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When stacking back/side/top sets for storage in the shop, how many sticks should be between each layer? Are they running longitudinally (long dimension) or laterally (short dimension) with respect to the back/side/tops? How thick should the sticks be? Of what type wood should the sticks be made? Any species to avoid?

Thank you all for your help.

Eric

Eric,

Run them laterally, and use maple or holly or some other wood that will not stain soundboards, etc. You only need enough room for air to get around the boards, so 1/4 inch is plenty.

Use something cheap. 3 should be enough between boards.

Best wishes,
Joshua

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I like Mario's melamine strips solution (y'know, chipboard with plastic covering), although half my stickers are pine. They're mostly abut 1/2" thick, but that's how things turned out. If the boards are very 'green', or coming from vastly different climes, I put about 4 per back, about 5-6 for a side.

I've heard about maple staining even other maple, so I avoid that. True or false?

Eric,
I use MDF board. Cut it into strips (1/4"). If your humidity is real high MDF can collect mould spores so something more synthetic may be better. 3 sticks for the backs and four for the sides will do. It doesn't hurt to put a small fan on it either.

   I use anything to sticker if the wood is in the rough. I also will bind the stack to help hold it . Don't dry it too fast. A coat of wax on the ends helps to avoid checking.
   After a month or so you can get air on it. A small fan or somewhere where there is air movement. IT takes some time to dry wood well and through.
    

I use 3/4" stickers, 3 for backs, 4 for sides. I'd recommend maple stickers as they won't stain anything

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I've been using 3/4" MDF, but I am thinking about ripping them down to 1/4" just to save a little space.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

If you are drying green wood put the stickers as close to the ends as possible to prevent or minimize end spliting. If stickering dry wood I use spruce mostly at 1/8" thickness x 1/4" wide. Another trick for dry wood is to cut the stickers about an inch longer than the width of the wood. Then use heavy rubber bands to hold the stack together.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I've been using leftover plastic slats from those inexpensive plantation-style window blinds. Rip a stack on the bandsaw and then cut to length. They're a bit thin, maybe 3/16in., but work well for my limited needs. I have a bunch of short strips in a box by my bench and they come in really handy for spacers, mixing palette for epoxy, etc.

Brendan