David Ivy Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Another friend loved my design and asked if I could build him one. Of course I can. So another build in the works. A 2 piece poplar body with a hard maple neck with a walnut fretboard. He will be ordering his parts and having them shipped to me as he lives a state away from me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 28, 2022 Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 Nice, love the contours. Your woodworking skills appear to have evolved while I had my head turned. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ivy Posted March 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 @ScottR. Thank you so much! I've been working on trying to build better and faster without making as many mistakes. I have also invested in some new router bits and tools that help with the repetitive parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 28, 2022 Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 How did you find working with poplar? My experience so far has been that it's very soft and gets dents just by looking at it. And it's a PITA to sand level as the softer grain just vanishes no matter how you sand it, leaving the harder stuff proud. And it doesn't seem to like blades of any kind, the fibres just tear off instead of getting cleanly cut or scraped. American poplar may be another species, though. Mine was cut from a yard at the town centre, fast grown to a diameter of 70 cm in only about 40 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ivy Posted March 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 @Bizman62 I like working with poplar. it just takes a lot more sanding With higher grits of sandpaper. 400, 500, 600 grit. One of the new tools I invested in was an angle Grinder , that helps carve countries very quickly. However if you're not careful you can remove too much material. That has not happened to me yet. I take several light passes until I reach the desired curves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 28, 2022 Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 It must be a different type of poplar. Shaping is no issue, sanding is. Mine sands easily but as said the summer growth tends to sand even more easily no matter what type of block or paper I use. It seems that even the dust sanded off the harder growth rings eats the softer parts away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ivy Posted March 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 I get my poplar from a local lumber yard here in Metairie Louisiana. They sell mostly to cabinet makers. I also get my walnut and mahogany from the same dealer. I have to order hard maple from the internet as no maple is grown in this Reagan of the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ivy Posted March 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 And all that dealer offers in maple is soft maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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