Birds Eye Maple

rick f · February 21, 2012, 05:38:39 AM

Is there away to tell if a maple tree is a birds eye or not? If so how.
The lot we are on has alot of big 12-20 inch maple on it, I would just as soon not put any birds eye into firewood if possable.

Thanks, Rick

thecfarm · February 21, 2012, 07:55:32 AM

I think you should be able to tell by the end of the log. Should see the birds eyes in the end. Should look different to you. I think it would be a "that don't look right" moment. Than the $ signs will light up. ;D

chevytaHOE5674 · February 21, 2012, 08:41:00 AM

On the end of the log you will usually see rays going from the center out towards the bark. Also if you bump a chunk of bark off you will usually see the eyes.

I say usually because sometimes you won't really see anything but once the logs get opened up there can be eye. Generally on a timber sale I will look at the ends of the log decks for rays and if I find eye then I will go back and take a closer look at other "suspect" logs.

Reddog · February 21, 2012, 09:59:25 AM

Rick,
For one of the Cabinet makers on this board and myself, can spot it in the bark about 90% of the time by careful study.
This explains it better than I can type.
One note they don't discuss in the article, is that here in MI we tend to find a higher % of it on north facing slopes.

http://www.ont-woodlot-assoc.org/sw_birdseye.html

Autocar · February 21, 2012, 04:48:20 PM

Take a axe and knock the bark off the log it will show up like a diamond in the ruff.

rick f · February 21, 2012, 06:11:28 PM

Thank you guys for the info.

Okrafarmer · February 21, 2012, 09:03:19 PM

Interesting-- it says birdseyes can occur in red maple. I have seen a little bit of curliness in red maple. This interests me particularly because we practically don't have any hard maple down here.

chevytaHOE5674 · February 21, 2012, 09:13:02 PM

I've seen a little bit of soft/red maple with eye in it but I haven't found/heard of anybody buying it for anything other than grade logs. Sort of like curl in hard/sugar maple it really isn't desirable and most of the times just goes as normal grade logs, and it is much more common than birds eye.

My figured wood buyers want soft maple with nice curl in it or hard maple with eye. Have a couple of guys that really like hard maple with eye and curl together.

WDH · February 21, 2012, 09:17:44 PM

I have never seen birds eye in red maple. I need some!

Okrafarmer · February 21, 2012, 09:45:33 PM

I guess I shall have to be on the look out for spalted curly ambrosia birdseye red maple.

;D

Around here, any figuring at all is a plus to the artisans. And they love to use local lumber.

pasbuild · February 21, 2012, 11:33:06 PM

Quote from: WDH on February 21, 2012, 09:17:44 PM
I have never seen birds eye in red maple. I need some!

Okrafarmer · February 21, 2012, 11:42:41 PM

Nice

SwampDonkey · February 22, 2012, 06:14:24 AM

We have lots in hard maple, but we also get it once in awhile in yellow birch and white ash. I have seen it in yellow birch, but not ash other than an eye here and there. In the maple I see it in the bark. You'll know it's not bird peck because it's random. Bird peck is in rows around the circumference. One fellow brought some yellow birch eye in from his firewood pile.