making kerfed linings

[Chris Mudd]

I am going to need to make kerfed linings for some projects this summer. I have access to a lot of Doug fir that would be easy to cut down to size.

Is this wood a good choice?

[Stephen Neal Saqui]

Why not! Just about any wood has been used for lining. I'm now using cedars just because of the scent....and they keep bugs out! Glad to see you're making your own!

[Mark Swanson]

I love the smell of the spanish cedar linings too. It really seems to enhance the feel of the whole guitar somehow.

[Alan Carruth]

Doug seems a bit dense and 'splitty' for liner stock to me.

[Chuck Tweedy]

I agree with Alan, Doug Fir is very brittle in small pieces. It might be an exercise in frustration trying to keep it from disintegrating on your.
I like basswood and spanish cedar for linings.
Walnut would be good - tho its a bit dense. Butternut!!
Tulip poplar would work well (guess - never used it for linings)
Spruce and mahogany are good as well.

[Bob Hammond]

I have some Douglas fir that's aged for about 60 years in Michigan, that I"m using to build a summer workbench, and I bought some new stuff from the bigbox store for other parts. Douglas fir is a great wood for larger structural purposes such as a workbench or housebuilding For this purpose, it's a little elastic but quite tough and it won't split easily in 2x4 and larger dimensiona. But for kerfing, it won't do.

[Alan Carruth]

My favorites for liners are willow and butternut. Strad used willow for blocks and liners, so it's got the imprint of authority at least. When properly air dried it's light, resists splitting, glues well, and more or less seems to move with whatever you glue it to. Butternut is not quite as tough, but is not far short, and it's light and glues well too. I've also used a lot of cedro for liners.

[Stephen Neal Saqui]

Hey Alan, thanks for the tip on willow! It grows in abundance here...as well as red birch.