Ken’s Recent Trip
to a PA Sawmill
This was Ken’s first trip to this sawmill. He now makes a few trips a year to pick up Tiger Maple lumber.
Ken standing in front of a pile of Maple Logs. This type of Maple, if figured, is used in Body construction for Solid Bodies, Tops & Backs, and Cores, but is not used in Neck construction.
These logs are Red Maple (Acer Rubrum). Only 1% or 2% of these logs have ‘Tiger’ figure. Ken will search through the piles to see if there is enough curly Maple in there to make a return trip to inspect the Lumber once its been cut.
Only the cleanest white ‘Tiger’ Maple will be used on a Smith Bass.
Ken finds a curly Maple log. This small log will yield only 1 or 2 slices of white ‘Tiger’ Maple
After peeling back the bark, Ken finds another curly log, but the heart is very large. This log will yield only 1 or 2 slices of white ‘Tiger’ Maple.
This medium size log has very nice curl on the outside and should yield some very nice ‘Tiger’ Maple.
Further up the pile, Ken finds a curly log with bark peeled from the bottom.
Can’t quite reach this one!
Ken will have to see it once its cut up.
Ken scales the log pile to point out a curly log at the top.
Trip Results: Sawmill will be cutting up this Maple for a specific wholesale order in the next few weeks. The mill will pull out all the ‘Tiger’ Maple and hold it for Ken to inspect.
During the visit to the sawmill Ken brought back some Tiger Maple, previously cut, as a sample to see what this mill can yield.
Rich and Mike unloading the last boards off the U-Haul truck.
Ken scales the lumber, checks & grades each individual board.
After Inspection, 2 piles of lumber will be made.
This pile of ‘Tiger’ Maple lumber will be used for Smith Basses. The lumber will be planed, cut into usable parts, and then stacked with spacers for air-drying.
This pile of lumber will be sold off for furniture, as it does not meet our standard of instrument grade lumber.
Tiger Maple Lumber stacked for air drying as of 6/29/1999. It will dry and acclimate for several years before we use it for Body Parts.
This stack of Tiger Maple is Dated 3/23/2000 and will not be cut till earlier shipments have been used. Our vast Inventory of Lumber ensures you will get the best aged woods available.