Curly maple

Flacer22

Member
Full Member
Messages
673
Reaction score
1,083
Location
Knox Co. Ohio
First name
Andy
1300 for a 30in log is low even for basic saw log standards. My vanner buyer will buy figured logs from 3-15$ a board foot and yours appears to have good figure. I also have a lutiher who buys good figured logs and basically sky is limit to what they will pay on deep figured good logs. But like mentioned for most aspects quarter sawing the log is best best as that is what both the guitar guys and gun stock markets demand. However flat sawn has its it's markets too. Also I'd definitely lean more towards 8/4 and 12/4 than 4/4. Good luck on these logs definitely some nice ones
 

Clinton Johnson

Member
Full Member
Messages
55
Reaction score
74
Location
Port Townsend
First name
Clinton
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #22
Thanks that’s all spot on! Can you connect me with a buyer? I’m planning on cutting at 2 1/2” from here out. I hv more than I can store inside my kiln but the barn will hold plenty so I’m going to cut the whole pile and sell it wholesale as I learn Mybe I will find my place in the world of wood!??:) I do appreciate any knowledge and tips along the way too. So thanks again sir!
 

Flacer22

Member
Full Member
Messages
673
Reaction score
1,083
Location
Knox Co. Ohio
First name
Andy
I'm not aware of anyone near you to buy them. You might check with Clearwater vaneer in Michigan they tend to travel a ways.

Thanks that’s all spot on! Can you connect me with a buyer? I’m planning on cutting at 2 1/2” from here out. I hv more than I can store inside my kiln but the barn will hold plenty so I’m going to cut the whole pile and sell it wholesale as I learn Mybe I will find my place in the world of wood!??:) I do appreciate any knowledge and tips along the way too. So thanks again sir!
 

Mike1950

Founding Member
Founding Member
Full Member
Messages
26,949
Reaction score
38,242
Location
Eastern Washington
First name
Mike
Do NOT cut quilt QS this is the wrong info. And most big leaf curl is also flat sawn. It is not acoustic guitar wood it is electric guitar wood. I probably have 1000 bookmatched 1/4 blanks. None are flatsawn. There is NO qs big leaf quilt. Zero. None. Very seldom does it go very far from surface. And if cut as it is large rolling curl. I can demonstrate with pics if needed.
 

Allen Tomaszek

Member
Full Member
Messages
785
Reaction score
2,215
Location
Milwaukee, WI
First name
Allen
Sounds like you run across these regularly. If it were me I’d take the $1,300 for the one log. Then I’d saw my other logs.
 

Flacer22

Member
Full Member
Messages
673
Reaction score
1,083
Location
Knox Co. Ohio
First name
Andy
Do NOT cut quilt QS this is the wrong info. And most big leaf curl is also flat sawn. It is not acoustic guitar wood it is electric guitar wood. I probably have 1000 bookmatched 1/4 blanks. None are flatsawn. There is NO qs big leaf quilt. Zero. None. Very seldom does it go very far from surface. And if cut as it is large rolling curl. I can demonstrate with pics if needed.

id agree on not cutting quilted quarter sawn but his posts asking about curly not quilted. And majority of high end gun stock blanks are quarterd even some quilted is quartered.
Check out Cicel Frdeis how to on cutting big leafs for gun stock blanks and there definitely quartered.

https://www.gunstockblanks.com/gallery.html
 

Clinton Johnson

Member
Full Member
Messages
55
Reaction score
74
Location
Port Townsend
First name
Clinton
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #27
I was pretty lucky to find it. They have been hunted down and harvested enough that the market is good but not flooded. I took a ten foot section to edensaw lumber today and the owner didn’t scof at 2k. He sells shop tools soooo we’re gonna be great friends, if I can find more! I did learn how to debark a log though and luckily I hv some young men around here that need to be busy. I’m also not ok with exporting something that good to Korea to be veneered and then sold back to the USA. We can make our own stuff here. I’m gonna set a example ,and at my age I’m starting to notice that is worth way more than 1300$...
 

