# Maple burl quilt



## Mike1950 (May 13, 2022)

Quilt is bubbly. Or there is rolling quilt both 3D.
This is fresh cut. Pic 1 is 17+- wide. Pic 2 sorta rolling quilt. 6+ wide

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 10 | Way Cool 4


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 13, 2022)

Selling? Of course you will!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (May 13, 2022)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Selling? Of course you will!


Going in kiln tomorrow. but short answer is yeppers

Reactions: Like 1


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## DLJeffs (May 14, 2022)

Imagine the extraordinary guitars that could be made from that! I want some.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## Tony (May 14, 2022)

@Arn213

Reactions: Thank You! 2


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## Arn213 (May 15, 2022)

Yo Tony, Tony, Tony! Mike, finally an actual huge big quilted slab from you instead of your maple burls!  That one is spectacular! The 6+” last photo is stupendous! I wish that was at least 6-1/2” plus! Maybe you can find me a portion closing in at that dimension?

Better put some   away now or sell a body part or organ………..let me see what I have 2 off that I can live without….

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## Mike1950 (May 15, 2022)

Arn213 said:


> Yo Tony, Tony, Tony! Mike, finally an actual huge big quilted slab from you instead of your maple burls!  That one is spectacular! The 6+” last photo is stupendous! I wish that was at least 6-1/2” plus! Maybe you can find me a portion closing in at that dimension?
> 
> Better put some   away now or sell a body part or organ………..let me see what I have 2 off that I can live without….


Went to mill today.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 7 | Way Cool 2


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## rob3232 (May 15, 2022)

@Mike1950 Amazing pieces!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## cigainerojd (May 15, 2022)

Pretty

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## Tom Smart (May 15, 2022)

Mike does figure like that typically go fully through the log or just a few inches down?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (May 15, 2022)

Tom Smart said:


> Mike does figure like that typically go fully through the log or just a few inches down?


I assume you are asking about the quilt - you are lucky if it goes 2-3" deep. The curl/ burl-Norway maple-locally sourced , was about 4x5' only the center-stem of tree was not figured maybe 15%. I will picture some more tomorrow. 7AM-1PM sawing wears me out.. Always fun though. Mill guy is my boys age and a very fine young man.

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## Mike1950 (May 15, 2022)

His wife did this for my daughter. Honey locust. Guest book for their wedding. Everyone is supposed to sign. Wood burning.

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## Mike1950 (May 15, 2022)

A few more

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## Mike Hill (May 16, 2022)

Mike1950 said:


> Going in kiln tomorrow. but short answer is yeppers


Then is this the place to call for reservations?

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (May 16, 2022)

Mike Hill said:


> Then is this the place to call for reservations?


you all are colluding to get the ol guy in trouble. but I will be unloading trailer tomorrow. if someone has a certain size let me know I will set aside. These are going to be stickered and put directly in kiln. The Norway Maple and the pieces of dark quilt I cut yesterday were well on way to being dry. The big spalted maple was so wet - like carrying a wet dog....


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 16, 2022)

@Mike1950 
What are the dimensions on the piece in the very first pic you posted?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (May 16, 2022)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> @Mike1950
> What are the dimensions on the piece in the very first pic you posted?


have to guess it is stickered in pile- now it is about 50"x16"x 2"+
bad thing about quilt is the white dried guitar sized billets bring stupid prices. this means I pay stupid price.
I used to get wood from a retired Boise Cascade guy. when he got quilt logs he would call a group and they would show up to watch him cut and bid on each board. They were always offering to trade him pot. His answer, Only Green stuff I want has presidents on it...

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Arn213 (May 16, 2022)

Mike1950 said:


> bad thing about quilt is the white dried guitar sized billets bring stupid prices. this means I pay stupid price.


The whole “snow white” pricing I just don’t quite understand when it comes to electric guitars and the exception are acoustics. Acoustic builders for the most part if they use quilt, it stays natural or there is a tint or a toner used to match whatever color tonality with the other woods- so it doesn’t look sterile or has too much contrast. For electric guitar tops- you can count with your fingers how many stays natural. Basically what I am saying is that color stains are used predominantly for electric guitar tops and usually they will be medium to dark concentrated hue with cool colors and warm colors (plus additional colors use as a combination). They typically use darker color stains (double, triple or multiple stains) on quilt that is off white or has ranges of orange heartwood. The all white sapwood being a premium will not make a blue stained guitar or a green color guitar have more detail clarity, because in reality what controls the quality of quilt pattern is the intensity and depth of the figuring. This is not a “diamond” where it counts. It is always stained in some degree or form.

