Anatomical And Mechanical Characteristics Of Woods Used To Manufacture Bassoons Item Type Thesis Authors Levings, Carolyn K. Download date 24/09/2021 11:18:46 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/9169 ANATOMICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WOODS USED TO MANUFACTURE BASSOONS A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By Carolyn K. Levings B.F.A., B.S., M.S. Fairbanks, Alaska December 2012 UMI Number: 3538162 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3538162 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ANATOMICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WOODS USED TO MANUFACTURE BASSOONS By Carolyn K. Levings RECOMMENDED: G AcmsOTy Committee O l Chair, Department of Forest Sciences APPROVED: Dean,Sjenool of Natijyu Resources and Agricultural Sciences Dean of the Graduate School '7 - k 7^/3 Date iii Abstract The purpose of this dissertation was three-fold - 1) to determine if anatomical characteristics and mechanical characteristics derived from tapping (the act of striking an object lightly) can be used to more accurately describe bassoon resonant wood than the characters in use now, 2) to determine if any Alaska hardwoods can be used to construct bassoons, and 3) to produce lists of potential North American hardwoods and resonant bassoon wood characters. The bassoon resonant woods (Acer spp.,Dalbergia melanoxylon, and Pyrus spp.) were compared to a known non-resonant bassoon wood ( Juglans nigra). Vessel length and width, fiber length, and axial parenchyma width were measured in sectioned and macerated wood slides, along with the ratios of crystalline cellulose, lignin, pectin, and other aromatics in the cell wall. Partial frequencies created from tapping specimens on each longitudinal face were measured from melodic and peak partial spectrograms, as well as the spectrum obtained from the beginning of the sound. MANOVA and univariate ANOVA showed the resonant woods were significantly different from the non-resonant Juglans nigra using the characters measured. These characters were then used to compare two Alaska hardwoods (Alnus rubra and Betula neoalaskana) to the temperate resonant woods (Acer spp. andPyrus spp.) and the non-resonantJuglans nigra using k-means clustering, MANOVA, and univariate ANOVA. Both Alaska hardwoods grouped with the non­ resonant Juglans nigra. Lastly a list of potential North American hardwoods to be checked anatomically was compiled, as well as a list of characters that combine those used now as well as characters found in this study. Table of Contents Page Signature Page.......................................................................................................................................i Title Page............................................................................................................................................. ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................iv List of Figures.....................................................................................................................................vii List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................ix List of Appendices.............................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1 Overview - The Bassoon, Wood Anatomy, Vibration & Sound, and the Potential of Alaska Forests ...................................................................................................................................... 1 The Bassoon..................................................................................................................................... 1 Wood Anatomy................................................................................................................................ 5 Vibration and Sound ........................................................................................................................7 The Potential of Alaska Forests .......................................................................................................9 Literature Cited...............................................................................................................................14 Chapter 2 Methods for Polymer Quantification............................................................................ 17 Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 17 Methods...........................................................................................................................................19 Staining, bleaching, and confocal protocols........................................................................20 Using herbarium specimens (the effects of safranin on a CLSM image).......................... 22 Extracting data from images................................................................................................ 23 Results and Discussion...................................................................................................................23 Staining, bleaching, and confocal protocols........................................................................24 Using herbarium specimens (the effects of safranin on a CLSM image)......................... 28 V Extracting data from images............................................................................................... 29 Protocol 1 .......................................................................................................................................31 Protocol 2 .......................................................................................................................................31 Protocol 3 ....................................................................................................................................... 32 Literature Cited.............................................................................................................................. 47 Chapter 3 A Comparative Study Between Bassoon Resonance Woods and a Known Non­ Resonant Wood.............................................................................................................................. 50 Introduction....................................................................................................................................50 Materials and Methods...................................................................................................................53 Results............................................................................................................................................ 55 Section data........................................................................................................................... 56 Maceration data.....................................................................................................................56 Polarized data........................................................................................................................ 56 Confocal data........................................................................................................................ 57 Discussion......................................................................................................................................58 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................60 Literature Cited.............................................................................................................................. 69 Chapter 4 Tapping Wood to Determine Resonance Qualities for Bassoon Woods....................... 79 Introduction....................................................................................................................................79 Methods.......................................................................................................................................... 83 Results............................................................................................................................................ 85 Resonant vs. Non-resonant Woods .......................................................................................85 ‘Cross-grain’ Face.................................................................................................................86 Radial Face..........................................................................................................................