Bird's Eye Maple
Project Boards
Dressed Lumber
Mix Packs
4/4 O Canada! Project Board Mix Pack
Maple x 4
1/2" O Canada! Mix Pack (D4S)
Maple x 4
3/4" O Canada! Mix Pack (D4S)
Maple x 4Thins
Pen Blanks
Bird's Eye Maple
Not a distinct species of maple; considered a growth/grain anomaly. Although rare exceptions exist, birdseye maple is almost exclusively harvested from Acer saccharum
Pricing:
Good Value
Hardness:
1450
Janka
Distribution:
Northeastern North America
Availability:
Readily Available
Appearance
As the name suggests, Bird's Eye Maple has varying numbers of tiny knots that are considered a growth anomaly. Other than the unique figure, the wood colour is identical to that of Hard Maple. It presents a beautiful amount of chatoyance that makes the surface dance when finished.
Workability
Like Hard Maple, Bird's Eye maple can be prone to tearout with dull tools. The figure only adds to the difficulty. A sharp plane, scraper or sanding are the best ways to surface this wood.
Uses
The majority of this figure will be found in veneer form and is prized by fine furniture and cabinet makers alike.
Additional Comments
The figure is reportedly caused by unfavourable growing conditions for the tree. The tree attempts to start numerous new buds to get more sunlight, but with poor growing conditions the new shoots are aborted, and afterward a number of tiny knots remain.
