Lumber - Maple Birds Eye

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Description

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cutting Board made of Birdseye Maple

Bird's eye figure is a phenomenon that occurs within several kinds of wood, most notably in maple (bird's eye 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 a burl a burl are missing.

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. However, no one has demonstrated a complete understanding of any combination of climate, soil, tree variety, insects, viruses or genetic mutation that may produce the effect.

Bird's eye maple is most often found in Acer saccharum (sugar maple), but millers also find bird's eye figure in red maple, white ash, Cuban mahogany, American beech, black walnut, and yellow birch. Trees that grow in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States yield the greatest supply, along with some varieties in the Rocky Mountains. Although there are a few clues in a tree's bark that indicate the lumber might have bird's eye figure, it is usually necessary to fell the tree and cut it apart to know for sure.

Characteristics

In most characteristics, wood with bird's eye figure is no different from the rest of the wood from the same tree. Depending on the frequency of the birdseye swirls, each ⅛" to ⅜" wide (0.3-1 cm), the wood may be extremely valuable. Woodworkers prize the timber because it "turns" well on a lathe, meaning it can be shaped into decorative canes, chair legs, or handles.

Uses

It is used in refined specialty products. For instance the dashboard of a Rolls Royce may be made with birdseye maple veneer. Since the figure is so decorative, the wood may be expensive, often several times that of ordinary hardwood[1]. Boxes and bowls for jewelry, thin veneer, humidors, canes, furniture inlays, handles, guitars, and pool cues are made from the decorative wood, and it has even been used for hardwood flooring. Items made with this wood are more expensive not only because the wood is more expensive but because it is harder to work. When working with this wood, very sharp tools are needed to prevent grain tearout.

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