I recently joined an Uilleann pipe forum, and while perusing old posts came across one with a link to an article by Peter J. Bukalski entitled:
"Oboe Making In The United States:
A. Läubin, Inc."
There's some interesting wood discussion, along with what it's like to run what is essentially a small, specialized wood-craft business, and its history. Bearing in mind that this is an old article (published 1990 CE), here's a brief quote:
PJB: At lunch you said your father had experimented with other woods, including boxwood, maple, and walnut. What about violetwood?
PL: No, we have never tried it.
PJB: And you made an instrument of cocobolo that you liked very much.
PL: Yes, but I had to use my home table saw on the cocobolo, and the blade heated the sawdust to the point where it produced a poisonous vapor. I had respiratory arrest, but recovered quickly. I'd like to make more cocobolo instruments, but the health risks are too great.
PJB: I understand you age your wood for ten years.
PL: Yes. We are now working on wood we bought in 1979!
PJB: You first age it in the house for ten years?
PL: Not in the house: it's outside in the open air. It's covered on top, but is not protected on the sides, so it gets all the temperature and humidity changes. PJB: Which in this part of the world are pretty extreme. And after ten years you put it in a heated box at 120 degrees for one year?
PL: Right, that's after it's been turned and has a rough bore. [At this point Mr. Läubin showed me a couple of turned pieces.] These pieces have come out of the box.
PJB: I see that the pieces have a rough turning, not a fine turning. What's the idea of the 120-degree box?
PL: To try to stabilize the moisture content.
There's a lot more in the article, with major emphasis on the rosewood family, and problems involved with the world wood supply. I hope you'all will find it as interesting as I did.
Regards, John
Linear Mode
