Figured maple wooden is a uncommon and extremely prized materials on the planet of {custom} furnishings, recognized for its intricate grain patterns and pure magnificence. From spalted and birdseye to curly and quilted maple, every variation affords a one-of-a-kind look that may elevate any handcrafted piece. On this information, we’ll discover the preferred sorts of figured maple wooden, what causes their distinctive appearances, and the way to buy genuine, high-quality figured maple furnishings.
A number of the commonest sorts of figuring present in pure maple wooden are spalting, birdseye patterns, curling, ambrosia, and quilting. Tapped maple can also be a typical means for craftsmen infuse creativity and uniqueness into their furnishings design.
On this submit, we’ll stroll you thru the totally different sorts of figured maple and what offers every its distinguishing traits.
What’s Figured Wooden?
The expansion of bushes is closely influenced by environmental elements just like the altitude, temperature, and the quantity of rain and solar they get. Bushes that develop in forests with a number of different bushes competing for daylight normally develop taller and straighter than you would possibly discover if that very same tree grew in a subject.
These variables are a part of what makes wooden so distinctive and such a lovely materials for handmade furnishings. Similar to individuals, no two bushes are the identical. Our prospects admire that our furnishings is hand made by actual individuals, they usually acknowledge the wooden can also be distinctive. In that means, each bit of furnishings we promote is one-of-a-kind.
However this variation in how bushes develop can even trigger variation within the look of the wooden grain when the tree is milled.
For probably the most half, these irregularities aren’t noticeable. You would possibly see pitch pockets in cherry or burls in pine and hemlock, however that sort of attribute is anticipated in these woods.
When milled lumber reveals traits that aren’t anticipated from regular wooden, these boards get put aside and labeled as some sort of figured wooden.
Illness, pressure, and harm are frequent causes of all these irregular grain patterns.
Through the years, a number of sorts of figured maple wooden have been categorized primarily based upon their visible look. Every sort of figuring has a novel trigger.
Whereas all figured wooden is uncommon as a result of not all bushes produce it, some varieties are rarer than others, just because the circumstances which result in the figuring don’t happen typically and can’t be duplicated by human fingers.
What’s Figured Maple Wooden Good For?
Figured maple is often utilized in {custom} furnishings, musical devices, cabinetry, kitchen utensils, and extra. Essentially the most frequent makes use of of figured maple rely on the kind of figuring. We talk about this in additional element beneath.
Spalted Maple Wooden
Traits of Spalted Maple Wooden |
|
| Colour | White to brown, generally with black, grey, pink, and different hues |
| Traits | Irregular borders which might look as if drawn with ink/ marble sample |
| Abundance | Uncommon |
| Makes use of | Musical devices, crafts |
Spalted maple wooden appears to be like virtually as if somebody drew irregular borders throughout it with ink, however it’s a naturally occurring sort of figured wooden.
Spalting happens when white-rot decay fungi takes up residence in a tree. Because the fungi spreads out and meets with different patches of fungi, the distinctive “zone strains” kind.
Spalted maple could have a rainbow of colours via it due to this, although black, grey, and pink are the commonest.
As one would possibly anticipate, when decay fungi is left to its personal gadgets, it may possibly completely decimate a tree. Ergo, those that work with it should discover it at simply the precise time—after the fungi has left its mark, however earlier than it harms the structural integrity of the wooden.
Discovering spalted maple is pretty uncommon, however its reputation is rising. You’ll see it extra typically in small initiatives just like the bowl above, but it surely does get occasional use in furnishings. As one may think, it’s an actual problem to search out boards with this sort of figuring which are sturdy sufficient for bigger purposes.
It’s additionally price noting that merchandise constructed from spalted wooden usually are not harmful to customers. As soon as fungi dries out, it dies.
Birdseye Maple Wooden
Traits of Birds Eye Maple Wooden |
|
| Colour | White or creamy, like traditional maple |
| Traits | Uncommon spherical patterns or knots which resemble a chook’s eye |
| Abundance | Uncommon |
| Makes use of | Furnishings, musical devices, pool cues |
Birds eye maple is distinguished by the looks of small spherical knots all through the wooden, which might appear to be the attention of a chook. The variety of birds eye patterns, or density, varies primarily based upon the tree. Some boards could have a good quantity just like the picture above, however there will be just some dots or so many who the sample dominates the board.
There stays some debate as to what causes these distinctive markings, although probably the most prevalent concept is that they’re the results of the tree beginning the method of growing new shoots. In these instances, unfavorable rising circumstances are thought to halt the method, forsaking tiny knots which develop with the tree.
It’s believed only one% of maple bushes possess the birds eye sample and, in contrast to different sorts of figured woods, individuals haven’t been in a position to deliberately create or kick begin the method which leads to the sample.
Most woodworkers depart birds eye maple in its pure state or just apply a transparent coat to permit the pure magnificence to shine via. It’s sturdy and takes a polish extremely effectively, making ultimate for a wide range of purposes. For instance, you may even see it in some high-end furnishings or in pool cues, musical devices, pens,and different small artisanal crafts.
Curly Maple (aka Tiger, Striped, or Flame Maple)
Traits of Curly Maple Wooden |
|
| Colour | White or creamy, like traditional maple |
| Traits | Tiger-striped or wavy sample |
| Abundance | Considerably uncommon |
| Makes use of | Furnishings, musical devices |
Curly maple, additionally known as tiger, striped, or flame maple, denotes a selected sort of figured maple which presents with uncommon waves or markings like a tiger’s stripes.
