Is birdseye maple furniture expensive?

Is birdseye maple furniture expensive?

Bird’s eye maple may be expensive, up to several times the cost of ordinary hardwood. When working with bird’s eye wood, it is advisable to take care in what tools are used, so as to prevent grain tearout. Also the more “eyes” there are in lumber, the weaker the wood tends to be.

How much is birdseye maple worth?

The average selling price of a bird’s-eye maple log is in the range of $20,000 to $30,000 per 1,000 board feet.

Is birdseye maple rare?

Birdseye maple, one of the rarest kinds of wood on the planet, has a distinctive pattern that looks like tiny, swirling eyes disrupting the smooth lines of grain.

Is birdseye maple extinct?

Bird’s eye extinction, or bird’s eye maple, is a specific type of extinction exhibited by minerals of the mica group under cross polarized light of the petrographic microscope. It gives the mineral a pebbly appearance as it passes into extinction.

Is tiger maple wood expensive?

At the retail level, expect to pay about $5/bf for 4/4 soft tiger maple and $6/bf for 4/4 hard tiger maple. Prices start to soar with thicker, wide and highly figured stock.

Why is birdseye maple so expensive?

Items made with this wood tend to be more expensive not only because the wood is more costly but because it is harder to work. When working with bird’s eye wood, it is advisable to take care in what tools are used, so as to prevent grain tearout.

Why is it called birdseye maple?

Comments: Called birdseye maple (sometimes written out as bird’s eye) because the tiny knots in the grain resemble small bird’s eyes. The figure is reportedly caused by unfavorable growing conditions for the tree. Being tiny knots, the birdseye figure is most noticeable and pronounced on flatsawn pieces of lumber.

Why is burl wood so expensive?

Burl Wood. Because the grain is twisted and interlocked, burl wood is extremely dense and resistant to splitting. Burls have become so valuable that poachers have even been known to cut them from the side of trees in national parks, such as the ancient redwoods in California.

Is there a difference between tiger maple and curly maple?

Also known as curly or flame maple, this figured version of the maple tree species is unique for the wavy stripes that form against the grain during growth. The softer version, red leaf tiger maple, is a better seller than the hard tiger maple because of its more prominent curly figuring, says Kise.

What causes tiger maple?

In curly maple, the grain is wavy through the length of the board. The result is that when the wavy grain is planed flat, it appears to look ruffled, or tiger striped, due to the waviness in the grain.”

What causes Birdseye in maple?

It is not known what causes the phenomenon. Research into the cultivation of bird’s eye maple has so far discounted the theories that it is caused by pecking birds deforming the wood grain or that an infecting fungus makes it twist.

Is birdseye maple Quartersawn?

When maple lumber shows Birdseye figure, the grain orientation is typically flat-sawn. Birdseye figure is still visible in quarter sawn maple. However, the eyes are open in the flat-sawn direction. They are visible but obscured in the quartersawn direction.

What is the most expensive burl wood?

Many argue that Amboyna burl is the most expensive wood. However, our take is different, since Amboyna burl is a ‘burl’- it has grown in a deformed manner!

Does removing a burl kill the tree?

No you don’t. Removing burls reduces stem strength and leads to stem decay, every time. You know that without seeing the tree.

Is curly maple expensive?

Prices can range from just slightly more expensive than regular maple for lower grades of curly maple, to many, many times higher for prices of the highest grades. However, curly maple tends to be one of the most economical hardwoods when compared to other figured woods.

How do I know if my maple is curly?

Look at the exterior of the tree. It should be a mature tree, since young trees do not exhibit signs of the unusual grain. The bark on a curly maple will be slightly bumpier than a regular sugar maple. It is generally gray to dark brown and quite thick.

Where does birdseye maple come from?

Characteristics

What is a quartersawn maple neck?

What does this mean? “Quartersawn” is a woodworking term that describes a certain specific and non-standard method of milling lumber from trees. Quartersawn instrument necks are unusually strong, straight-grain necks superior to standard necks in almost every way.

What is the most sought after burl wood?

Bird’s-eye burl is a rare but beautiful burl pattern featuring small, tightly packed burls that show as dark “eyes” on the cut surface of the wood. Bird’s-eye burl is rarely found in Redwood, but when it is it is highly sought-after. It is often found, like lacy burl, in the crown burls and live burls of a tree.

Are tree burls worth money?

Most burls, especially layered burls, are not particularly valuable. On the other hand, a larger eyed burl in good condition should bring $25 to $200 depending on size, species and condition. I have had burls up to 8 feet in diameter, and many in the 4-5 foot range. Those can be worth $500 or more.