One uke in the next set is to be built out of a wood Casuarina equisetifolia which I ‘harvested’ in Florida, known locally as Casuarina or Australian Pine. Casuarina has been planted all over Florida, and is considered an invasive plant species. It is very hard and dense but has a reputation for twisting and cracking as it dries, so there is no commercial lumber market. (It apparently makes great charcoal and is one of the worlds best firewoods.) I cut up a tree that had been taken down as part of an area restoration to native plants. The tree was growing with its roots in the salt water (Casuarina is very tolerant of a wide variety of conditions). The wood I harvested is very hard and very dense. Harder and denser than any of the rosewoods I have used. It feels very much like an ebony. This may have been because it grew slowly with its feet in the salt water, or the wood may all be like this, that I’ll find out in the future.
Any way, my first attempt at bending sides from this wood was an abject failure. The sides cracked in a whole bunch of places:
Rats! Time for plan ‘B’. I have some veneer softener which is designed to soften curly, warped veneer like burls so that one can flatten the veneer before one tries to glue the veneer down. I took another set of Casuarina sides, soaked them in veneer softener, wrapped them up in aluminum foil and let them rest for an hour or so. I then cranked up the bender extra hot, and bent slowly. Thank goodness, things came out perfect, not a crack. Guess I can work with this wood after all. The hardness and density should yield an outstanding uke.
I’m going to be using it for fingerboards too. Will make fabulous fingerboards. Hard, dense, lovely rich streaky brown color, and it is an invasive species in Florida, not a wood out of some tropical jungle.