[Didjeridu] Japanese Maple

[David Blonski]

Maple can be a great wood for a didge if the dimensions are good.  A lot
will depend on how the wood seasons.  If you cut the wood and store it so
that it is not in direct sunlight and is allowed to dry out slowly you may
have a good chance of having something you can work with in a year or two.
Cut a section that is least one foot longer than you need, keep the bark on
and then paint the ends and any branch cut offs with some kind of paint so
that the wood doesn't loose moisture too rapidly to help prevent cracking.
Once the wood seasons for at least one season with minimal cracking you can
proceed with crafting your didge.

 I have crafted lots of flutes using a lathe (up to 30 inches) but I have
yet to set up a lathe system that will accommodate the 4 to 6 foot length
necessary for a didge.  With that said I would love to see someone set up a 
system for a 4 to 7 foot length and then share it with the rest of us.

I have recently cleared 10 acres of brush on my property in the Sierra
Foothills of California and in the process I cut down a number of pine,
cedar, oak and madrone trees that were overcrowded.  The pine and cedar are
pretty straight so lathe techniques could be effective if I can figure out
how to handle such large dimensions.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Dunn" <woozl at sbcglobal.net>
To: <didjeridu at eartha.mills.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 6:41 PM
Subject: [Didjeridu] Japanese Maple


> Due to the ice storm in the late fall I've lost a very old J.maple.
> Does any one have experience with this wood?
> If not a didg is it good for other stuff?
> I do have a lathe....salt and pepper shakes??
>
> Very sad to loose the tree, it would be nice to live on (not firewood)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Didjeridu mailing list
> Didjeridu at music.mills.edu
> http://music.mills.edu/mailman/listinfo/didjeridu
>
>