Butternut references

[Rodent]

I found a few interesting articles on Butternut that I thought would make a good reference here. Feel welcome to post any additional references and/or personal experiences with this species.

http://www.arbortech.com.au/articles...butternut.html

http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets...uglcinmet.html

http://wildwnc.org/trees/Juglans_cinerea.html

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROL...heet.cfm?ID=31

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/sto...ml&catref=wd12

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/sto...ml&catref=wd12

http://canequest.com/butternut_wood.asp

As a side note, I am presently working with Butternut for the first time. It received a joined edge with ease (I did touch it up with a sanding block and a little 220 grit), glued exceptional but was slightly thirsty, and thickness sanded reasonably well (80 grit rough sanding) with a small amount of fiber cling on the output side of my Performax.

The 2-pc body blank I am working is noticably lighter than a similarly volumed Alder blank, and significantly lighter than a similarly volumed Spanish Cedar blank.

all the best,

R

[Larry Davis]

Thanks Rodent, it's refreshing to find a wood thread with immediate shared factual input instead of the usual "tell me all about this wood" demand.

One important point of note is the butternut blight that has killed many of the butternut trees. It's a serious blight and some states have passed laws against cutting green butternut trees without permits in an attempt to conserve the species. Quality butternut lumber is in short supply with high prices and it will get worse before nature's cycle is complete. A butternut source I've used in Vermont logs and mills from his own property and he sent me the last lumber from the last butternut tree alive on his 800 acres.

[Rodent]

Hi Larry

I did see numerous articles on the blight/canker affecting Butternut trees here in North America. It reminded me of another 'plague' that essentially wiped out another species of trees here in NA - American Chestnut.

IIRC, this was introduced to North America some time back.

Here's a little info on the Butternut rescue effort being conducted by one group

http://cobjon.com/butternut.html


On another side note, when I lived near Nashville I had several huge trees on the edge of our property. Several were Tulip Poplars, one was an incredibly large Sweet Gum, and one I did not know until I started my investigation on Butternut. It's sad to note that the owners who purchased our place cut all the trees down shortly after they took possession, and that these trees became nothing more than an incredibly large bonfire instead of rough lumber for instrument building

all the best,

R

[pilotjones]

My old house had gumwood trim, it was very nice-- kind of like goncalo alves figuring, but in koa colors. But I've read that gum is pretty humidity-reactive, so you'd have to really think about how best to use it in an instrument.