Juniper wood

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Juniper wood

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odinz

Posts: 407
Joined: May 26 2010
From: Sarpsborg,Norway

Juniper wood

Im not a luthier or anything, but anyone know if i can make something out of juniper, i cut one down in my garden, it was a really thick stem, and the grain and stuff is very even.

I was thinking its looking pretty good so maybe i should use this free wood for something fun, once I dry it up.

Im guessing i cant sell this stuff for anything so could i make a guitar for fun or parts for it from this wood?

maybe some other instrument than guitar?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 29 2011 19:49:14

El Kiko

Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

fence posts and firewood...........

or marking out agreed tribal hunting territories............

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 29 2011 21:52:11

odinz

Posts: 407
Joined: May 26 2010
From: Sarpsborg,Norway

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to El Kiko)

It is about 50 centimetres this biggest piece, i guess it doesnt vibrate too well, but it looks so pretty

I will try and make somethingeither way, and show the results, just saw my stringles hit it off into another thread as well

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 29 2011 21:59:21

keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

if the juniper is the virginia variety you can make dresser drawer linings and chests--this variety is called cedar and is often used for "cedar" chests and dresser drawer linings. the wood is not a true cedar (much like red western cedar is not a true cedar). the juniper family is closely related to cypress.

one thing that juniper trees are good for are the berries. prepare them in just the right way and you get gin. the wood might not give a good flamenco sound but the gin might make whatever guitar you are playing sound really flamenco--until the buzz (in your head not the fretboard) wears off.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 29 2011 23:54:29

odinz

Posts: 407
Joined: May 26 2010
From: Sarpsborg,Norway

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to keith)

I dont know what variety it is, in norway its called einer, but this was unusually thick in the stem and straight/fine grained.

maybe i could make something simmilar to an erhu or somesting like that instead of a guitar, the top is some kind of skin.

i like gin alot

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 30 2011 0:19:14

keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

odinz--juniper grows just about everywhere your typical conifer will grow. i was interested in the norway variety and found this--not much info on the tree but it is mentioned as a good wood to burn to keep trolls at bay. enjoy.

http://www.daughtersofnorway.org/art_jul.html

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2011 2:30:37

Samarto

Posts: 160
Joined: Mar. 21 2008

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

I don't know about Norway Juniper, but finding Western Juniper large and quality enough for a flamenco guitar back and sides is difficult. I recently visited a steel string maker that had a source for a few sets from a 2000 year old tree, seasoned nicely, knot free, and quartersawn. I immediately contacted Peter Tsiorba as we had been discussing Juniper for a flamenco guitar and Peter met with the sawyer and purchased a couple of sets. In a few months we will know the results, but the 3 sets I have seen at the steel string makers are very impressive.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 19 2011 22:33:34

Samarto

Posts: 160
Joined: Mar. 21 2008

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

Yes, Juniper a member of the cypress family can make a fantastic flamenco guitar for looks and sound.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 7 2012 11:45:01

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 7 2012 12:23:28

Ricardo

Posts: 14841
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

quote:

ORIGINAL: odinz

Im not a luthier or anything, but anyone know if i can make something out of juniper, i cut one down in my garden, it was a really thick stem, and the grain and stuff is very even.

I was thinking its looking pretty good so maybe i should use this free wood for something fun, once I dry it up.

Im guessing i cant sell this stuff for anything so could i make a guitar for fun or parts for it from this wood?

maybe some other instrument than guitar?

It's maybe possible but you need to dry it out for many years after you cut it other wise I think fresh woods will be affected by humidity changes too easily. Top guitars are made of woods aged for like 30 years (supposedly).

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 7 2012 14:09:25

Samarto

Posts: 160
Joined: Mar. 21 2008

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to Ricardo)

Ricardo, good point on the original post. Yes, the wood would need to dry at least 4 years. I think 10 years is a good minimum. Longer the better. Very few juniper trees are large enough and most have too many knots and flaws for using for musical instruments. The Juniper tree that this wood came from was about 2000 years old when it died and was standing dead for 20 years. Seasoned another few years after being cut for guitar wood. Nice and dry.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 7 2012 23:51:33

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

quote:

Top guitars are made of woods aged for like 30 years (supposedly).

Come on Ricardo... Thats really blah blah myth. How many top guitars have been or are made with 30 years old wood?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2012 7:25:58

machopicasso

Posts: 973
Joined: Nov. 27 2010

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

quote:

How many top guitars have been or are made with 30 years old wood?

Curiously, Anders, with what age of wood do you think most flamenco guitars are made?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2012 7:57:41

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

2 - 5 years.
I use 3 - 5 year old wood and sometimes older depending on what wood it is. Thats th time the wood has been with me. Normally its a few years old when its been sold. They leave the logs to dry slowly for a while before splitting and resawing

You can find a trillion if discussions on the internet about wood age. Lots of myth and some few facts.
I think older wood is more stable but it depends a lot on the wood and how its been stored. But the big difference is done the first couple of years after the tree has been cut.

I know guitars being sold with 30 years old wood that has been stored in a basement with water on the floor and mould and other things growing in the wood, changing its cell structure. Later its been used to build guitars under some 70 - 80% relative humidity. Does anyone believe that make for a good and healty instrument?

I read somewhere years ago that not even the famous old italian violins were made with wood more than some years old.

It would be interesting if Shelton chimed in here. I think he´s the only one of us here harvesting his own wood right from picking the trees.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2012 10:54:29

Samarto

Posts: 160
Joined: Mar. 21 2008

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to odinz)

How do we determine what is a top guitar?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2012 12:18:17

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

I agree with Anders. Softwoods, cypress and Spanish Cedar are generally safe to use after 2-3 years if stored properly. Rosewoods, ebony, etc. take a few years longer. Of course, every piece of wood is different some pieces never stabilize.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 8 2012 14:13:40

Ricardo

Posts: 14841
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Juniper wood (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

quote:

I know guitars being sold with 30 years old wood that has been stored in a basement with water on the floor and mould and other things growing in the wood, changing its cell structure. Later its been used to build guitars under some 70 - 80% relative humidity

really? Please tell us who?

Anyway I said supposedly. I knew that was a ridiculous long time, I was just making a point about original poster who sounded like he was gonna cut his backyard tree and build a guitar from it next week!!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 9 2012 17:29:41