So I never buy into that “marketing spiel” of “whiter” sapwood being a premium, unless I am building an acoustic with back and sides or an archtop jazz box or a semi-hollow that I will leave “au natural” or tint it- even at that, you can also count with your fingers how many of those type of instrument uses quilt. There are several factors why that is. Quilt really excels in one platform and those are on electric guitar flat tops or carved tops. I really prefer it if it has more of a natural yellow tint, because it helps enhance the color naturally already if you do an earth tone or a yellow center or just using a warm color scheme on a guitar. IMHE.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 16, 2022)

Not a luthier, but I really don't see many natural top guitars out here in blue collar town either.

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## Mike1950 (May 16, 2022)

Arn213 said:


> The whole “snow white” pricing I just don’t quite understand when it comes to electric guitars and the exception are acoustics. Acoustic builders for the most part if they use quilt, it stays natural or there is a tint or a toner used to match whatever color tonality with the other woods- so it doesn’t look sterile or has too much contrast. For electric guitar tops- you can count with your fingers how many stays natural. Basically what I am saying is that color stains are used predominantly for electric guitar tops and usually they will be medium to dark concentrated hue with cool colors and warm colors (plus additional colors use as a combination). They typically use darker color stains (double, triple or multiple stains) on quilt that is off white or has ranges of orange heartwood. The all white sapwood being a premium will not make a blue stained guitar or a green color guitar have more detail clarity, because in reality what controls the quality of quilt pattern is the intensity and depth of the figuring. This is not a “diamond” where it counts. It is always stained in some degree or form.
> 
> So I never buy into that “marketing spiel” of “whiter” sapwood being a premium, unless I am building an acoustic with back and sides or an archtop jazz box or a semi-hollow that I will leave “au natural” or tint it- even at that, you can also count with your fingers how many of those type of instrument uses quilt. There are several factors why that is. Quilt really excels in one platform and those are on electric guitar flat tops or carved tops. I really prefer it if it has more of a natural yellow tint, because it helps enhance the color naturally already if you do an earth tone or a yellow center or just using a warm color scheme on a guitar. IMHE.


I personally prefer the natural colored but, the market dictates. A colored set costs half or less than a white set. Easy to decide what to shoot for.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DLJeffs (May 16, 2022)

"when he got quilt logs he would call a group and they would show up to watch him cut and bid on each board."

Sounds like the blue fin tuna markets in Japan.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (May 16, 2022)

DLJeffs said:


> "when he got quilt logs he would call a group and they would show up to watch him cut and bid on each board."
> 
> Sounds like the blue fin tuna markets in Japan.


it almost is. Bill had in to get good logs. he would call them and bidders would show up. primo 20x 14 x 1.125 white quilt wholesales to gibson/fender for $500 and that was a few years ago. but it was perfect....

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (May 17, 2022)

Another pic from mill. Will have a bunch more today. Unloading truck.

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## DLJeffs (May 17, 2022)

Wow! That piece with the red grain in the center would make an incredible live-edge table top.

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## Mike1950 (May 17, 2022)

DLJeffs said:


> Wow! That piece with the red grain in the center would make an incredible live-edge table top.


I used to market and sell tabletops but- I wish it was 2 " longer, wider not so thick -thinner. do you have one 2 shades lighter- I think that is too light in color. Can I take it home and think about it for a few days- this is after 2-3 hours going through piles. I need to look at 2nd from bottom-Nope that will not work.... it was endless. frustrating Time suck. now "Do you sell Table sl" NO

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 4


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## Mike Hill (May 17, 2022)

Mike, I can only imagine the frustration. I was in a "reclaimed" lumber store recently. I deduced in just a few minutes, "reclaimed" lumber store means they have figured out how to market and sell really ugly/bad lumber to young urban folks for fantastically inflated prices. I guess it is a fad. I went one day a couple of months ago because they supposedly had some thin resawn barn siding that might work for a project my wife wanted. It was way too high so left, but not before I noticed a young couple discussing their future table with who I supposed was the owner. I left, but 3 hours went back to see if they had any chestnut (they did not) and that couple was still there trying to decide between a $800 half rotten piece of maple or a badly cracked, wonky and partially missing oak slab. Both would require a good bit of resin and other work to be made into a table. I wonder if they knew the "extra $$$ expenditure they were in for. After seeing how hard the owner had to work, I did not have the heart to get the couple off the side and tell them they could go down the street about 20 miles and get some very nice slabs for less than half the money.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Mike1950 (May 17, 2022)

More pics

Reactions: EyeCandy! 6


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## Mike1950 (May 17, 2022)

1 More

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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 17, 2022)

Wouldn't that make a good table?

Reactions: Funny 5


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## Mike1950 (May 17, 2022)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> Wouldn't that make a good table?


Grrrrr

Reactions: Funny 4


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