Clinton Johnson

Member
Full Member
Messages
55
Reaction score
74
Location
Port Townsend
First name
Clinton
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #28
I do hv more logs that have some figure in them just not clear through like that sweetheart. The guys here that cut blocks for music wood stopped bye and told me that it was worth ten times that in blocks. Sooo I had to cut into it...not knowing what was inside was causing me to loose sleep! I learned a ton and I spent days stacking sealing and finding the equipment necessary to process my wood. I’m learning though so I do appreciate the advice as it’s what a normal person would do..1300$ is a good chunk. I did learn how to present a log to a potential buyer though...cleaned up they’re easy to read! 1255CEF6-273B-4908-8F5E-59F04E72E317.jpeg 6D593CA5-D3BF-4612-A6F0-1616FA02D2FB.jpeg
 

Mike1950

Founding Member
Founding Member
Full Member
Messages
26,949
Reaction score
38,242
Location
Eastern Washington
First name
Mike
id agree on not cutting quilted quarter sawn but his posts asking about curly not quilted. And majority of high end gun stock blanks are quarterd even some quilted is quartered.
Check out Cicel Frdeis how to on cutting big leafs for gun stock blanks and there definitely quartered.

https://www.gunstockblanks.com/gallery.html
Not disagreeing with that. Nor that as is better wood to work with. Most big leaf figure is shallow in log. Guitar blanks are worth more easier to find buyer than gun stocks. At least for me. But both are pickiest on planet. And it is one helluva lot easier to use a guitar blank than a gun stock for other uses.
 

Clinton Johnson

Member
Full Member
Messages
55
Reaction score
74
Location
Port Townsend
First name
Clinton
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #30
I agree with you on the figure being not very deep. I hv been searching for more figured wood in my pile but 3-4” is all I can find then it’s gone or I find bugs !!! Or nails grrrr
 

Otterhound

WB Enthusiast
Banned
Messages
183
Reaction score
353
Location
Manheim , Pa
First name
Richard
Was unaware of that aspect of Big leaf . Most of the maple around here has figure down to the pith . One thing that I have noticed is that in the maple around here , there seems to always be a touch of figure , in the least , in every log that I have seen . Some simply have more than others . Combine that with visible medullary rays and it can be striking . I have some Silver Maple here that has the tightest curl in it as compared to the open , rolling curl in the Red Maple . If you know what you are looking for , figuring can be spotted rather easily through the bark . Even bird's eye will show itself to the trained eye through the bark .
 

Clinton Johnson

Member
Full Member
Messages
55
Reaction score
74
Location
Port Townsend
First name
Clinton
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #32
I found a tree on the top of my property line on our after dinner walk last night and it has a huge Burl w Birdseye all over it! I’m gonna hv some epic slabs if that tree is on my side! Time to get the survey crew out here...the way it’s growing around the huge granite boulder I’m gonna have to dig up them both!make a table w both somehow....:) 451B4FF7-97D5-4EE9-BDA0-8C78C5B234B2.jpeg F2A99FE9-AFF7-49A1-ABA4-AEFF791A2868.jpeg 2EEE4768-1814-4282-B035-89637C775C2B.jpeg
 

Otterhound

WB Enthusiast
Banned
Messages
183
Reaction score
353
Location
Manheim , Pa
First name
Richard
Interesting . I believed this and it is generally accepted as accurate that Bird's Eye is only found in hard Maple and in the East . Burl and Bird's Eye are two very different things .
 

Mr. Peet

Member
Full Member
Messages
7,174
Reaction score
7,771
Location
northeastern PA
First name
Mark
Interesting . I believed this and it is generally accepted as accurate that Bird's Eye is only found in hard Maple and in the East . Burl and Bird's Eye are two very different things .

Not sure I understand your post. East as in east coast I assume... Yes, burl and bird's eye are two different things. On very rare occasional, both found together. I last saw such with box-elder. In the juvenile bark stage, you can sometimes see certain figures. Less likely with older bark development.

Bird's eye is found in many species, across several genera, but only really marketed in "hard maple". It is common in silver maple, but most often at densities to low (eyes per board foot) to draw value, and high enough to be considered a defect, dropping grade.

