Fixing Wood Checks

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Mark Wisniewski
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Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 3:31 pm

Fixing Wood Checks

Post by Mark Wisniewski »

Hi All - new to the forum, here goes my first post... I bought some 12/4 ash that I plan to resaw for a couple of bodies, and I noticed there's a small check (between 1/64" and 1/32" wide) right through the middle of one of the boards that runs the length. Should I avoid it like the plague and try to save the surrounding wood, or is there a way to stabilize the check after I resaw? These bodies are for prototypes and not resale, but I'd still like them to be stable. Also, if I do "cut around" the check, is there a chance that it will pick up where it left off and start again in my clean wood? I should also note that the boards are 10" wide, so I will be offset gluing them to get to my final body width.
David King
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Re: Fixing Wood Checks

Post by David King »

Welcome to the forum Mark. If the wood is split through over the length of the board I'd say that's more than a check. It might be a crack caused when the tree was felled. I'd resaw and saw through the crack and reevaluate. You may come across other cracks not visible until you resaw. If the wood was improperly dried and is case hardened and or "honeycombed" you may decide to use it in your fireplace. Case hardened wood will often spring in or out as you resaw it. You may need to peel off the outermost 1/4" or more to get it to lay flat at which point you won't have enough thickness for the two body blanks.
Mark Wisniewski
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2016 3:31 pm

Re: Fixing Wood Checks

Post by Mark Wisniewski »

Thanks David! I'll see what it looks like after I resaw. It runs the length of the board but not the width - it's isolated to the middle of the cross section and near the heart. The first plank my supplier cut off the end of the 12' board had 4 or 5 checks throughout, so I had him cut another one. My understanding is that large, thick boards have a harder time making it through the kiln without checking...
Brian Evans
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Location: Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

Re: Fixing Wood Checks

Post by Brian Evans »

If this was for a solid body guitar I would saw right down the center of the split, joint and glue the board back together, and carry on. I would also work with the board cut close to the length you are going to use it at. I cut a 1" strip off an 8" board yesterday that had a 3" bow in it by the time it came off the saw. If I had needed 2' pieces I could have lived with it.
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