Wood species for Falcate braces

[Trevor Gore]

I recently bent some Engelmann spruce into falcate braces - by far the easiest spruce I've ever bent. That was the first time I've tried bending Engelmann, so I don't know if that is representative of the species. What's the general experience of bending Engelmann by you falcaters out there??

Thanks.

[Steve.Toscano]

I recently bent some Engelmann spruce into falcate braces - by far the easiest spruce I've ever bent. That was the first time I've tried bending Engelmann, so I don't know if that is representative of the species. What's the general experience of bending Engelmann by you falcaters out there??

Thanks.

My workshop has now done over 200 guitars with Engelmann falcates. Prior to this - King Billy Pine.
3x laminates at 1.9mm each, glued up with titebond.
A 30second dunk in boiling water and then around a hot iron. Bends like butter if you can cut the laminates with limited run out, lots of grain run out and we will get some breakages.

Have even done a few at 50mm wide recently to yield 2x sets (4x pieces) per glueup.

[GregHolmberg]

If you don't need to bend your braces, some of the best species appear to be:

• Obeche
• Western Red Cedar
• Sugar Pine
• Coast Redwood
• Eastern White Pine
• Okoumé

These are all better than Sitka Spruce, Engelmann Spruce, or Norway Spruce for braces. Top panels are a different matter, of course.

Silver Maple does surprisingly well, although it's a bit on the heavy side. Bendable too, I think.

The top bendable species, Black Willow and Black Cottonwood, would also work of course, but I don't know where to get those.

Greg

[Steve.Toscano]

If you don't need to bend your braces, some of the best species appear to be:

• Obeche
• Western Red Cedar
• Sugar Pine
• Coast Redwood
• Eastern White Pine
• Okoumé

These are all better than Sitka Spruce, Engelmann Spruce, or Norway Spruce for braces. Top panels are a different matter, of course.

Says who? What makes them "better"?

[GregHolmberg]

Says the calculations, as in the book, Table 4.4-2. I posted an extensive spreadsheet (80 species) a few days ago in this thread. Did you see it? Here it is again in case you missed it: spreadsheet

Specifically, for these species: 1. stresses do not exceed the breaking point, 2. due to their stiffness, produce a soundboard with the highest monopole mobility, and 3. will make the lightest soundboards after correctly sizing them for their stiffness.

I also called out which North American species are steam bendable, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If you know that additional species are steam bendable, let me know, and I will update the spreadsheet. I already marked Engelmann Spruce, since you reported it was bendable.

I encourage everyone to copy the spreadsheet, change the dimensions to match their project, and find the stiffest, lightest species for their specific guitar. Suggestions for improvement are welcome, of course.

This is my way of trying to give back to the community for this wonderful book and all the support we get through this forum. I hope it helps someone to build a better guitar.

Greg

[AKEric]

Thanks for the in-depth info Greg. To add to the data, I have made four falcate braced guitars using Sitka Spruce with a 100% success rate. I use three 1/16" laminates, and the secondary braces get steamed in a small steam box for about 15 minutes before bending. Primary braces bend nicely without the steaming, and I have not tried bending the secondary without the steam.

Eric

[joel]

I'm about to embark on my first falcate braced guitar so this thread has been great for me. Thanks all.

I read a few years ago that people were using fabric softener to help bend problem woods. Anyone tried this with the Spruces for falcate braces?

Slightly off topic - Anyone know who sells King Billy brace material in Australia? I can't find any suppliers who list it online.

[WJ Guitars]

Tasmanian Acoustic Tone Wood has bracing billets in King Billy Pine. I have been happy with the King Billy Pine billets that I have purchased from them. See link:

https://www.tasmanianacoustictonewood.com.au/

On another matter, I see that 'Australian Tonewoods' from Western Australia has moved to Tasmania.
The shop front will be upgrading to a new shop front and open for business from October 1, 2022

Wayne

[kiwigeo]

I tried King Billy Pine on a Gore falcate braced guitar a few years back but found the stiffness of the stuff highly variable. I ended replacing the op on the instrument as top stiffness came in way to low. Now I use spruce and I measure stiffness of all bracing stock before using same.

[kiwigeo]

On another matter, I see that 'Australian Tonewoods' from Western Australia has moved to Tasmania.
The shop front will be upgrading to a new shop front and open for business from October 1, 2022

Wayne

Seems like everyone is moving to Tassie. Bob the forum founder spends much of his time there making whisky these days.

[WJ Guitars]

I noticed on the 'Tasmanian Acoustic Tonewood' site that the King Billy Bracing Billets are now currently sold out.

Looking for spruce bracing billets may be an alternate options. I have used Adirondack Spruce pieces cut from billets and then thickness on a drum sander to 1.7mm thickness to make the laminations that can be glued together on jigs that are shaped to make the primary and secondary falcate braces. You need to be careful and take your time to slowly bending the 1.7mm thick laminate strips on a bending iron to minimise them breaking.

Wayne

[WJ Guitars]

Here is a photo of my Primary and secondary Falcate Jigs.

Wayne

[joel]

Thanks for the tips!

I've been thinking of making a bending form and using my side bending blanket.