There are a number of causes of curly maple. It can happen on virtually any maple tree when the branches kind a “Y” form and the tree continues to develop in diminished house, compressing the rings of the branches on the “Y.” The same impact is seen the place the trunk meets the roots in some bushes. Nonetheless, very similar to some individuals have a gene for curly hair, some maples have a gene which leads to numerous curl patterns.
As a result of there’s a genetic hyperlink, curly maple bushes are inclined to develop collectively, which makes it simpler to determine and harvest them. Moreover, there have been some efforts to domesticate curly maple commercially. It’s nonetheless difficult to search out, however skilled woodworkers have a neater time figuring out bushes that are prone to possess the gorgeous sample than they could different sorts of figured wooden.
Through the colonial period, curly maple was used a lot for musical devices that it earned the alternate title “fiddle maple.” It’s nonetheless extensively used to fabricate stringed devices at this time, but it surely’s additionally used a good quantity in furnishings.
Ambrosia (aka Wormy Maple)
Traits of Ambrosia Maple Wooden |
|
| Colour | White or creamy, like traditional maple |
| Traits | Brown worm-like patterns all through with occasional blue and inexperienced swaths |
| Abundance | Considerably uncommon |
| Makes use of | Furnishings, flooring, wooden veneers |
Ambrosia maple, generally known as wormy maple, is oddly not attributable to worms in any respect. The title pays homage to the worm-like patterns all through the wooden that are attributable to an entire totally different critter—the Ambrosia Beetle. She prefers Purple Maple and Sugar Maple bushes, however will go for absolutely anything in a pinch.
Briefly, the Ambrosia Beetle burrows into the host tree in search of a spot to nest, carrying fungus on her legs. The remnants of her travels are carried up and down the tree through sap. This leaves behind lovely brown markings, although you may additionally catch a touch of blue or often inexperienced round her tunnels.
Though this does harm the tree, the wooden is commonly nonetheless sturdy sufficient to make use of for furnishings. It’s frequent for the wooden to be kiln-dried as effectively, which eliminates the potential of any remaining eggs hatching.
Quilted Maple
Traits of Quilted Maple Wooden |
|
| Colour | White or creamy, like traditional maple |
| Traits | Wavy grain sample |
| Abundance | Uncommon |
| Makes use of | Small initiatives, particularly musical devices |
Quilted maple wooden goes by a large number of names together with angle step, bubble wrap, popcorn, tubular, sausage, and watered maple wooden.
Specialists imagine the sample is attributable to a mix of genetics and rising circumstances. Extra particularly, it’s seen solely in components of the tree which grew at an angle.
It’s normally present in smooth maples—most notably the Western Huge Leaf maple, although it’s often present in arduous maples. Moreover, its distinctive look can solely be realized via flat-sawn boards. This, sadly, tends to make it much less ultimate for crafting issues which require sturdiness, like furnishings, but it surely’s very a lot prized by those that craft picket musical devices and different smaller gadgets.
Skilled woodworkers prefer to toy with quilted maple fairly a bit to reinforce its distinctive markings. For instance, when engaged on a guitar, some could stain it a darkish hue to deliver out the sample extra, then will sand it again down and in the end dye it a vibrant hue like blue or pink.
Quilted maple is extremely uncommon and the costliest of the woods mentioned on this submit.
What to Search for When Buying Figured Maple Wooden Furnishings
In case you’re in search of the place to purchase spalted or curly maple furnishings on-line (or another sort of figured maple furnishings), right here’s a number of issues we expect it’s best to have in mind:
- Is it strong wooden? Some of the frequent errors individuals make when shopping for wooden furnishings is just not asking the salespeople about whether or not or not the piece is fabricated from strong wooden. Within the case of figured maple furnishings, the commonest subject is with individuals unknowingly shopping for veneered furnishings. A veneer is a skinny layer of wooden or laminate that covers the fabric beneath. Veneers aren’t essentially dangerous, however you have to be conscious in the event you’re shopping for a veneered piece of furnishings beforehand. If the furnishings is veneered, make sure that the veneer is genuine wooden and never a plastic laminate with a wood-like look. Whether it is an genuine figured maple veneer, ask what’s beneath it and the way thick the veneer is.
- Is it genuine? As a result of figured maple is costlier and more durable to search out than conventional maple wooden, some furnishings corporations will attempt to replicate the looks. Be weary of shopping for any “figured maple wooden furnishings” that’s been stained. It’s very uncommon to stain genuine figured maple.
- Is it well-crafted and assured for all times? You’ll pay a premium for figured maple wooden furnishings, so that you’ll need to make sure that it’s constructed to final. Something not made within the USA is a flag for poor high quality craftsmanship and in-authenticity. All our merchandise include a lifetime assure towards defects in supplies and craftsmanship.
How The best way to Purchase Figured Maple Wooden at Vermont Woods Studios
More often than not, our craftsmen work with conventional maple wooden. It’s extremely sturdy, sustainable, and appears lovely in its pure state. From time-to-time, we could have a one-of-a-kind artisan piece obtainable in some sort of figured maple.
Able to deliver figured maple into your house?
Every figured maple piece we provide is hand made by expert Vermont artisans utilizing sustainably sourced North American hardwoods. Whether or not you are occupied with spalted, curly, or birdseye maple, we will custom-build your furnishings to showcase these uncommon and exquisite wooden patterns.
