What Is Quilted Maple?

Uses

• Quilted maple is used by craftsmen to create furniture and musical instruments. The rarity of the wood, and the price, restricts the use of quilted maple to small projects. Quilted maple is also used to make gun stocks.
  
  

Features

• The exact reason a tree produces "figure" wood remains one of nature's secrets. The maple trees generally develop the quilted pattern close to the base of the tree. The wood is cut using a flat-saw method that enhances the quality of the figure in the wood. After it's sanded and stained, the wood appears to have been subjected to a molten heat that rippled the grain.
  
  

Considerations

• If you're using quilted maple in a project, find a lumber supplier who marks the "figured" wood from each source. You may order several board feet for a desk or table only to find the wood came from two different trees. The pattern will differ and the color may also be different. Wood supplied from the same tree will mean a more uniform appearance in the finished project.