Maple - is this "figured" or something else

[landscraper]

Sawed a soft maple log the other day, perfectly normal looking log out of the pile, sawed it through from top to bottom, all live edge to be ripped down later.  The wood was solid, no rot or degrade that I could detect.  All the boards had this splotchy look to them.  I can't say I've ever seen it before, but I don't do much with maple so I don't know.  Is this considered a type of "figure" or is it just homely?

[Larry]

Looks homely to me.  I would guess the log should have been sawn 6 months ago before stain started to set in.

I get deceived by pictures on here all the time so not all is lost...I could be way off base.

[landscraper]

Thanks Larry, like I said i don't do much with maple so I am in the dark here.  You say stain sets in, does that mean the darker brown splotches?  The log was maybe 10-12 months old from cut off the stump and was up on runners the whole time.  I guess I'm used to oak and being able to let it sit around a while.

[beenthere]

Dis-figured would be my call. Not "figured".

Do you know any of the history of the tree, before it was cut and after it was cut?

You can click your forum name and it will take you to where you can update your profile, and add your location. Helps understanding your question/comments.
Am sure you appreciate knowing that info when reading others' posts.

[Larry]

You say stain sets in, does that mean the darker brown splotches?  The log was maybe 10-12 months old from cut off the stump and was up on runners the whole time.

My guess of 6 months was in the ball park.  Maple will start to get grey stain or get those dark brown splotches as you call them in a week during hot weather.  Logs can lay a lot longer in cool weather with no effect.

I use and have sold lumber with stain as it is only the appearance.  Never got a very good price from it.  Let Poston sell it and he would get a premium for that very rare lumber. :D

[landscraper]

I cut the log early last winter, it was in a hardwood stand that was being cleared for construction.  Then it sat up off the ground on runners in one of my firewood piles.  I pulled it out a while back because it was a tad big for the processor, and so I thought I would saw it instead.

Thanks for the education.

[bkaimwood]

I would disagree... The log was sawed about 6 months too SOON.. This is, of coarse, pure speculation :)...with a little something behind it...I saw alot of maple, and go out of my way to find figured maple...whether it be spalted, curly, wormy, or any combination... And have seen this splotching often..I always see it in two types of logs...ones that were starting to or expected to be spalted, and logs that were heavily spalted, and the splotching is typically in between black line spalting, or out the outside that is past quality spalting, and getting soft...yours looks like the first. Just my 2 cents, just my experience. Hope this helps...

[WDH]

Down here in Georgia, If you turn your back on a fresh cut maple log, it will gray stain.  A big issue.  Can't let them sit even for a few weeks here, especially if it is hot.  Must be sawn immediately and you have to have fans on the air drying stacks the same day or you are sunk.  Most of my customers want white maple, not splotchy maple. 

[knotscott]

It looks more like blotching from moisture than figure to me.

[5quarter]

I run into that quite a bit with soft maple. I call it white rot, though that's probably not technically correct. the wood is still mostly solid, but if given more time in the log, would turn to mush. once in a while i come across some that looks pretty cool, but mostly it looks like what you have. I have a free pile that it normally goes in.  ;)

[sandsawmill14]

Down here in Georgia, If you turn your back on a fresh cut maple log, it will gray stain.  A big issue.  Can't let them sit even for a few weeks here, especially if it is hot.  Must be sawn immediately and you have to have fans on the air drying stacks the same day or you are sunk.  Most of my customers want white maple, not splotchy maple.

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