Curly Maple

[Jez]

Is it possible to get Curly Maple in the UK ?

For the level 3 course at my collage i have to design and build my own peice of furniture and im thinking of having curly maple draw fronts so i wouldn't need to much of it.

I've googled and checked eBay etc.. but don't seem to have any success, do you know of any suppliers at all ?

cheers,
Jez

 

[Philly]

Jez
I've bought the odd plank from Yandles in Somerset. Very expensive and a bit disappointing, figure not as good as you see in magazines :roll:
How about veneering? I've just finished veneering some drawer fronts in some amazing curly stuff-search Ebay for veneer, you will find a huge amount of stuff.
Hope this helps,
Philly

 

[ByronBlack]

For curly maple, you could try a number of luthier suppliers, I regularly purchase exotic maples and other rare woods and usually get a good deal, although it's never cheap!

Try David Dyke on: 01435 812315

 

[Chris Knight]

Jez,
Don't forget Sycamore is a maple! I used rippled sycamore for drawer fronts in my tool chest. I got a board from Timberline (see my sig) and resawed it to make sliices about 4mm thick which I glued to a plainer piece of the same wood for the drawer fronts.

The board I bought was only rippled at the edges for a distance of about 4 inches towards the heart (centre of the board) and was typical of a number of boards I looked at. To make the drawer fronts from solid would have required several more boards which would have been very expensive.

Timberline do a lot of "musical instrument woods" and if you want a different figure this might be a source in addition to David Dyke, already mentioned above by Byron.

 

[PowerTool]

Excellent drive-by gloat,Chris - even left the price ticket on the box :wink:

Andrew

P.S. - very nice tool chest

 

[Jez]

Great looking chest ! and thanks for the great advice.

Theres some on Timberline, starting price of £49.50 :shock:
when it says 42mm , 54mm, 65mm im hoping thats thickness and not length....

Im planning to do somthing in this style, but i don't think ill be using any ebony looking at the price... :shock:

Would Walnut work as a substitute to ebony ? or Black Walnut (is it as black as the name) but then again its all adding to the price

cheers,
Jez

 

[Scrit]

Don't forget Sycamore is a maple!

It even has a rustic name - "field maple" in some parts of the UK.....

I'm planning to do something in this style, but I don't think ill be using any ebony looking at the price... :shock:

Would walnut work as a substitute to ebony ? or Black Walnut (is it as black as the name)

American black walnut is not all that black :? , and English/French walnut is also quite pricey, even in veneer. The other approach is to use a much cheaper timber such as beech and the "ebonise" it. See here for some further discussion on the subject

Scrit

 

[Jez]

Thanks for the reply scrit.

I found this stuff on axminster :
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... e=1&jump=0

Would this work on any wood ? what would be the best wood to use to "ebonise"

cheers,
Jez

 

[woodbloke]

Jez - Saw some lumps of ebony a while back at Yandles which were eye wateringly expensive, maybe £100 or so for a piece 1000x100x50mm...gave it a quick glance and moved very rapidly on - Rob

 

[jasonB]

Thats the product that I mentioned in the post Scrit was refering to. It will work on most timbers. As it is slightly transparent something with a bit more grain pattern than the beech mentioned may be better, Tulip wood (americal poplar) is easy to work and not at all expensive and being a little more pourus than beech or maple will take the laquer well.

Jason

 

[Chris Knight]

The Chestnut stuff is great - one of my door handles is ebonised Sycamore and I defy anyone to say which without a really close examination. Of course if knowing the hidden things bothers you, as it does many of us hobbyists, then choose a different wood!