Timber....

Hi Folks
Stopped by Yandles Saw Mill on my way home yesterday (yes, it was quite a diversion, but worth it) and was pleased to catch them at the "Just had deliveries in " part of their cycle. I much prefer this to the later part, the "all the good stuff is gone, all we have is this near-firewood until the next delivery" stage.
So I managed to find some of a timber that is very difficult to get hold of, Pau Rosa. It is a striking deep red colour, very dense and perfect for planes. The down side is getting hold of suitable stock. There were eight planks available - four of these were utterly useless. Let me explain - the timber seems to be very difficult to dry without serious checks and splits developing. It is also prone to rot (or insect attack?) from the centre. Take a look at the photo's of my chosen plank - it is three inches thick, 14 inches wide. It has checks running through a good third of the plank. And if you turn the plank over - bang! Look at that rot!! And yes, this plank was the best out the lot :)
But there is a lot of usable material left and it is such a pretty timber. I'm going to break it down into smaller, clear pieces and see what's left.

Remember the guitar photo's I promised? Yes, I know, I am rubbish ;)
I was stringing the Tele ready for its photo shoot when I realised the nut had gone missing. So I am learning how to fit (and cut) a new nut - not easy. Hopefully some photo's will appear soon :)

Cheers
Philly