Bird’s Eye Maple – Bird’s Eye Maple

Names and distribution:

Bird’s eye maple is a special form of the Canadian maple or sugar maple(Acer saccharum). Similar to latching, eye formation is a special feature that occurs naturally and is not genetically determined. It is therefore not possible to grow bird’s eye maple like a standard forest tree species. The eyes are already recognizable on the log when the bark is detached from the wood. Logs suitable for veneering are selected in this way. Otherwise, well-sawn boards are separated from the standard goods in the sawmills and marketed separately. The distribution is limited to the northeastern USA and southeastern Canada. In Eastern Europe, similar characteristics are occasionally observed in other maple species. However, this maple differs from the real bird’s eye maple of North America in color, quality and density.

Wooden picture:

Both the sapwood and parts of the core are strikingly white. Older heartwood tends to have a color core, which can vary in its extent and reduces the value of the wood – comparable to European ash. The latewood zones are reddish in color, which distinguishes it from the European species. Sycamore maple.
The wood is dense and fine-pored, the structure of bird’s eye maple is lively with an irregular grain pattern. Very decorative and sought-after precious wood.

Properties:

The specific weight is given as approx. 0.75 ^t/m3 at a wood moisture content of 12%. Drying is unproblematic, but should be done slowly. Difficult to plane, smooth surfaces are produced by sanding. Like the plain version of Canadian maple (‘hard maple’), bird’s eye maple is one of the hardest wood species in the boreal zone.

Use:

Woodturning, guitar making, veneers

Replaced: