trees are harvested from the northern slopes of mountains or large hills. We select the straightest (no spiral growth) & the best trees suited for the construction of musical instruments. All of our Tonewood is FIRST GROWTH (old growth). All flat tops are hand split and then the tops are sawn from these quarter sections, tops for arched instruments are hand split into quarter sections, some tops are then hand split from these quarter sections and some are sawn from hand split quartered sections. All logs are tap tested for sound.
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Tap tone testing is performed on three times before the tonewood is shipped to our customers. 1. when the tree is still standing. 2. when the log is at our staging area. 3. and when the tops are graded. We have three categories of tap tones, Excellent, Good and Satisfactory. Only those tops which register Excellent tap tone make it into our Master and AAA Grades. |
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We do not kiln dry any of our tonewoods, kiln drying (force drying) harms the resonating quality of wood, we have done tests that have proven this. We let our tonewood air dry in our "Dry Room" (air exchanger that removes the stall air and replaces it with fresh dry air), this process takes longer but we find that it produces a more stable seasoned tonewood. When the tonewood is removed it has a moisture content of 6%. The flat tops are then held above powerful halogen lights to check for the smallest pitch pockets or any other imperfection, tops are then stress tested for cross grain strength. Tops then get their last tap tone test and visually graded. The tops are then wrapped and ready for shipping to our customers. Eastern Spruce does not end check, now that's stable wood, we have worked with wood for 30 years and this is the only wood we have ever seen that does not check when drying. But we do end seal the tops with clear wax before shipping, just to be safe. Our trees are hand-split into quarter billets, end sealed and left outside in the fresh mountain air to dry until spring. The billets are then transported to our shop to be hand-split into bowed instrument tops or sawn into flat top instrument tops. When sawn the tops are then placed on stickers in a dry room and left there as long as it takes for the moisture content to reach 6%. The tops are then removed from the dry room and let stabilize. The flat tops are then held above powerful halogen lights to check for the smallest pitch pockets or any other imperfection, tops are then stress tested for cross grain strength. Tops then get their last tap tone test and visually graded. The tops are then wrapped and ready for shipping to our customers.
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We utilize 100% of our trees. What is not used in the production of tonewood is used to construct the shipping boxes, 3/4" boards. So check the sides on your boxes when you receive them for usable bracewood and bass bars, etc. The box material is air dried the same way the tonewood is. |
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All of our tonewood is shipped in boxes constructed of recycled plywood and 3/4" board, very durable packaging, to insure that you get your tonewood in good condition. Be sure to check your boxes for usable Eastern spruce bracewood. |
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Contact Information
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