Birdseye maple

Birdseye maple is a phenomenon that occurs within several kinds of maple for unknown reasons. It has a distinctive pattern that resembles tiny, swirling eyes disrupting the smooth lines of grain. Birdseye maple is not a variety or species of maple and is not to be confused with maple burl.

Research into the cultivation of birdseye 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 the combination of climate, soil, tree variety, insects, viruses or genetic mutation that reliably produces the effect.

Characteristics

Birdseye maple has a medium density and variable color. The outer rings of the tree create lumber that's usually a creamy, light amber color with darker birdseye patterns. The inner rings, called heartwood, might be deep amber or reddish with dark brown birdseye. 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. After it's finished, birdseye maple doesn't scratch easily, except when used as hardwood flooring; in which case it is very susceptible to being scratched from animal claws and human shoes alike.

Area

Birdseye maple is most often found in "Acer saccharum" (sugar maple), but millers also find the deformation 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 birdseye, it is usually necessary to fell the tree and cut it apart before you know for sure.

Uses

Refined specialty products, such as the dashboard of a Rolls Royce, are made of birdseye maple. Since it is such a rare and unusual timber type, it's very expensive, often several times that of ordinary hardwood [http://www.bellforestproducts.com/turning_stock.html] . Boxes and bowls for jewelry, thin veneer, humidors, canes, furniture inlays, handles, guitars, and pool cues are made from the decorative wood. Because of its durability, 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 hard to work with the grain of the wood. When working with this wood, very sharp tools are needed to prevent grain tearout.

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*cite journal|author=Duchesne, L., Ouimet, R., & Houle, D.|year=2002|title=Basal Area Growth of Sugar Maple in Relation to Acid Deposition, Stand Health, and Soil Nutrients|journal=Journal of Environmental Quality|issue=31|pages=1676–1683
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