_Acer rubrum_
- Birdseye maple is an irregularly grained cultivar of the maple or Acer species, with an aberrant but beautiful grain pattern.
- Look for Red Maple or Acer rubrum trees, as this specific cultivar of maple is thought to be more likely to produce the swirling grain and dark stippling of birdseye.
What does a birdseye maple tree look like?
Birdseye varies greatly tree to tree. Some birdseye maple trees develop eyes that are round. Other trees develop c-shaped eyes. There are oval shaped eyes; and eyes that resemble deer tracks. Some eyes look like rain streaks on a windowpane.
How do you build up Bird’s eye maple?
I like to build up the finish with several coats. Michael Dresdner: The easiest way to dramatically pop the grain in bird’s eye maple is to soak the raw, sanded wood with boiled linseed oil. Flood it on and leave it soaking wet.
How can you tell if a maple tree is real?
Some maple trees develop Birdseyes that are small and spaced well apart. Other trees develop eyes that are densely spaced. Some trees also develop a tilted, or herringbone, curl along with the eyes. This is often referred to as bowtie figure, flash figure, crossfire, highlights, or buff. The color of the wood varies widely also.
What is birdseye maple used for?
Birdseye Maple has a long history of use as a decorative wood. The capabilities of modern machines; and the advantages of modern finishing techniques, have increased its popularity. Today; Birdseye Maple is used in every type of woodworking project.
How do you identify a birdseye maple tree?
Instead of the regular vertical and more linear grain of maple, birdseye has a rounded, randomly swirling grain that is dotted with dark amber, brown or nearly black spots. These dark spots are small, randomly spaced and roughly the size of a bird's eye, hence the name.
How common is birdseye maple?
Birdseye Maple is a beautiful wood that occurs naturally in less than 1/10th of 1% of all Sugar Maple trees. Its name aptly describes the "eyes" that develop in the tree when it is young. These eyes continue to develop, getting generally larger, as the tree grows.
How do I identify my maple tree?
7:0611:02How To Identify Figure In A Living Tree - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe're going to look at what compression looks like in the bark as it relates to where the limb.MoreWe're going to look at what compression looks like in the bark as it relates to where the limb. Comes out of the tree as well as where you would find wood. That's called tension wood.
What does Birds eye wood look like?
Bird's eye is a type of figure that occurs within several kinds of wood, most notably in hard maple. It has a distinctive pattern that resembles tiny, swirling eyes disrupting the smooth lines of grain.
Where does birdseye maple grow?
The highest incidence of figured bird's-eye maple occurs in regions with severe winters and short growing seasons, including Maine, the eastern peninsula of Michigan, plus Canada and a few other areas. Sawyers in these regions tell me they find bird's-eye figure most often on the north side of a dense woodlot.
What color is birdseye maple?
The hexadecimal color code #e4c495 is a medium light shade of brown.
How hard is birdseye maple?
Birdseye Maple Avg Dry Wgt (?): 45 lbs/ft3 (720 kg/m3) | Janka Hardness (?): 1450lbf (6450 N) | Specific Gravity (?): 0.72.
Is Spalted maple valuable?
Retail prices for 4/4 spalted maple were quoted at $7.50 to $9/bf, though price is often dictated by the amount of figure.
How do I know if my maple tree is curly?
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. Excessive texture may indicate the presence of a curly maple.
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 birds eye maple good for cutting boards?
Bird's-eye maple is an anomaly of hard maple. Only one in perhaps 500 hard maple trees will exhibit this pattern, and experts are uncertain why it occurs. The beauty and durability of hard maple make it the perfect wood for cutting boards.
What is a birdseye?
1 : any of numerous plants with small bright-colored flowers especially : a speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) 2a : an allover pattern for textiles consisting of a small diamond with a center dot. b : a fabric woven with this pattern. 3 : a small spot in wood surrounded with an ellipse of concentric fibers. bird's-eye.
Is birds eye maple wood 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. Birds-eye maple is a form of figured hard maple, it is not a variety or species of maple. What actually causes the phenomenon is still unknown.
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 extinct?
Tiger maples are rare and grow sporadically, accounting for only a small percentage of all maples.
How hard is birdseye maple?
Birdseye Maple Avg Dry Wgt (?): 45 lbs/ft3 (720 kg/m3) | Janka Hardness (?): 1450lbf (6450 N) | Specific Gravity (?): 0.72.
Why is my maple tree called a bird's eye?
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.
Is birdeye maple veneer or wood?
Birdseye maple is frequently sold in veneer form, but solid lumber is available as well.
Is birdeye maple a distinct species?
Birdseye maple (bookmatched veneer) Birdseye maple (turned pen) Identification: Since birdseye maple is not a distinct species, the written information below is for hard maple (Acer saccharum), though the endgrain images show a sample with birdseye figure for reference. See the article on Hardwood Anatomy for definitions of endgrain features.
What is a bird's eye maple?
Birdseye Maple is a beautiful wood that occurs naturally in less than 1/10th of 1% of all Sugar Maple trees. Its name aptly describes the "eyes" that develop in the tree when it is young. These eyes continue to develop, getting generally larger, as the tree grows.
