curly maple

[xlogger]

Pick up this log today, I believe its curly maple. I've never saw one before. I want to cut into slabs, they will not be as big as I would like but might make some nice coffee tables or whatever anyone wanted to do with them. Not sure if the knot on the right is a over grown knot or a little burl? Looking for ideas which way to slab to get the most figure. Ideas?

[quilbilly]

From what I can see it isn't curly maple. Also where I'm from we call what you describe as an overgrown knot, a bunion. You still might make some neat looking slabs though.

[YellowHammer]

Curly maple should show very distinct ridges under the bark on the log surface. Good maple has ridges about 1/4 to 3/8 inch high spaced maybe that far apart.  It will look kind of like the surface of a washboard.  The depth and sharpness of the ridges give an indication of the sharpness and color of the curly figure.  

[Peter Drouin]

What YellowHammer said, Most times the curl is in the but log and goes only 2" to 3" deep on a 12"to 16" dbh log. I have only seen a hand full of logs where the curl went most of the way in.
All what you want to do. If you want a bench thing I would cut it with the bumps on the sides, so you have the wildest live edges.
Open it up and see, you can always make firewood with it later if you don't like it. 

[PA_Walnut]

This is what a good curly maple looks like. Sometimes you can see it in the bark, but usually better underneath.


I sawed it in the fall and got this. It's a good one with excellent figure, clear and nice color. A gem for sure.



I have 2 of them to saw now. Will try to get some more pix.

[moodnacreek]

P A. Walnut, A picture is worth a thousand words. I used to think fancy maple had to be sugar; so hard to dry without stain.  Apparently soft maple is where most of the figure is found.

[YellowHammer]

Thats a nice log, spalted and curly.

Its a locality thing I belive, I get more sharply defined, pronounced curly maple figure in hard maple, but its more rare.
  
I commonly get curly logs in soft maple, but its a softer, less distinct washboard pattern.

It all looks good, just a little different from each other.

[PA_Walnut]

Yep...curly kinda runs the gamut, both hard and soft maple. Yes, soft curly is more prevalent and you are correct, handling/drying is properly is key. Stained and off-color maple is near worthless. Most reject heartwood also, except for flooring. Color is usually as (if not more) important as the figure. Most seekers don't want gray (stained) maple or heart wood.

I have a really nicely figured hard maple I'm gonna saw any day now.
I'll take some picks. Often times the hard maple is blistered or quilted also.

I usually saw it as thick as I can possibly get it w/o heart wood since 4/4 curly is pretty easy to get, but 8/4 is MUCH harder and 12/4 is *DanG near impossible to find in decent quality/quantity. Wide width is also desirable.

Many try to saw for instruments. The criteria is EXTREMELY stringent: consistent figure, quartersawn, no defects, etc.
Definitely the best of the best. Just intense figure won't get it.

Good luck.

[moodnacreek]

Pa. W.  Good post, accurate information obviously from experience,    Thanks

[PA_Walnut]

Thanks. Yes, I have handled a LOT of curly material. It's my favorite, but it's a really tough market right now as the Asian market is consuming all the logs right now due to paying $$$ for them. 
Loggers are able to sell the logs for than sawyers are getting for lumber...UNLESS you are selecting the prime logs, sawing/drying is properly and retailing it for what it's actually worth.  8)

[moodnacreek]

Pa. W.  Man do I understand. I always need w. oak sound and straight but can't buy it as the market is crazy.

[xlogger]

got several interesting slabs out of the log.

[nativewolf]

Pa. W.  Man do I understand. I always need w. oak sound and straight but can't buy it as the market is crazy.

What's the going rate for RO up there?