fyb Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 I work at Home Depot (hey ... ya gotta make a living ) and I ran across this funky piece of maple the other day. It's got some unusual looking (at least to me) figure, so I thoughI'd snag it. Here's some pics ... http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/769/hdmaple2jn6.jpg http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/3557/hdmaple3ln4.jpg I'm pretty sure it's hard maple (it works, feels, and smells quite a bit like the hard maples I've used before though I'm no expert) so I was wondering if I could use it for something guitar related. It has a bit of twist it in it so I can't use the whole board at it's present thickness, but I figured that I could joint & plane it down to a more managble thickness and flatten it out. It looks like it's sorta birdseyed, but with hints of quilting (sort of) and almost 'fishscale' patterns. I though't it'd make a crazy looking fretboard if it'd be stable enough. It's almost like it'd be birdseyes if it were farther out from the center of the tree. It's neither flat/rift/quartered ... you can see a part of the growth rings' arc like it was only 5-7" from the center. What do you think? Is it usable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spazzyone Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 (edited) Thats what you call Popcorn Quilt and yes it is most likely hard ....Good Find and yes it is very useable. and depending on how bad the twist and can be removed on a joiner but you dont say it dimentions so i could not say Edited June 3, 2007 by spazzyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyb Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 (edited) Thats what you call Popcorn Quilt and yes it is most likely hard we have a bunch of that stuff....Good Find and yes it is very useable. and depending on how bad the twist and can be removed on a joiner but you dont say it dimentions so i could not say Cool! Here's another pic I tweaked a bit to make it look a little more like it does in person. As far as dimensions, I bought it as a 1x6 and 3' long (so really it's like 3/4" x 5 1/2" by 3'). I think I could get it flat but it'd be in the 1/2" to 3/8" range, depending on how careful I am and how my jointer blades are doing! Edited December 6, 2006 by fyb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Absolutely cannot be used! Won't work on a guitar at ALL. You'll have to send it to me for proper disposal. lol I say cut it into top sized lengths, then send it through a thickness sander, then resaw for drop tops. Cause after the re-saw and the thicknessing to get rid of any cupping it won't be thick enough for carved tops. As for the thickness, gather a couple scraps and make some lines in between to make the whole thing wider. Like a center line of purpleheart, with maple, then mahogany then this stuff, it'd look hot and that's the only way you'll get it wide enough for a top. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 That looks like a figure that is found in Birdsey. It is not exactly quilted, but looks like something between quilt and cats eyes. Very cool figure to say the least, and as long as it is well dried it should be comperable to other birsey. I think Perry had a guitar with a Birdsey neck in the last GOTM, and you may see the similarity in figure. FWIW- "Popcorn" quilt looks much like dense dime to quarter size quilts. Popcorn Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 nice find A friend of mine built a tele from wood he bought at Home Depot. [curly maple top tele.] every once in a while you will find nice looks stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davee5 Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I hate Home Depot, they've driven my favorite local lumberyard all but out of business (down from 5 stores to the 1 original, and don't get me started on their typical wood quality. That being said I joined a roomie on a parts finding trip a month ago and scored big on 3 quilted redwood 1"x6" boards (8 foot boards). Unfortunately one is about 1/3 sapwood, but they're all nicely ripple-quilted through and through. I can't bear to make shelves out of 'em and they're too small for tops unless they're resawn 3 times. So now they're just sitting in a corner of the garage with some gorgeous padauk with a slight sapwood edge (I love the contrast between the cream and the now redish purple wood) I bought 4 years ago on impulse. Think I'm gonna make a red-themed coffee table out of 'em. Any other suggestions? Maybe I'll put up my own neener-neener Home Despot pics. -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Yeah.... if your area's homedepots bother to carry maple..... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitefly SA Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Yeah, i was going to say, my Home Depot doesn't carry maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davee5 Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 No maple? Really? Everytime I've been to home depot I've found at least moderately flamed maple. In fact my usually screw around wood has become flamed maple because it's like a buck more a board than warped fir and the flame doesn't cost more. However, like I said earlier, I have started avoiding Home Depot if possible. Maybe now I'll ditch them because they show favoratism to us Californians! -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Yeah, i was going to say, my Home Depot doesn't carry maple. DITTO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmarlin Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 The Home Depots here only have poplar no maple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Maple? Home Depot? You guys are some lucky SoB's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 The home depot stores out here in CA don't carry anything like that. And you are right... they have driven the good wood places out of business. I used to go down to Fresno for hardwoods. They once had a warehouse filled with every sort of hardwood you could imagine. Now they carry nothing but a few pieces of cherry, redowood, maple, and stacks and stacks of cheap sheet goods. Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRossitter Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Ours only has Pine Oak (red) small bits of Poplar 7 Cedar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 (edited) I can't believe nobody has mentioned this yet... You need to sticker that sucker and let it dry before you even think about cutting it. Edited December 7, 2006 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I can't believe nobody has mentioned this yet... You need to sticker that sucker and let it dry before you even think about cutting it. NOW you are starting to sound like an acoustic guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Hahahaha Rich, got here JUST before me! Darn you! Yeah, I'd say sticker it for a little under a year (since it's not quite an inch) and weight it. You don't wanna lose any more thickness on that from warping and cupping! I personally keep things stickered and stacked even AFTER they are fully dried... call me paranoid... I hope that's not bad lol. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
custom22 Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Its gonna be a little hard to use it for a two-piece top. Maybe you could do some kind of burst? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stolysmaster Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Hahahaha Rich, got here JUST before me! Darn you! Yeah, I'd say sticker it for a little under a year (since it's not quite an inch) and weight it. You don't wanna lose any more thickness on that from warping and cupping! I personally keep things stickered and stacked even AFTER they are fully dried... call me paranoid... I hope that's not bad lol. Chris What do ya'll mean by the term "sticker"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Hahahaha Rich, got here JUST before me! Darn you! Yeah, I'd say sticker it for a little under a year (since it's not quite an inch) and weight it. You don't wanna lose any more thickness on that from warping and cupping! I personally keep things stickered and stacked even AFTER they are fully dried... call me paranoid... I hope that's not bad lol. Chris What do ya'll mean by the term "sticker"? Beat you to it again Chris It is simply placing sticks between stacked wood to allow for air flow, and even drying. Sealing the endgrain with wax paint or what have you is another preventative measure. You will also hear weight and sticker. Which is placing sticks and adding weight to the top of the stack. All this is to help evenly dry and aclimate wood to equalize it's moisture content with ambient humidity. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 I personally keep things stickered and stacked even AFTER they are fully dried... call me paranoid... I hope that's not bad lol. Chris it's not, but it tells me one of two things: you don't have enough wood yet, or you have absurd amounts of storage space Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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