Curly Maple

Jim DeLaney

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Friend Robert called me a couple days ago. His planer was broken, and parts were on backorder so he needed to use mine to plane a dozen pieces of walnut for a Christmas project he's working on.

Anyway, he brought it over, and we ran it through my 15" planer - just took a few minutes, since it only took a couple passes per piece.

As 'payment', sorta, he brought me a really nice piece of rough cut maple. It was 1½" thick, 14" wide, and a bit over 10 feet in length, but had a slight twist pretty much right in the middle. To make it usable/planable, I cut it into two five footers, and ran it through the planer. Since it had been sawed with on a circular mill, it was pretty rough, and I lost not quite a quarter inch in smoothing it out, but it came out great! Take a look:
 

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That's some gorgeous wood, Jim. Based on what I've seen, I'd call it more of a curly maple instead of quilted maple, though. Whatever the name, it's sure to make something beautiful. :thumb: Sometime little favors pay back in big ways, huh? ;)
 
That's some gorgeous wood, Jim. Based on what I've seen, I'd call it more of a curly maple instead of quilted maple, though. Whatever the name, it's sure to make something beautiful. :thumb: Sometime little favors pay back in big ways, huh? ;)

Yeah, it is more of a curly (or 'tiger') maple than quilted. Sure is nice stuff, though!

I'll probably resaw some of it for boxes, etc.

I may even break down and try a small platter with some of it - just to keep you spinny guys happy. :rolleyes:
 
Looks like prime box materials to me. Especially since you can get a lot of feet of resawn wood. A platter would also be nice. How big of piece can your lathe swing?

While looking up those pictures, I also tried to figure out the difference between curly, tiger, and fiddleback maple. Anybody have a good reference source?
 
That is some real nice stuff :thumb:. Just love curlie maple. Just finished a box using it, will post some day, makes a good looking box, cant wail to see what you create with it
 
Looks like prime box materials to me. Especially since you can get a lot of feet of resawn wood. A platter would also be nice. How big of piece can your lathe swing?

While looking up those pictures, I also tried to figure out the difference between curly, tiger, and fiddleback maple. Anybody have a good reference source?

try hearn hardwoods vaughn,, they know wood pretty well, i think the terms kinda blend together.. but any way you look at it its purty
 
Man! you could make a lot of veneer out of that! I wanna plane some wood for that guy!;). Out here in Phoenix, figured maple is ridiculously expensive, even moreso that other exotics, it seems:dunno:. Very gloat-worthy!:thumb:
 
Looks like prime box materials to me. Especially since you can get a lot of feet of resawn wood. A platter would also be nice. How big of piece can your lathe swing?

While looking up those pictures, I also tried to figure out the difference between curly, tiger, and fiddleback maple. Anybody have a good reference source?

I get the impression that curly and tiger are pretty much one and the same - just different locales call them different names.

My lathe is a Jet mini, so the platter will be more like a large saucer. :eek:
 
Jim thats sure some fine looking Maple , I use a lot of this fine cutting stuff also. I use it in 1/4" material to make Christmas Oranments , it really cuts good on those fine scrolling projects ............. Marshall :type::wave:
 
That looks like the stock you put back in a corner for 10 or 12 years waiting for just the "right" project to come along. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

I know what you mean!

I've got pieces of walnut, cherry, bloodwood, goncalo alves, birdseye maple, macassar ebony, and a few others tucked away for those 'special' projects I hope to discover 'someday.' Some of this curly maple may join them for a while...
 
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