fiddleback maple

Re: fiddleback maple

Tony Reynolds in Newark, Ohio

>Don't know, but it would be nice. Then they could indentify the gene in the seeds and have plantations of it. I've always heard from sawyers it's usually found in one side of the tree, which would seem to support the stress theory.

Tony

Re: fiddleback maple

David Eaves

>Hi Keith,

Sounds like an interesting idea. I guess another similar option could be genetic damage say from a virus or somthing when they are young which does it. A bit like burls maybe. As Tony has said I've read about the stress thing. That makes sense.. maybe a combination of factors :o)

Happy turning with it!

David

Please send to my Genetics Testing Lab :-)

steve antonucci

>Please send all of this wood to my lab for testing... we are close to finding the cure for this defect in maples and countless other woods.

Only with your help and support can we actually find a cure and prevent this kind of problem that afflicts so many North American hardwoods. Won't you please help?

Congrats on your find.

A quick question or two:

Was there any visual indication that the tree was curly like ripply bark? Is the area "unique" like the top of a mountain ridge, steep slope? Is this tree unique when compared to it's neighbors?

And finally, the question that all guys secret need answered: Does size matter? If the tree gets large, I would think that it will be stronger, lessening the wind shake theory...

Congrats again.

S

Re: fiddleback maple

John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)

>Research shows that genetics (alone) does not induce curly (or birdseye) in maple. I forgot where I read it the report but the conclusion that I remeber is that hundreds of prodgeny from cross pollinated and self pollinated seeds produce no more figured wood than control seeds from non-figured trees.

John

Re: fiddleback maple

David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA

>I'm not a scientist nor expert, but everything that I've read on the subject, and one article in particular (that was given to me by a very knowledgeable forester) confirms that science, in no way, has any explanation for shimmering effect found in fiddle-back maple. Crotch figure and similiar specific single tree phenomenons have been explained, by understanding that stress can cause similiar effects, but true fiddle-back maple has been left unexplained by all the experts, even on high powered microscopic levels, as well as in the genetic research.

But it sure is some beautiful wood!

David

Re: fiddleback maple

Don Orr

>Hi Keith, Congrats on the big pile of figured maple. As far as I know the others are correct in that no one knows for certain what causes this phenomenon. At our meeting last week a guy brought a pickup truck full of extremely curly AMBROSIA!! maple. Incredible figure and color. The most interesting thing to me was that the ambrosia coloration followed the curly grain pattern exactly. You have to see this stuff to believe it-beautiful. It started out to be firewood but Ed rescued it, thankfully. Another strange thing was that the Ambrosia beetle is not supposed to live this far north, but there were characteristic holes and color pattern through the whole tree. I traded him a cherry burl for a nice big piece of this wood. Can't wait to see what it looks like finished.

Sorry you missed the meeting, see ya soon, Don