What are the eyes of a birdseye maple tree?
Some birdseye maple trees develop eyes that are round. Other trees develop c-shaped eyes. There are oval shaped eyes; and eyes that resemble deer tracks. Some eyes look like rain streaks on a windowpane. Some trees develop eyes that are black inside. These are referred to as black eyes, raisin eyes, or Spanish eyes.
What are black eyes called?
Some trees develop eyes that are black inside. These are referred to as black eyes, raisin eyes, or Spanish eyes. This type of eye can be strikingly beautiful when finished. There is also great variety in the spacing of the Birdseye in different trees.
Is the wood from each tree unique?
So; the wood from each tree is unique. While no two trees are alike; matching of similar types is possible. The same is true for pearls.
Do trees have personality?
Each tree has its own personality. The development of eyes and figure in each tree is usually consistent within that tree; and unique to that tree. No two trees are exactly alike.
Is birdeye maple a saltwater pearl?
Birdseye maple is like a natural saltwater pearl. It develops in only a tiny fraction of the overall population. It is not caused by disease; and it is not separate specie. Birdseye maple cannot be cultured or intentionally reproduced. In this way; it is different from pearls.
What is a bird's eye maple?
Birds eye maple is distinguished by the appearance of small round knots throughout the wood, which can look like the eye of a bird. The number of birds eye patterns, or density, varies based upon the tree.
What color is a spalted maple?
As the fungi spreads out and meets with other patches of fungi, the unique “zone lines” form. Spalted maple may have a rainbow of colors through it because of this, though black, gray, and pink are the most common. As one might expect, when decay fungi is left to its own devices, it can totally decimate a tree.
What is spalted maple wood?
Spalted maple wood looks almost as if someone drew irregular borders all over it with ink, but it is a naturally occurring type of figured wood.
What is figured maple used for?
Figured maple is commonly used in custom furniture, musical instruments, cabinetry, kitchen utensils, and more. The most frequent uses of figured maple depend on the type of figuring. We discuss this in more detail below.
Why do maple trees have curly hair?
However, much like some people have a gene for curly hair, some maples have a gene which results in various curl patterns.
Why is milled lumber called figured wood?
When milled lumber exhibits characteristics that aren’t expected from normal wood, those boards get set aside and labeled as some type of figured wood. Disease, strain, and injury are common causes of these types of irregular grain patterns.
Why do trees have knots?
There remains some debate as to what causes these unique markings, though the most prevalent theory is that they’re the result of the tree starting the process of developing new shoots. In these cases, unfavorable growing conditions are thought to halt the process, leaving behind tiny knots which grow with the tree.
How wide is a bird's eye wood?
Depending on the frequency of the birdseye swirls, each ⅛" to ⅜" wide (0.3–1 cm), the wood may be extremely valuable. While woodworkers prize the timber primarily for its use in veneers, it also turns well on a lathe, allowing it to be shaped into decorative canes, chair legs, and handles.
What is a bird's eye?
Bird's eye is a type of figure that occurs within several kinds of wood, most notably in hard maple. It has a distinctive pattern that resembles tiny, swirling eyes disrupting the smooth lines of grain. It is somewhat reminiscent of a burl, but it is quite different: the small knots that make the burl are missing.
What causes holes in a tree bark?
Sap suckers make those holes in a line around the tree through the bark to drink the sap. I have plenty of hickories and a few elms that have those rows of holes. The old ones grow back in and only the outer bark shows the hole. It can cause 'bird peck' in the lumber where bark pockets fill the holes.
How to tell if a maple tree is curly?
This is an indication of some type of figure or unusual growth. Cut the limb section lengthwise and you should see ripples in the grain. This is indicative of the curly maple.
How to tell if a curly maple tree is mature?
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. Excessive texture may indicate the presence of a curly maple.
What does curly maple bark look like?
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. Excessive texture may indicate the presence of a curly maple. Advertisement.
Is a curly maple a type of maple?
The wood is sought after but is not a type of maple. It refers to the patterning inside the wood. The grain forms into several different and unique patterns such as birdseye, tiger, quilted and other interesting grain effects. Curly maple tree identification requires you to kill the tree and cut into it. Curly maple usually comes ...
Does sugar maple make curly wood?
Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Sugar maples are most likely to form curly wood affects. Curly maple is a variety of wood that is favored by musical instrument craftsmen. The wood is sought after but is not a type of maple. It refers to the patterning inside the wood.
What is bird's eye maple?
Synopsis: There are few woods that yield as contrasting appearances as bird’s-eye maple. Teri Masaschi, a professional finisher, shares three ways to finish this exquisitely figured wood: a natural look with oil and a topcoat; a darker version from a base of shellac and glazing stain; and an antique look from dye, stain, and shellac.
Is bird eye maple easy to finish?
I never would claim that working and finishing bird’s-eye maple are easy, but few woods can yield such contrasting appearances. At one end of the spectrum is the natural look, with a clear finish bringing out the wood’s three-dimensional quality. In complete contrast is the striking look of antique wood, where a century or more of oxidizing and accumulated patina gives it that certain glow and prominent grain. In between, there is the medium-tone appearance, with the eyes highlighted by the finishing…
