Spotting curly wood

[NeoTree]

Sorry hope this is the right section for this thread, my uncle runs a shop where he makes gun stocks and blanks, he primarily deals in curly maple, and cherry from PA, he was telling me millers can spot curly maple just by looking at the bark. I've split a couple maples last year i suspected of having some curl, it seems a shame to burn curly wood.

 

[NeoTree]

i realized i did'nt quite pose a question, so how do you really spot curly maple, without milling it up?

 

[gemniii]

You can always just make 1 or 2 slabs, and if it's not curly it's firewood.

 

[pinemartin]

It looks like this on the outside.

 

[NeoTree]

are they all that obvious, or the shaggier the bark the curlier? it almost looks tropical

 

[huskyhank]

Until you show pictures of the inside of that particular tree I'm not buying it. I just cut one that looked all twisty on the outside and the inside was white bread.

 

[NeoTree]

i just threw this peice of maple in the wood burner, it pretty rough cut and busted up from the splitter but looks to have some curl, i must of noodled this peice somwhat, the outside looks pretty normal

 

[huskyhank]

Shame to burn that one!!!!

I think if you can predict figure looking at a log you can make some money at it.

 

[NeoTree]

Shame to burn that one!!!!

i know, i'm gonna pay closer attention next time before making firewood rounds.

Is there a particular way this has to be milled to show up, like quarter sawn?

 

[huskyhank]

i know, i'm gonna pay closer attention next time before making firewood rounds.

Is there a particular way this has to be milled to show up, like quarter sawn?

I'd cut it in half (right through the pith) to see inside then figure the next cuts.
I'm no expert but that's what I'd do.

 

[lumberjackchef]

i realized i did'nt quite pose a question, so how do you really spot curly maple, without milling it up?

Here this may help,http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Recognizing_Curly_Wood.html

read down in the middle when somone refers to "compression curl" and look at the walnut stump pictured.

 

[Andrew96]

Other than crotch wood...I always pick one to open up and look at based on it's location. If it's been fighting the wind for years (hilltops...fence line on big field), it would be good to open first to see before cutting it for firewood. Fighting wind.. there is a good chance it's going to have some curly in it.

 

[aquan8tor]

Just because a tree has compression curl indicators on the bark doesn't mean that the bole of the tree will show figure at all. Sometimes there's curl in the bark and sometimes not. I've seen a standing dead sugar maple in the WV mountains that showed absolutely no edvidence on the bark or even under it, but where it had been broken off in a storm, you could see that it was as curly as you could find throughout the entire bole of the tree. The bark was easy to peel back, and really showed no evidence of curl. Sometimes its the other way around. Go figure....

 

[pinemartin]

Here is a small piece from the tree pictured earlier for all the naysayers. This chunk is going to another member here to make pistol grips, this is also rough cut so the pictures are not that great.

 

[huskyhank]

Well, ya got me.
Did the whole log look like that?

 

[pinemartin]

Most of it looked like that with the exception of a 6" heart that was normal for about 8 foot up. The tree was 27" across so the 6" isn't a big loss.

 

[huskyhank]

That is a heck of a nice piece of wood!

 

[super3]

Here is a small piece from the tree pictured earlier for all the naysayers. This chunk is going to another member here to make pistol grips, this is also rough cut so the pictures are not that great.

Man thats purdy!

 

[pinemartin]

More pics of the almost cut to size blocks.... The only problem is I cut the blanks too small so these will go in the garbage. unless some one needs some curly maple blocks 5/8 x 1 3/4 x 6" for knife handles or ???

 

[jdrum]

check in to some of the blacksmithing forums and show that in the bladesmith sec. some of those guys are realy into purdy wood like that. be a shame to waste it.

jim