Using Aluminum for Segmenting

[beck3906]

About 3-4 years ago I was able to obtain a sierra size pre-turned body that had been segmented with aluminum shims. I found the body the other day and loked at it closely.

The surface felt rough apparently because the wood had shrunk leaving the edge of the aluminum slightly raised.

I see many people using aluminum for segmenting work and wondered what your long term experience has been. Would the body I have been the same if it had been fully finished?

 

[leehljp]

About 3-4 years ago I was able to obtain a sierra size pre-turned body that had been segmented with aluminum shims. I found the body the other day and loked at it closely.

The surface felt rough apparently because the wood had shrunk leaving the edge of the aluminum slightly raised.

I see many people using aluminum for segmenting work and wondered what your long term experience has been. Would the body I have been the same if it had been fully finished?

I think it would have been considerably less.

I am well familiar with wood handled hammers that become loose over a couple of years of not being used - simply because of humidity and temp changes. The expansion and contraction of unfinished wood is considerable on many woods. (Mesquite is one of the lest moving woods.) Also note that most wood expands and contracts more with humidity changes while metal expands and contracts more with temp changes.

Metal Segmented woods in blanks can do the same in uncontrolled environments.