As for figure depth, I can not agree here either, based on experience. While working the northeast with the Forest Service, I had the pleasure to visit many mills and see a good bit. Those experiences along with milling timber on several sites in eastern PA and central NY, have found that figure becomes more common in larger diameter maples, 32"-48" DBH. Often, the figure disappears the closer to pith you get. I have had blister go to curl, then curl disappear to common grain. I've seen trees have figure on one side of the tree, or just in the lower bole. I've had to pith only a few times, most often in Silver maple and then Red maple. I have not had enough detail to say if "super sugars" or black maple variety run any higher percentages of figure compared to common sugar maple. I have only seen quilted sugar maple logs on two occasions. I did not get to see them milled.
 

Mike1950

Founding Member
Founding Member
Full Member
Messages
26,949
Reaction score
38,242
Location
Eastern Washington
First name
Mike
Not sure I understand your post. East as in east coast I assume... Yes, burl and bird's eye are two different things. On very rare occasional, both found together. I last saw such with box-elder. In the juvenile bark stage, you can sometimes see certain figures. Less likely with older bark development.

Bird's eye is found in many species, across several genera, but only really marketed in "hard maple". It is common in silver maple, but most often at densities to low (eyes per board foot) to draw value, and high enough to be considered a defect, dropping grade.

As for figure depth, I can not agree here either, based on experience. While working the northeast with the Forest Service, I had the pleasure to visit many mills and see a good bit. Those experiences along with milling timber on several sites in eastern PA and central NY, have found that figure becomes more common in larger diameter maples, 32"-48" DBH. Often, the figure disappears the closer to pith you get. I have had blister go to curl, then curl disappear to common grain. I've seen trees have figure on one side of the tree, or just in the lower bole. I've had to pith only a few times, most often in Silver maple and then Red maple. I have not had enough detail to say if "super sugars" or black maple variety run any higher percentages of figure compared to common sugar maple. I have only seen quilted sugar maple logs on two occasions. I did not get to see them milled.

Not much experience with eastern forests. But 90% of quilt comes from first 2" flatsawn on Big leaf maple logs. will even get more specific If you look for quilt- look in Washington. Now maple burl... Big leaf again- 80+ % of maple burl is Big leaf and most comes from oregon. and the burl is almost always what protrudes from trunk. very little inside tree diameter. There are exceptions..... and birdseye in big leaf is a misnomer- just tight eyed burl
 
Last edited:

FranklinWorkshops

Member
Full Member
Messages
4,376
Reaction score
6,810
Location
Landenberg, PA, USA
First name
Larry
Not sure I understand your post. East as in east coast I assume... Yes, burl and bird's eye are two different things. On very rare occasional, both found together. I last saw such with box-elder. In the juvenile bark stage, you can sometimes see certain figures. Less likely with older bark development.

Bird's eye is found in many species, across several genera, but only really marketed in "hard maple". It is common in silver maple, but most often at densities to low (eyes per board foot) to draw value, and high enough to be considered a defect, dropping grade.

As for figure depth, I can not agree here either, based on experience. While working the northeast with the Forest Service, I had the pleasure to visit many mills and see a good bit. Those experiences along with milling timber on several sites in eastern PA and central NY, have found that figure becomes more common in larger diameter maples, 32"-48" DBH. Often, the figure disappears the closer to pith you get. I have had blister go to curl, then curl disappear to common grain. I've seen trees have figure on one side of the tree, or just in the lower bole. I've had to pith only a few times, most often in Silver maple and then Red maple. I have not had enough detail to say if "super sugars" or black maple variety run any higher percentages of figure compared to common sugar maple. I have only seen quilted sugar maple logs on two occasions. I did not get to see them milled.
Agree. I rarely see curl go to the pith. Usually, the outside 3-6 inches will be great and then it fades slowly to straight grain. Would love to see a 48" DBH. That's an old tree.
 

Mr. Peet

Member
Full Member
Messages
7,174
Reaction score
7,771
Location
northeastern PA
First name
Mark
Agree. I rarely see curl go to the pith. Usually, the outside 3-6 inches will be great and then it fades slowly to straight grain. Would love to see a 48" DBH. That's an old tree.

They are now pretty rare in our woods. After a century of high grading, few survived. Street trees were the last stronghold until salt and calcium came along with other chemicals and replaced tire chains, sawdust, sand and cinders.

That was 20 years ago, I know of a few 40" inchers now days, but not many.
 
Top