John Buchanan Custom Tables and Demi-Lune

[TXCajun]

TxCajun,

All I can say about tiger maple is never underestimate the beauty of this wood especially when John Buchanan uses it to build a piece of furniture. I have a glass bowl, full of glass floats, sitting on one of his tiger maple tables. The glass refracts indirect sunlight across the grain of the maple and the color of John’s finish changes through out the day.

As for the lamp shades, I am exploring different shapes that are all based upon abstracted flower blossoms. My current vision is the lamp shades will have an organic but refined shape and more than likely, will be red. Once I have a final shape and texture then I will have to determine how the lamp shades will be fabricated, i.e., blown, slumped in a mold, or draped over a mold. At this point, the only thing about the design that is set in stone is the shades will need to be somewhere in the 15-20 inch diameter range and my wife has the final decision.

Once I have the shades in hand then I will select a wood to compliment the glass shades and the other furniture and accessories in the room. My lamp project will definitely take a year or two to complete but it will be a fun journey since I would like to fabricate the lamp shades.

Hi, Kevin.

I most definitely am a fan of Tiger Maple. It is gorgeous, especially when an expert woodworker puts it through its paces, such as in your pieces. My only hesitation regarding your lamps is in that I am ignorant of the wood itself. When it comes to a wood's natural state, I am fairly knowledgeable about old Long Leaf Pine, Texas Mesquite, and some Oaks. I know just enough (not more than just enough) to understand what it takes to get it from field to furniture. Other than its beauty, I know nothing about Tiger Maple. Other than Japanese and Bigtooth Maples, I know so little about Maple trees that I might not recognize one if I bumped into it. That is why I questioned the use of Tiger Maple in the making of a floor lamp. Does it grow in such a way that it will give you the length and turning for that application with that grain pattern coming through?

Your vision for those lamps sounds beautiful. What a lovely room you are creating. Now that you've mentioned red as a shade color preference, what have you been considering for the lamp base color? And, what a special thing that you will be able to say, "I made those shades."

TXCajun

[TXCajun]

TXCajun,

Yes, it may be a bit too much going on with the other woods in the room, but when you see it stained & finished like this it's beautiful!!

P.S. This is a Sinker Cypress live edge dining table that's $9,000 on Etsy!!

Hi, Asomer.

Yes, that is pretty. I know it is appealing to many people, and I appreciate it for what it is. The thing is, for whatever reason, I have never found myself wanting any of it. ("It" meaning the live edge pieces.) Tomato - tomahto, I guess.

TXCajun

[Asomer]

Hi, Asomer.

Yes, that is pretty. I know it is appealing to many people, and I appreciate it for what it is. The thing is, for whatever reason, I have never found myself wanting any of it. ("It" meaning the live edge pieces.) Tomato - tomahto, I guess.

TXCajun

Lol, TXCajun...that particular live edge table is VERY "live edge!" I've seen others that are more subdued on the edges, so it doesn't quite look like you're eating off a slab of wood.

I'm with you about Maple trees too; I wouldn't know one if it walked up to me & said "hi." Now, Oak & Pine...that's a bit different. We're surrounded by them here in East Texas & on the Gulf Coast

[Asomer]

Kevin, since you mention red shades...I keep thinking of a rich flame mahogany in a deep finish. Tho that may end up making the piece a bit too dark overall, giving it a Victorian era look

It just occurred to me, that with a highly figured Tiger Maple, an amber color shade would be a beautiful compliment to the wood?

[TXCajun]

Hey, Kevin, a thought just occurred to me... I need to clarify that I understand Tiger Maple is not a type of Maple. I understand (I think I understand?) that it has everything to do with the way the wood is cut. I am very familiar with quarter-sawn oak, or as some call it, Tiger Oak. However, I have some confusion regarding Tiger Maple. Am I correct in that it isn't the actual Maple tree grain that gives the pattern? Does the "tiger" pattern actually run completely opposite to the maple tree's grain?

I am seriously lacking in the correct, related vocabulary.

TXCajun

[Asomer]

Hey, Kevin, a thought just occurred to me... I need to clarify that I understand Tiger Maple is not a type of Maple. I understand (I think I understand?) that it has everything to do with the way the wood is cut. I am very familiar with quarter-sawn oak, or as some call it, Tiger Oak. However, I have some confusion regarding Tiger Maple. Am I correct in that it isn't the actual Maple tree grain that gives the pattern? Does the "tiger" pattern actually run completely opposite to the maple tree's grain?

I am seriously lacking in the correct related vocabulary.

TXCajun

I didn't know this either...hmm, I'll have to Wiki "tiger maple" & learn more about this.

