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aspen wood for cranks?

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Has anyone ever tried Aspen for building cranks?I have been using the cedar from lowes but the last time I was in there I noticed the aspen which comes in 1/2'' thick strips and I really liked the feel of the wood but dont know anything about it.I dont know if its considered a hardwood or a softwood but I would love to know if anyone has tried it and how it worked.I have also considered changing to poplar.I like the way the cedar works but the smallest thickness it comes in is 1'' and I am wanting to build some 1/2'' flatsides,and both poplar and aspen comes in 1/2'' strips.

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I am not sure if it is or not but I can tell you that the strips they have that come in 1''x2''x6or8' sections really carve and paint well.The way it sands I would think that its not kiln dried but really not sure.I always use kilz sealer/primer on it before painting and have not had any trouble at all.

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I have worked with Aspen. It carves and sands well with little or no grain to contend with. I have not had any finishing problems with paint or clear coat.

You do need to treat it like a hardwood. Buoyancy is completly different from cedar. If you use a model or design that works well with cedar and attach your hardware with no additional weighting, you may end up with a sinking bait.

It is a nice wood to work with but has different charachteristics.

Spinner

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There is nothing wrong with using wood that isn't kiln dried as a matter of fact some kiln dried woods may have cell structure problems due to not being properly dried. is too fast or not enough moisture being introduced during the drying process.

the most important thing to look for is what most people don't look for. Moisture content! kiln dried wood can have a higher moisture content than air dried especially woods destined for the construction industry which is what most WRC that we use is. the best thing to do is keep you project wood in a dry location. wood is like a sponge it will readily take on or give off moisture and equalize itself to the surrounding climate. So buy your wood early and get the wood with the straightest grain available and let it sit for a few weeks if it's too wet.

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Aspen beavers like it but I don't think many bait makers do. It is a light wood sp gravity about .4 It is brittle, works fairly well but with more fuzz than most, does not hold screws as well as most, glues fairly well but does not hold paint as well as most. My favorite for most applications is Atlantic White Cedar. Eastern White Cedar would be second choice.

Phil

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