Curly/Flame/Tiger Maple

[Kent Adams]

Can anyone tell me what to look out for when buying this wood at The Hardwood Store? I'm going Saturday to pick up some 8/4 for some small night stands. I've never purchased this wood before. I'd like to bring a small hand plane to check the grain, but not sure they will let me do that. I'll give them a ring about it tomorrow before I go. But, is there anything I need to make sure I don't buy when it comes to this wood? I've read that you want sap wood. The grain differences I see online vary quite a bit.

 

[CDPeters]

I don't know of any "pitfalls" when buying maple - in my experience, it is pretty consistent - even figured. I've never bought from The Hardwood Store, but most suppliers skip-plane the faces. A little rub with mineral spirits will give you an indication of finished appearance without leaving permanent staining. I would say just shop based on appearance for the project you are working on.

 

[Kent Adams]

Good tip on the mineral spirits! They might just allow that. What I'm seeing online for curly maple seems to vary quite a bit. Here's the look I'm searching for:

 

[Mike Davis]

Probably wont find that around here. Some of the specialty wood stores carry that highly flamed stuff. Get ready to empty your checkbook.

and put Byrd heads on your jointer and planer.

 

[Jeff]

Maybe it's me but too much of a good thing looks overly busy and distracting to my eye.


http://www.irionlumber.com/index.php?page=products---maple

 

[Kent Adams]

Probably wont find that around here. Some of the specialty wood stores carry that highly flamed stuff. Get ready to empty your checkbook.

and put Byrd heads on your jointer and planer.

That's what I'm afraid of Mike. I had planned on using my bandsaw to resaw it and hand planes and drum sander to mill to thickness. Do you see any issues with that?

 

[Mike Davis]

Look at the link Jeff posted, best price I have seen on highly figured flame maple.. You can get it already 4/4 there for less of your labor.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

If the wood has not been skip planed, look at the side, the stripes should be visible on the side and you can get a perspective of how much figure is present.

If if it is not available at The Hardwood Store, it is a bit of a drive but Chris at Somerton Ridge Hardwoods (Suffolk VA) carries awesome material at a good price.

 

[Kent Adams]

Maybe it's me but too much of a good thing looks overly busy and distracting to my eye.


http://www.irionlumber.com/index.php?page=products---maple

Jeff, have you ordered from there before? I'm concerned they don't show any pictures of the boards.

*Edit found the pictures under matched set. Thanks

*Edit 2: minimum amount of order to ship is $150bf.

 

[Kent Adams]

If the wood has not been skip planed, look at the side, the stripes should be visible on the side and you can get a perspective of how much figure is present.

If if it is not available at The Hardwood Store, it is a bit of a drive but Chris at Somerton Ridge Hardwoods (Suffolk VA) carries awesome material at a good price.

Thanks. I emailed him and awaiting on a reply.

 

[mquan01]

My neighbor always gets highly figured maple from Conover Lumber

 

[Kent Adams]

Look at the link Jeff posted, best price I have seen on highly figured flame maple.. You can get it already 4/4 there for less of your labor.

Mike, I took a look at some of the pictures of the SET 23716 It's 50 bd ft. and has some cathedral grain in the boards they show, which I'm paranoid were the best boards in that lot.

The dresser is 28" width, 38" wide and 18" deep. How would I figure how much board feet I need? Thanks for your help.

 

[srhardwoods]

I have a couple thousand feet of it. I also have a bundle of about 500bf that I'm selling for $2.50bf for the entire bundle only. I have individual boards with higher figure for $4.70bf. I've always let the customers pick through the stack to get the boards they want. Doing this, will always leave a pile of lumber that I sell at cost to move out of inventory. That's what the bundle package is. Still a great deal, cheaper than a white maple. It's all been surfaced 2 sides to 15/16" so you can see figure and grain. It's an Appalachian maple, white face

When I work with it, I plane to and leave it a little proud of final thickness and then finish it off on the wide belt. This will help take out any tear out from the grain.

 

[Jeff]

Kent,

A quick calculation based on your measurements: 38" l x 28" h x 18" d @ 4/4.

Back of the envelope, you'll need about 20 bf/chest + 25% waste = 25 bf.

​

Chris's offer looks pretty good and reasonably local.

 

[KenOfCary]

If you hand plane curly maple you will want a high angle frog or a bevel up plane with a high angle of attack. It will be harder to plane (more effort) but will give you less tear-out. What causes the ripple or tiger effect is the fact the wood is less and more dense in the areas showing as stripes. This causes the plane, or power tool for that matter, to dig into the less dense wood if you're not careful. That is why figured wood is harder to work, but you probably already knew that.

 

[Kent Adams]

Thanks Jeff. I was guessing 30-35bf including waste, so you're measurement is reassuring.

 

[Kent Adams]

If you hand plane curly maple you will want a high angle frog or a bevel up plane with a high angle of attack. It will be harder to plane (more effort) but will give you less tear-out. What causes the ripple or tiger effect is the fact the wood is less and more dense in the areas showing as stripes. This causes the plane, or power tool for that matter, to dig into the less dense wood if you're not careful. That is why figured wood is harder to work, but you probably already knew that.

Thanks Ken. I knew I'd need a bevel up and high angle frog, but the rest I didn't know.

 

[Kent Adams]

I have a couple thousand feet of it. I also have a bundle of about 500bf that I'm selling for $2.50bf for the entire bundle only. I have individual boards with higher figure for $4.70bf. I've always let the customers pick through the stack to get the boards they want. Doing this, will always leave a pile of lumber that I sell at cost to move out of inventory. That's what the bundle package is. Still a great deal, cheaper than a white maple. It's all been surfaced 2 sides to 15/16" so you can see figure and grain. It's an Appalachian maple, white face

When I work with it, I plane to and leave it a little proud of final thickness and then finish it off on the wide belt. This will help take out any tear out from the grain.

Great price Chris. Now I'll just need to plan the trip.

 

[pviser]

I buy my curly maple from www.curlymaple.com and I have been very pleased with the rich figure. Regarding the milling of this wood, abrasive planing with a drum sander is a way to ensure that you get zero tearout.

 

[Kent Adams]

I buy my curly maple from www.curlymaple.com and I have been very pleased with the rich figure. Regarding the milling of this wood, abrasive planing with a drum sander is a way to ensure that you get zero tearout.

Thanks Paul. I have a drum sander and that's really reassuring that I could use it to dimension this type of wood.

I've been looking at this site. The pictures have a little weird color, they explain it, but I wasn't sure if I should trust it. I was looking at this stock last night and the way the pictures are taken, it appears the boards are cupping on the left? Do you think that's just an optical illusion? http://www.curlymaple.com/product_p/m41310.htm