Aspen ((link)) Crack Better -

Luthier Sarah Jenkins of Aspen Tonewoods LLC says: “I can tap-tune an aspen top and get a clear, bell-like fundamental with rich overtones. And when I need to carve it thin, it doesn’t splinter or run away on me. Aspen cracks better than spruce for controlled thicknessing.”

In other words: aspen is eager to crack. It just needs a little help. Here is the single most important sentence in this article: aspen crack better

If you’ve ever struggled with a stubborn log that twists your maul handle and leaves you sweating for twenty minutes, it’s time to reconsider aspen. This article will explain the physics, the timing, and the step-by-step technique to make aspen crack better than you ever imagined. First, let’s address the elephant in the woodpile. Aspen is a soft hardwood. On the Janka hardness scale, aspen ranks around 420 lbf, while white oak is 1,350 lbf. That means aspen is soft, light, and dries quickly. Critics say it burns fast, leaves little coal bed, and rots easily. Luthier Sarah Jenkins of Aspen Tonewoods LLC says:

If you try to split green aspen in July, you will hate it. The fibers are wet, flexible, and clingy. Your axe will sink in and stick. The wood will bend, not break. You’ll curse the name “aspen” and go back to buying kiln-dried oak. It just needs a little help