# Urban Maple



## JMC'sLT30 (Oct 26, 2010)

I went to look at a 30' Maple log today, no pics batteries were dead. It's free for the taking about 36" at base, not sure about top, that's when I found out batteries were dead and got distracted. Not familiar with maple so looking for input on best approach here, should I be concerned with 1/4 sawing or just flat saw all the way through therefore getting a mix (is it stable enough?) and what about sizes 4, 5, or 6/4 and maybe some 8/4, I will be drying it in my D/H kiln. Input welcome.
Thanks James
ps. what about length, I might try to get a couple of slabs where it chokes down to 30" that my mill will handle.


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## qbilder (Dec 19, 2010)

Sugar maple? It's usually pretty stable, but is much more stable quartered. Given the size and the fact that it's urban, there should be a lot of color contrast with white, cream, caramel & dark brown. A 30' log at 36" will yield a lot of nice lumber if it's solid. If it were mine, i'd be cutting it for either a plank floor or some living room furniture like an entertainment center, so quarter sawed 4/4. That's just me, though, for what I personally want. Some 8/4 slabs would be nice for a bar, bench, or table. I like to leave one live edge on thick wide slabs like that so there's a naturally decorative front for a hallway bench or coffee table. Flat sawed will give you the curved grain on the face of the board, which is really pretty in two tone maple. It gives a soft, smooth look. But drying flat sawed maple gives more trouble than quarter due to cupping & bowing.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I never 1/4 saw maple, too wasteful for no real benefit IMO. I mill them as wide as possible, _if_ they cup I am most often ripping them anyway for projects and rip/plane the cup out from rough sawn to finished working dimension.
Unless you have a specific use in mind like flooring or trim, 8' is plenty long for anything woodworking (I mill them 5'-6' all the time, whatever shows up, they still find a use/get sold at that length) Around here for my use and for sales I go heavy on the 4/4, a little 6/4 and a little 8/4, maybe 70% 4/4 and 15% each 6 and 8 quarter, those are good furniture dimensions in about the amounts I use them/sell them. Like I said earlier unless you have other plans/different market, which it doesn't sound like or you wouldn't be asking.


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