Wood dilema. Cant bring myself to resaw 12/4 curly maple

[Matt Lackey]

Greetings.

A couple years ago I bought a load of curly maple from the estate of a gunstock maker. I am now hoarding it. I cant bring myself to cut it. Anything I come up with to make seems like it would be wasteful. I have always avoided figured wood because it is expensive ans takes alot of planning to use the wood. I also think that if you are going to use stunning wood, the design of the piece should be of equal caliber.

I am looking for some motivation and ideas to start using this stuff. I make mostly furniture but would would try new things. Most of my work has been rectilinear, practical stuff in the shaker/mission vein. And to be honest, if I used highly figured wood in the things I have made to date, it would be too gimicky.

Here are my questions:

What is your favorite thing to do with curly maple?

What is the best thing you ever made with figured wood? (pics?)

When is it inappropriate to use this material?

Would you be apprehensive about cutting up a 48"x8"x3.5" chunk of curly maple? Every time I look at this stash, I think that I may never have this type of wood again. Am I being silly?

Isnt C-M best id sculpted forms? Should just I store it until I am ready to do some sculpted pieces?

Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

Matt

[Philip Duffy]

Why not swap it with someone who makes gunstocks and get an increase in the BF so you can double your project list? If you need a name or two, let me know. Philip

[Jim Becker]

Please excuse my less than normally detailed answer, but typing with my thumbs on a hand-held is, um...harder...than a regular keyboard.

By all means, consider using that beautiful wood. Your Shaker style is good for this as its simplicity will highlight the figured stock. And resawing means you can expose even more of that beauty. Both Rectangular amr round designs work (the latter being a candle stand, perhaps)

[Tom Cowie]

Hi Matt

I have a similar dilemma. There's this one walnut board that I have that is exceptional. I've had it for years . I've made up my mind that
I'll use up the walnut that I have before I buy any more ,That board included.

I wouldn't want it to end up at my estate sale..:)

Tom

[Jeff Raymond]

PM me to send wood to me collect.

It'll solve all your problems and you will be happy in the giving.

[Matt Lackey]

I found one piece that looks like an icecicle. Cant be a gunstock and resaw would yield very little. So I will sand, finish, mount it to a board and call it sculpture. Is that cheating?

[Lee Schierer]

Here are some projects that I have made that use curly maple.
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/jewel5.jpg
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/snaktab1.jpg
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/maplebox.jpg
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/lsusan2.jpg

I held onto a piece of curly cherry for several years before I figured out what to make. http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/jewel1.jpg

The wood will speak to you when it is time to be used.

[Wilbur Pan]

I am looking for some motivation and ideas to start using this stuff. I make mostly furniture but would would try new things.
It sounds like this would be the ideal time to give veneering a try. You can use the curly maple on the rectilinear projects that you already know how to do, you'll pick up a new skill, and best of all, this gives you an excuse to go shopping for new tools!

[David DeCristoforo]

I got just one word for ya Matt..... Chessboards!

http://www.daviddecristoforo.com/chessdd/chess.html

PS NOT checkerboards...chessboards!

[Bert Johansen]

Matt,

Below are photos of a couple things I've done with curly maple. Resawed all pieces from an 8/4 plank, and I still have some left.

More shots of the desk can be seen in a previous thread:

BB Ply for Desktop - How thick?

[David DeCristoforo]

"The wood will speak to you when it is time to be used."

So true. I still have a couple of pieces of Brazilian Rosewood burl (!?!?) that I was hoping to have heard from by now.....

[Bill Wyko]

Maby a nice NE coffee table?:D

[Gary Herrmann]

If you can't bring yourself to resaw it, your options are somewhat limited.

Buy a minilathe and make some beautiful bowls and hollowforms from it - after practicing on more mundane wood.

Try your hand at sculpting.

It sounds like a great piece for a luthier - but even then would involve resawing.

Sell it to me...

[Jim Nardi]

I wouldn't resaw it. Save it for leg stock. Nothing would be nicer than a highboy with curly maple legs.

[Al Willits]

I find it really burns well in my wood stove.....:eek:

Actually, not having the skill to use the stuff, I'm not gonna be much help, but if I was to try something with it, I'd go a bit wild with it, maybe a set of night stands with a little zing, end tables? entertainment center that opens up to a beautiful display of wood grain?

I've got a small chunk of barzilian rosewood that I'm saving, I want to try some fancy inlay with, just as soon as I can do fancy inlay..:)

Either way, have fun and don't look back...:D

Al

[Mike Langford]

Sell me some.....It'll make great mandolin sides and backs! (necks too!)

[Joe Jensen]

Here is one the 8 jewelry boxes I recently built with curly maple...joe

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=63591&d=1177885437

[Cary Swoveland]

Here is one the 8 jewelry boxes I recently built with curly maple...joe

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=63591&d=1177885437

Beautiful, Joe. Is the dark wood ebony? Are those dovetail splines?

Cary

[scott spencer]

Matt - Had to laugh about your hoarding of wood and hesitation to cut it, b/c I have the same tendency and was just thinking about that after reading John's post on the hickory floor. :)

The good news is that resawing stretches the wood to more or bigger projects! :)


Here's what I though were some good uses of my figured stock:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/Hope%20Chest/Hopechest001-1.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/Projects/g6.jpg

[Tom Young]

Matt,

I used curly maple for some interior draw fronts in this sapele lingerie chest I made for my wife. The idea was that when you opened the doors, you got a big surprise. She liked it. The chest was based on Glen Huey's plan in Popular Woodworking. If I'm not mistaken the Shaker's used curly maple in some of their work. I think it would be entirely appropriate to use it in your shaker pieces. Bottom line is use the wood, make something great, and post the pictures.

Tom

[Phil Clark]

Here is a wine cabinet with quilted maple panels. I am currently making a stickley sideboard with quilted maple that I cut into 1/8 (veneer) in order to cover the top and the front out of two eight foot 5/4 boards. I just couldn't use 5/4 boards where you can only see one surface! If you have a drum sander life gets easier with figured woods.

[lowell holmes]

I have two 4/4 pieces of mesquite that are book matched and are about 60" long having natural edges on one side. I think a sofa table or coffee table might be appropriate. I have allusions of a Nakashima type piece, but alas, I'm no Nakashima. :-) I've had the boards for a couple of years now.