Curly maple log?

[Kevin J Lalonde]

I have the opportunity to purchase what a guy calls a "curly maple log". I saw the pic. BIG tree. But i dont know much about curly logs. Are the entire logs curly? i've seen the lumber in stores where the plank is curly, but is the entire log curly? He wants $100 for the log. Price fair? thanks

[David E Keller]

There's no way to know exactly what's inside a log, but the bark and outside surface usually give you a clue. If the outer surface of the tree is wavy, then the wood inside probably is as well.

That being said, depends on how big the log is. Two or three large curly bowl blanks could easily set you back $100, so maybe that's a way to figure out how fair the price is.

[charlie knighton]

there is a theory that stress from the tree leaning to one side may cause the figure, if that is the case, the figure will only be on one side of the log, and if the tree straightens out there would not be any more figure above that point...

if you buy it, take some pictures as you use it...

[Bernie Weishapl]

Kevin I haven't found a way to really tell if a log is going to be curly or not. We have a tree expert in town here that has been doing tree's for 45 yrs. He said he has seen some maple that when cut it and you thought would be just plain maple had a lot of curl. Some other that he thought would be curly were just plain jane maple. As far as the log goes to me it would depend on how big it is. I bought a 25" in diameter by 7' long walnut for $100. I stay away from those selling logs by the board foot. To much free stuff out there. For me if it was say 20" to 30" in diameter and 6 or 7 ft long I would take it.

[mike holden]

Kevin,
Although there are signs that *MAY* point to the log having figure, there is no way to tell for sure till it is cut.

The "curly" figure may be in the entire log or just in parts. I have bought boards that were figured at one end, straight grain at the other.

If the fellow believes that it is curly then make the deal such that the agreed on price is for curly, anything not curly is say 1/4 that price.

Or if you are a gambler, offer him 1/2 curly price for the whole log. You may win if more than 1/2 is curly, if not then, well, it was a gamble.

Keep in mind that there is a tremendous loss of wood when sawing, so pricing should be based on board feet produced.

Good Luck! and let us know how it works out.
Mike

Just me, but I would walk away from any deal where the guy "knows" whats inside the log. mh

[George Guadiane]

I have the opportunity to purchase what a guy calls a "curly maple log". I saw the pic. BIG tree. But i dont know much about curly logs. Are the entire logs curly? i've seen the lumber in stores where the plank is curly, but is the entire log curly? He wants $100 for the log. Price fair? thanks

What is the length and diameter of the log?
When buying raw materials, I pay a LOT less for a log than for a blank that is ready to put on the lathe, but let's assume an eight foot log that is 22 inches in diameter. If you cut and process the log right away, you can get eight half logs with some 1/4 sawn material for smallish platters, pen blanks and/or bottle stoppers, etc.
The "half logs" (with the pith removed and the ends painted) can be easily handled and stored. $12.50 for large bowl blanks like that is a pretty good deal - IF you can use pieces that large. If you do, and have a coring setup, you can double and/or triple (or more) that number, now it looks like a REALLY good deal, but remember, you are doing all of the work.
If you have a smaller lathe, you could cut pieces into lengths, then quarters to make them ready for the lathe, just cut off the pith line, where most of the worst cracking seems to come from. I usually do all of the cutting where the log starts out, that way I don't need the big equipment.

The other way to go is to paint the ends of the log and cut off a piece, as you need it, resealing the end as you go. For that method, you need to get the log to a place where you can store it and work on it.

As to the curly, if the log is this size or bigger, with no knots or knot holes, it almost doesn't matter if the wood is curly or not, at that price.

In buying, I would either ask to be allowed to cut off a few inches and then cut sections and wet them to see if any curly shows up or try to negotiate a cheaper price because you are buying a pig in a poke... But remember, a pig in a poke is still a pig. If the log looks solid and you have a use for maple (curly or not) and you have the money to spare and the tools to get the log into blanks, don't let making a "deal" lose you the log or the connection. Sometimes, the next one is worth paying for the clunker.
I hope this makes some kind of sense.
G

[charlie knighton]

another factor in buying that much wood is the time factor

how much time do you get to turn a week

its nice to turn green wood, if a can get 3' of a 20" diameter log, i am happy, i can put it in the back of the truck, turn some today and two weeks from now, in other words i like to turn a variety of woods preferrable green

if i get too much of one type of wood it will get dry by the time i have a chance to turn it, and if i pay for it and it gets dry, i feel bad

i tend to turn my oak blanks together because it gets ready in my barrels at the same time

if you are a production turner you use up wood faster than me

[Nathan Hawkes]

Kevin I haven't found a way to really tell if a log is going to be curly or not. We have a tree expert in town here that has been doing tree's for 45 yrs. He said he has seen some maple that when cut it and you thought would be just plain maple had a lot of curl. Some other that he thought would be curly were just plain jane maple. As far as the log goes to me it would depend on how big it is. I bought a 25" in diameter by 7' long walnut for $100. I stay away from those selling logs by the board foot. To much free stuff out there. For me if it was say 20" to 30" in diameter and 6 or 7 ft long I would take it.

A 25" dia. by 7' long log for $100!!! Nice.

As far as the maple is concerned, in my limited experience the curl is usually though the entire log if it is true curl and not just figure around a limb, or crotch. The intensity of the figure might vary, but all the logs I've gotten have had a fair amount of curl the entire length of the log. Like Bernie said, stay away from the buying of whole logs by the foot; this is a crapshoot; you might get a whole bunch of great wood when its milled (or cut into turning blanks), and you might not. That said, if the log is sound on the ends, and appears to have no visible defects on the outside, $100 may be quite a deal for a good log. It all depends on how available wood may be to you. I'd probably hop on it if I were you. In any case, make sure that you have end grain sealer on it. FYI; an important note: end grain sealer can NOT freeze before its applied to the log. It is a wax emulsion and cannot freeze---there is a winterized formula that I personally use that is a little runnier, but is made with ethylene glycol (antifreeze) added to it. It doesn't affect the sealing properties of the wax, and can be stored wherever you want to keep it!

[Jeff Nicol]

The ends of the log will show the figure in the log if it is there. If the log has been cut for any length of time it will be checked on the ends and you will have to cut that away to see the grain. So depending on the size of the log and if it has no large limbs in it, and also if it was not harvested in town. (Potential for nails) Then tell him you would buy it on the condition that if after you have it cut into lumber, turning blanks etc and it is not curly as he stated you want 50% of the price paid returned to you. If it is truly full of curl, it could be sawn into guitar blanks and be worth $1000's. So it could be great or just so-so.

Good luck,

Jeff