[Lloyd]

Hey, Kevin, a thought just occurred to me... I need to clarify that I understand Tiger Maple is not a type of Maple. I understand (I think I understand?) that it has everything to do with the way the wood is cut. I am very familiar with quarter-sawn oak, or as some call it, Tiger Oak. However, I have some confusion regarding Tiger Maple. Am I correct in that it isn't the actual Maple tree grain that gives the pattern? Does the "tiger" pattern actually run completely opposite to the maple tree's grain?

I am seriously lacking in the correct, related vocabulary.

TXCajun

Description from The Wood Database...

Curly Maple is not actually a species, but simply a description of a figure in the grain—it occurs most often in soft maples, but is also seen in hard maples. It is so called because the ripples in the grain pattern create a three dimensional effect that appears as if the grain has “curled” along the length of the board. Other names for this phenomenon are: tiger maple, fiddleback maple, (in reference to curly maple’s historic use for the backs and sides of violins), or flamed maple. Unlike quilted maple, curly maple is most pronounced when the board is quartersawn, and the curls usually become much less pronounced or absent in flatsawn boards. Hence, on wide boards where the grain tends to be close to vertical (quartersawn) near the edges and horizontal (flatsawn) in the center, the curly pattern will be most evident on the edges of the board, with the figure diminishing in the center. It is not completely clear what environmental conditions (if any) cause this phenomenon, but there are different grades of curly maple, which greatly affect its price. Ideally, the criteria for determining value is based upon: color (both uniformity and lightness—whiter is preferred), frequency of the curls (tight, closely-spaced curls are preferred), and intensity (more depth is preferred). Prices can range from just slightly more expensive than regular soft maple for lower grades of curly maple, to triple, quadruple, or higher for prices of the highest grades. But in general, higher grades of curly maple tend to be less expensive than quilted maple, and offer an economical solution for a “figured” hardwood.

[Asomer]

Description from The Wood Database...

Curly Maple is not actually a species, but simply a description of a figure in the grain—it occurs most often in soft maples, but is also seen in hard maples. It is so called because the ripples in the grain pattern create a three dimensional effect that appears as if the grain has “curled” along the length of the board. Other names for this phenomenon are: tiger maple, fiddleback maple, (in reference to curly maple’s historic use for the backs and sides of violins), or flamed maple. Unlike quilted maple, curly maple is most pronounced when the board is quartersawn, and the curls usually become much less pronounced or absent in flatsawn boards. Hence, on wide boards where the grain tends to be close to vertical (quartersawn) near the edges and horizontal (flatsawn) in the center, the curly pattern will be most evident on the edges of the board, with the figure diminishing in the center. It is not completely clear what environmental conditions (if any) cause this phenomenon, but there are different grades of curly maple, which greatly affect its price. Ideally, the criteria for determining value is based upon: color (both uniformity and lightness—whiter is preferred), frequency of the curls (tight, closely-spaced curls are preferred), and intensity (more depth is preferred). Prices can range from just slightly more expensive than regular soft maple for lower grades of curly maple, to triple, quadruple, or higher for prices of the highest grades. But in general, higher grades of curly maple tend to be less expensive than quilted maple, and offer an economical solution for a “figured” hardwood.

Thank you, Lloyd. That's exactly what I was looking for. Lol, I hope I don't sound too stupid here: but, what is quartersawn & flatsawn? Obviously, it's the way the wood is sawed...but, if we're talking about cutting down a tree & then we have the trunk with branches & bark removed...then what? I'm completely ignorant on lumbering practices & techniques. I'm thinking with the trunk, you could really only slice it as is(giving you round pieces shaped like the trunk.) Or, run a saw thru the entire length of the trunk, making long boards of the wood. Is this the difference?

[Lloyd]

Do a quick Google search for flat sawn, rift sawn, and quarter sawn. The images will quickly explain the difference far better than my writing a couple paragraphs.

In nutshell flat sawn is the easiest-you simply slice boards off a log and don't worry about the grain pattern. With quarter sawn the log is first cut into 4 quarters then each piece is positioned so the grain runs front to back of the board rather than side to side. The wood is stronger, much more stable, and generally more attractive.

[Asomer]

Do a quick Google search for flat sawn, rift sawn, and quarter sawn. The images will quickly explain the difference far better than my writing a couple paragraphs.

In nutshell flat sawn is the easiest-you simply slice boards off a log and don't worry about the grain pattern. With quarter sawn the log is first cut into 4 quarters then each piece is positioned so the grain runs front to back of the board rather than side to side. The wood is stronger, much more stable, and generally more attractive.

Ok, I'm a visual person. So I needed to see this drawn out to understand & according to Wiki(LOL, I know...,) it sounds like the board is continuously turned over while it's being passed thru the saw, & thus yielding these quarters? This is the diagram they included: