So how can you tell if a tree has figure in it? What does tiger maple look like? Or birds eye?
By doing some research, it looks like this might be a tiger maple. Does anyone have first hand experience with this that could help?
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| Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=37947 |
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| Author: | Nils [ Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
So how can you tell if a tree has figure in it? What does tiger maple look like? Or birds eye? By doing some research, it looks like this might be a tiger maple. Does anyone have first hand experience with this that could help?
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| Author: | B. Howard [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
unfortunately most figures can not be spotted until the tree is felled and sawn. birds eye can sometimes be spotted by a trunk covered in small nubs or buds, but I have seen birds eyes appear and disappear within a few planks from a tree without notice. |
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| Author: | DannyV [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 11:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
Sometimes you can see it on the outside of the bark, but to be sure take a little bark off with an axe. If it's quilt it will look a little bubbly. If it's flame it look more rippled. That's looks like a nice big one. What type of maple is it? |
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| Author: | Nils [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 11:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
Its a red maple. Its pretty big too. I dont know that I could wrap my arms all the way around it. |
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| Author: | A.Hix [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:42 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
Unfortunately, you cant really tell from the bark.. it would save a lot of trees if you could pick out just the figured ones. Red maple might be more likely to have ambrosia coloring, which you can tell if the ambrosia beetle is in the tree if there are lots of tiny holes in the bark. |
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| Author: | Mark Groza [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 2:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
See if you can find a limb off it. Sometimes they will split off. That will tell if it is figured. Being red maple, it is unlikely that it has birdseye or quilt. |
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| Author: | Lincoln Goertzen [ Thu Oct 11, 2012 9:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
It is very easily possible for a tree to be figured only on one side, or for a limb to be more figured than the trunk. Our practice is to reach up as high as we can with a hatchet, and chip a little piece of bark off. That will tell us what we need to know. If you do it by the roots, you will most likely see some figure (at least in Big Leaf Maple), and you may well be disappointed to find the curl running out after only a couple of feet. In order to get acoustic guitar backs of sapwood only, you probably need at least 24" in diameter. |
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| Author: | nyazzip [ Thu Oct 11, 2012 9:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
Quote: Its a red maple. Its pretty big too. I dont know that I could wrap my arms all the way around it. then you are not a tree-hugger. |
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| Author: | weissam [ Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Identifying figure in wood, while the tree is standing |
we have had quite a lot of lumber sawed in the past and I don`t believe there is any way to tell until the log is completely sawed up. have it quarter-sawed. if it has curl you will have some real nice stuff. if not you will still have some real nice stuff. |
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