Author Topic: Curly Maple? (Read 6133 times)

GANGGREEN · « **on:** September 19, 2020, 04:07:13 PM »

I found this hard maple on my property. Do those who would know think that it might be a curly maple? I understand that they're sometimes more curly at the base than in the log itself, but I'm hopeful.

Jim Kibler · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2020, 06:13:28 PM »

Check higher in the trunk. Skin some bark off of it in a spot and you should be able to tell.

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2020, 06:13:34 PM »

The base looks curly to me. Would be a good candidate to dig out.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2020, 06:14:20 PM »

My plan is to go back this week with a small hatchet and hack off a small piece at shoulder or head height.

P.W.Berkuta · « **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2020, 08:42:14 PM »

Just peel off some bark - no need to hack up the tree.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2020, 08:53:58 PM »

Yes, skinning the bark was my intention. Hack was probably an unfortunate word.

flinchrocket · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2020, 09:28:10 PM »

Euell Gibbons says" eat a beaver and save a pine tree". Just go buy a stock, Allen Martin has a lot of wood for sale.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2020, 09:35:13 PM »

As far as I know trees do regenerate themselves. In many, if not most cases timber operations improve wildlife habitat, so I have no problem cutting down a tree that I'm going to make use of. In this case the tree is on my property and I think it would be neat to build a rifle from said tree. For what it's worth, I have quite a bit of curly maple already dried and on hand in my shop. as I said, would love to make crafts and maybe a rifle or two from a tree that grew on my farm.

flinchrocket · « **Reply #8 on:** September 19, 2020, 11:12:24 PM »

Should make a lot of nice wood.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #9 on:** September 19, 2020, 11:23:54 PM »

Well, we hope so. It's certainly not a veneer quality tree and it's not terribly large. I'll be happy if I can get a few stock blanks out of it and a bunch of other craft wood for picture frames, turkey calls, small decorative boxes and the like.

Top Jaw · « **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2020, 07:20:15 PM »

I have come across several that appear to have curl at the base but it petered out quickly as you went up, and they were just straight maple with some growth induced figure at the very base. So be prepared to temper your enthusiasm on this tree until you check it. Some do show it at the base and some don’t.

Other experienced wood cutters have stated that they often find curly maple “after cutting” that show little or no signs on the outside of being curly. I have heard there is no reliable way to tell just from the outside bark alone. But the obvious pattern on the base bark is one place to start. Also, if you find one curly tree, there may be others in the nearby vicinity, as the genetics got passed on from the original parent tree.

okawbow · « **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2020, 07:26:17 PM »

The curliest, “flamed” maple I ever saw came from a large tree in an Ohio yard. Even the small branches had flame figure.

You might check the branches also.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2020, 09:43:44 PM »

I went and checked today and unfortunately I'm afraid that I struck out with this tree. I think I did find another very large tree that apparently has some figure, but it's just such a behemoth that I'm not certain I even want to mess with it. I had a 60-in tape and it didn't go halfway around the diameter of the trunk.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #13 on:** September 20, 2020, 09:44:59 PM »

I did skin the bark of this big tree and it appeared to have figure up higher as well. I have over a hundred acres and an awful lot of maples on my property. I'm sure there's some curly lumber out there somewhere.

Daryl · « **Reply #14 on:** September 20, 2020, 09:56:04 PM »

How many years ago did that "skinning" take place?

Panzerschwein · « **Reply #15 on:** September 20, 2020, 10:26:14 PM »

Quote from: flinchrocket on September 19, 2020, 09:28:10 PM

Euell Gibbons says" eat a beaver and save a pine tree". Just go buy a stock, Allen Martin has a lot of wood for sale.

+1

Leave it to the experts and give Allen some business, OP. He’ll set you up with a proper maple blank.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #16 on:** September 20, 2020, 11:20:34 PM »

Allen sells beautiful blanks but that's not what this is about. I have a woodshop full of nice curly maple gun blanks and I don't NEED one or more right now. I'd love to have a gun that was built with a stock from a tree that grew on my farm though. I have several pieces of beautiful furniture in my house from lumber that was harvested on the farm and have picture frames throughout the house. Why in God's name would I want to spend real money on gun blanks that I don't need, particularly when I have a ready supply on hand? I do appreciate the advice to "leave it to the experts" though, I've often wished I knew someone that was really expert at sizing up a tree and guessing what was hidden under the bark.

tallbear · « **Reply #17 on:** September 20, 2020, 11:29:29 PM »

Gang Green

Ignore the naysayers...I have several pieces of furniture(including the table I eat at daily)in my house and have built a couple of guns from wood I harvested and dried although not from my property.Theres a certain satisfaction from harvesting your own material...Lot's to learn as well

.....I say go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mitch

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #18 on:** September 20, 2020, 11:38:41 PM »

I have beautiful stuff here and couldn't be more happy given that it was made from timber harvested on the farm. Off the top of my head, there's a Chestnut oak dresser, a cherry dresser, cherry sleigh bed, a cherry barrister's bookcase, an American chestnut hoosier, a chestnut dining room table, a chestnut coffee table, two chestnut blanket chests (they were built by my uncle for my sons), a cherry desk that I'm sitting at now and a bunch of various picture frames, decorative boxes, turkey calls and what not. It's much cooler knowing that the trees spent their lives making wood HERE.

Quote from: tallbear on September 20, 2020, 11:29:29 PM

Gang Green

Ignore the naysayers...I have several pieces of furniture(including the table I eat at daily)in my house and have built a couple of guns from wood I harvested and dried although not from my property.Theres a certain satisfaction from harvesting your own material...Lot's to learn as well .....I say go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mitch

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #19 on:** September 21, 2020, 12:07:40 AM »

Quote from: okawbow on September 20, 2020, 07:26:17 PM

The curliest, “flamed” maple I ever saw came from a large tree in an Ohio yard. Even the small branches had flame figure.

You might check the branches also.

I don't think I ever saw a Pine cut by a Beaver.

Tim C.

alacran · « **Reply #20 on:** September 21, 2020, 11:10:38 AM »

If I had a 100 acres of hardwood forest, I would never buy wood for any project from any one.

BOB HILL · « **Reply #21 on:** September 21, 2020, 12:56:04 PM »

Gibbons must have meant the beaver was going to flood out the pines and kill them, Tim. I don’t I’ve ever seen them cut one either.
Bob

Nordnecker · « **Reply #22 on:** September 21, 2020, 02:37:33 PM »

Hmmm. A beaver in my pond last year seemed to prefer pine. He didn't gnaw on any big ones, but he cut dozens and dozens of small ones and dragged them to his larder.
I got lucky a few years back when I had a guy on an excavator doing some work on my property.
Their was a maple leaning over and I asked him to get it out so I could cut it for firewood. His bucket skipped off the trunk and I could see curl under the bark. I did get some lumber and blanks out of it but lost most to boring insects.
The stump is growing back and I wonder if the new growth will be as curly as the old tree was. I doubt if I'll live long enough to find out.

GANGGREEN · « **Reply #23 on:** September 21, 2020, 02:38:14 PM »

I'm very much a hobby woodworker. I'm retired recently, so I have more time and hope to get better at it and to make more projects in the coming months and years. There are species that I simply don't on the have on the property which I enjoy working with (Butternut, Black walnut, etc.), but for the most part, I agree with you. For the record, I own over 100 acres, but only about 70 of that is timbered and it's not all hardwood, although it's mostly hardwood northern forest.

I just discussed the possibility of having a guy with a smaller sawmill bring it to the property to mill several logs for me soon. I'll probably do a Cherry (still have some Cherry from a tree I cut a few years ago), a Hickory, an Ash (it's all going to die anyway) at least one Maple (I have hard and soft maple and would love to find one with a lot of character) and possibly something else, I'll have to think about it. I have a large American elm on the property and I presume it's going to die on me at some point, but I understand that it can twist and be pretty hard to work when it dries. I'll also need to decide whether to let all of the lumber air dry or take it to someone with a kiln (the sawmill guy doesn't have one).

Quote from: alacran on September 21, 2020, 11:10:38 AM

If I had a 100 acres of hardwood forest, I would never buy wood for any project from any one.

Long John · « **Reply #24 on:** September 21, 2020, 05:05:14 PM »

Gang,

that white maple you posted a picture of has lots of beautiful figured wood in the base, for sure. There is probably some core rot where that dimple in the bark on the left side of the tree shows. The challenge is to fell it with cuts that are low enough to allow you to make use of the root flare. If the tree circumference is two times a 60 inch tape then the circumference is 120 inches and the diameter s close to 40 inches. That's a BIG tree!

I agree with Tallbear. There is a special connection with anything made from lumber that you made from a tree you harvested. I have furniture that started as trees that were harvested from my own land as well as trees that were victim of hurricanes. For maple I would urge you to opt for kiln drying by some one who specializes in hardwoods and can adjust the drying schedule for the 10/4 slab stock you would cut. Also, for sawing, make the first cuts quarter-sawn planks. You will be glad you did.

Best Regards,

JMC

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Author Topic: Curly Maple? (Read 6133 times)