Wood Torrification?

[pwd72s]

Evidently used in guitar making to yield a better tone? Way I understand it, the wood is dried in a vacuum kiln, heat to near burning temps. Gives maple a nice golden brown color. This to take out all moisture and sugars, making "aged" wood so to speak.

Any of the guitar players here know of the process?

Reason I ask is that now cue shafts are being sold using wood that has gone through this process. Called "Keilwood". Some saying "The best shaft I've played with". I've seen many "ultimate" shafts come and go...laminated shafts in various laminations, shafts made from old bowling alley lanes, birds eye maple shafts, carbon fiber shafts, you name it. All claiming to be "low deflection". reducing the amount the cue ball path gets deflected when left or right english is applied.

I'm kind of reluctant to lay out $400 for a shaft...but the wood process sounds interesting.

[GH85Carrera]

If they put it in a vacuum for very long, all the moisture will be gone regardless of the heat. The kiln I guess is just to get the color that people find pleasing and looks aged.

I have never heard of it, but I do know old wood is sought after in many fields.

My brother worked as a carpenter on antebellum mansion in Alabama. It was built in the early 1800s and the many support beams were all mahogany, which is termite proof. Some of the beams in the attic had "seasoned" in the southern heat of an attic for nearly 200 years. He said cutting it with a standard saw blade was impossible, it would just dull the blade. They had to use a blade for cutting steel or concrete to cut them.

I saw a program recently where a company was going into old industrial areas and they were dismantling old warehouses and and manufacturing to get to the old original old growth center cut beams. They carefully removed all nails and then trimmed down the huge beams to make speaker cabinets for high end stereo speakers.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I haven't heard of this terminology before, but, my understanding of a similar process is that it not only dries the wood, it crystalizes any remaining sap within the wood to create a better tone. Think of new (sticky) sap as a dampening effect. (edit- Even though tone woods should be cut in certain seasons to reduce sap, it's still in there to a certain degree.) When I used to build guitars, some makers/players would speak of this. This is what happens to tone woods naturally as they age, and why an older instrument sounds better. As the sap dries out, hardens, and loosens in the wood, tonal properties improve.

For tonal properties, this could make sense. I don't know how it would benefit pool cues though.

another edit- perhaps the treated wood behaves differently when hitting the ball and gives a better feel or something. I mean,between a pool cue filled with sap, or aged wood, sure the aged wood might do better, although I am not at the playing level to appreciate the potential difference

[Crowbob]

Ancient wood found at the bottom of Lake Superior comes to my mind. Apparently, the
lack of light and oxygen, the cold and looooong-term pressure makes the wood into something not really like wood anymore. Very valuable.

[craigster59]

Here's a quick reference for torrefied wood used in guitar building....

https://www.pre-warguitars.com/torrefied-wood

I personally haven't played a guitar with torrefied wood but have played vintage acoustics and there is a big difference in the tone of an old vs. new Martin.

Maybe for pool cues it makes a stiffer and lighter shaft, or just a way to make your wallet a bit lighter. It sure adds cost to a "new" guitar.

[vash]

i once dated a girl named "Tory"...

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Ancient wood found at the bottom of Lake Superior comes to my mind. Apparently, the
lack of light and oxygen, the cold and looooong-term pressure makes the wood into something not really like wood anymore. Very valuable.

There are shafts made of this available. Also $pendy. Often called "lakewood" or "Timeless Timber" shafts.

Many thanks guys...especially to Craigster. A Martin fan posts on the Mustang board I go to. Going to pass this along to him.

The theory with cues is that lighter weight, especially near the tip, combined with a stiffer hit, results in less deflection.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by vash

i once dated a girl named "Tory"...

My best friend had a sister named Tory.

She was a psycho.

[rwest]

Originally Posted by vash

i once dated a girl named "Tory"...

what does that have to do with wood?

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by vash

i once dated a girl named "Tory"...

Really? Is this her?