The Woodwork thread

ausdb

Being who he is
Can’t say I love Marri. I find it’s colour can vary a lot once oil is applied. Does have some crazy variation though. Here’s a bench top I did a while ago. Jarrah and dark woods are making a comeback over here. The market is flooded with 2 bit makers like me using recycled Messmate/Stringybark to death. Some of the quality makers are now using Jarrah, Tassie Blackwood and other dark timbers in their designs.
My first ever table I made when I was 18 or so and is still in my living room today was made from Jarrah I begged off the demo guys that were tearing down and old telco yard. All the buildings framing was Jarrah. Crazy.
In the Marri I've used the really light sections seem to be where it's almost started to dry rot a bit.

Jarrah house timbers there's heaps of it here, every house in Perth before the 70's would have a stick built roof and even later it was still common. Timber frame and brick veneer are not so popular and have a bit of a stigma here so there is less of it but all of the older ones are Jarrah framing and the weatherboards would have been Jarrah too. My Dad helped my Grandfather build their first house when they emigrated here after the war, greenish Jarrah framing and fibro and heaps of hours after school he said they did go upmarket slightly and had WA blackbutt floors. Every old house that gets knocked down these days they don't even bother to recover any of the timber any more, the digger comes in and knocks it into a heap and it gets trucked away for landfill.

When I did turn a lot most of it was reclaimed house timbers, I would leave the nail holes in the piece unfilled as evidence of it's past life. I used to mark them on the base with a soldering iron "WA Jarrah, too good for firewood". Used to sell a few through my wife's aunt who had a gift store that focused on WA made craft items but most were given away as gifts especially to friends from overseas.
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
How is it you're picking messmate from other Vic Ash/Tassie oak species?
The timber that is classed as ‘Messmate‘ just has a whole lot more feature, gum vein and gum pockets than other species. Just what’s on the shelf at the salvage yard really and how it’s been sorted.
 

Switch

huskier headed gent
That bookshelf reminded me of this one that I built for my last house, nothing like explaining to the building inspector that you have made a load bearing book shelf. All the bench tops and shelving units were made with local F17 structural hardwood (Alpine Ash) that was dressed and filled with west systems epoxy resin. Originally there was a 4 foot fish tank in the middle that broke flooding the house and causing the entire bamboo floor and subfloor to be replaced (Never ever insure with Youi, but that's another story).

Made the dining table as well from a single piece of cypress pine that had been sitting in a barn for 14 years. There were 14 pieces the same size as the dining table and another 7 that were twice the length all from the same tree. The grain in the table is awesome.
366376
 

ausdb

Being who he is
For the muso's here this will make sense. I always loved the Spector NS basses and the Warwick Streamers that copied them but could never afford one as a poor uni student. So I decided to make my own. The body was Zebrano, the neck Wenge and rock Maple and the fingerboard and headstock face Maccassar Ebony. It was also a neck through even though you can't see it from the front. The body was then carved so every surface was a convex or concave curve. It was pre digital days and I kick myself for never taking a lot of photos of it and also selling it.

366554
 

rockmoose

his flabber is totally gastered
For the muso's here this will make sense. I always loved the Spector NS basses and the Warwick Streamers that copied them but could never afford one as a poor uni student. So I decided to make my own. The body was Zebrano, the neck Wenge and rock Maple and the fingerboard and headstock face Maccassar Ebony. It was also a neck through even though you can't see it from the front. The body was then carved so every surface was a convex or concave curve. It was pre digital days and I kick myself for never taking a lot of photos of it and also selling it.

View attachment 366554
Stunning. If only it was left handed.

Sent from my SM-A205YN using Tapatalk
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President

peanut

Likes Dirt
For the muso's here this will make sense. I always loved the Spector NS basses and the Warwick Streamers that copied them but could never afford one as a poor uni student. So I decided to make my own. The body was Zebrano, the neck Wenge and rock Maple and the fingerboard and headstock face Maccassar Ebony. It was also a neck through even though you can't see it from the front. The body was then carved so every surface was a convex or concave curve. It was pre digital days and I kick myself for never taking a lot of photos of it and also selling it.

View attachment 366554
Damn, thats very very nice, I'd hate to think how long it took. I've modded a few bases in my time with brass plates etc, but my only attempt to make one got as far as rough shaping a body from Blackwood.
It turned into an odd shape from a lack of skill & overzealous ambition when I was trying to mimic a weird les claypool'ish shape.
My one regret when I was playing a lot, is never buying a 2nd hand Spector bass when I had the opportunity, the fit & feel was sublime.
 

slowmick

38-39"
That is beautiful @ausdb and a massive amount of work. I have two Czech made Spectors and there is a hell of lot of shaping in those fiddles. I tip my hat sir.
 

ausdb

Being who he is
@slowmick thanks for the compliment, when I built that it was pre internet and I had never seen a Spector or Warwick in the flesh so it was based on pictures from Bassplayer and a book on how to make your own guitar so there was a lot of guesswork involved. I still have another slab of Zebrano and some Ebony in the shed and If I ever get around to making another I might hit you up for pictures and measurements if you don't mind.
 
Top