Advice regarding suitable wood for a clock

[Fergie 307]

Looking for some help, maybe from the guitar makers here. I am repairing a 1920's Black Forest musical clock. Essentially a normal clock but with the addition of a drum and comb type musical box in the base which plays a tune on the hour. The case is metal but has a 3mm thick wooden panel closing off the bottom of the base underneath the music box. Not sure if this is intended just the keep dust out of the mechanism, or if it also helps amplify the sound. The picture is of the base the four holes house long rods that bolt the case together, and hold two roughly half inch square sections of pine, one on either side. The rods extend beyond these sections so the board sits on top of the four rod ends, clear of the wood battens, and is held in place by long woodscrews which cross this gap and screw into the battens. It is this stand off mounting that leads me to wonder if the board is supposed to act as a sound board.
So question is what type of wood to use, and where can I get it ?

 

[profchris]

I think I get it from your description, but just to check - the only connection between the comb mechanism and the board is metal posts and woodscrews?

If so, it's not a soundboard, which takes vibration and turns it into sound.

Instead, I think it works like a banjo resonator - sound waves bounce off it and into the room, as opposed to hitting the floor (or for banjo, the player's belly) thus making it louder where the listener is.

So I'd say you could use pretty much any wood you like. However, if any vibration does get through, spruce makes the most of it. Spruce would also fit the Black Forest aesthetic.

Model making supplies sell 3mm boards which might be the easiest source. Eg https://www.hobbies.co.uk/spruce-wood-panels

 

[Fergie 307]

Thanks, that sounds about right, no pun intended ! I will give them a try.