Looking for 2 x 12 x 4' sitka spruce

[adowden]

I am making some thick speaker baffles and need sitka spruce that is essentially 6/4 or 8/4 and at least 4' long. I have called around and can't find anything around here. Does anyone know where I can get or order some?

Thanks,
Amy

 

[scsmith42]

Amy, if you can joint/glue two pieces together, Aircraft Spruce has some 6/4 x 5-3/4" spar stock; they may have something wider too.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/wppages/sprucesparstock.php

It's a little pricy, but it's aviation grade material.

 

[Tarhead]

Amy,

Contact some of these Spruce tonewood dealers and let them know what you need (in their vocabulary you need a "Billet". If you don't need perfect appearing wood (ie: you can tolerate color streaks and slight off quarter wood) it should not cost a lot. These guys hand split the billets off the quarter log section to minimize runout

Shane at High Mountain Tonewoods http://highmountaintonewood.com/index.htm has lots of Sitka and also stocks Lutz Spruce which has great sound properties.

Brent Cole at www.alaskawoods.com (There is another Tonewood supplier in Alaska with a similar business name. Check him out on the Alaskan Better Business Bureau and take their score seriously)

Bruce at www.notablewoods.com is in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington (incredibly beautiful place:swoon and has some old Engleman Spruce Cello tops which may work.

Aircraft Spruce has cutoffs which they sell in a bundle. They will allow limited Cherry picking of their pile if you go in person. If you call the Atlanta store they may find a piece in their cutoff pile which will suit your needs. I don't know if they stock 2" boards.

Lowe's or HD have 2X12 which are Spruce/Pine/Fir. If you know the difference you can poke around until you find a good quartered board.

 

[ErnieM]

Amy,

I've bought a lot of Sitka from Maurice Condon in White Plains, NY. They always have a large supply. I'd imagine their prices would be lower than tonewood dealers.

Ernie

 

[Ben325e]

Could I ask why spruce for the baffles? I know spruce is in instruments, I assume for it's resonant qualities, but in speakers you don't want the boxes/baffles to resonate at all - that's what the driver is for. Veneer over MDF would have my vote.