
How to finish birdseye maple. Actually birdsevc is readily available in staggering varieties. After with 3 coats of dewaxed shellac. Sounds like a fun project. Birds eye maple finish.
Before curly maple board sanded to 220 grit just before being finished with dewaxed shellac. Birdseye maple is captivating lmi has a reputation among woodworkers of being hard to find and miserable to work with. Of all the basic clear topcoats you can choose from dewaxed shellac provides a surprising chatoyance that you just dont get with other finishes. Teri masaschi a professional finisher shares three ways to finish this exquisitely figured wood.
Ive not had any birdseye maple to finish but with the live edge tables i do ive had some really nice quilted maple to work with in many ways the two are similar. See the article on hardwood anatomy for definitions of endgrain features. And an antique look from dye stain and shellac. Learn about making figured curly maple come to life in woodworking projects with a beautiful finish either clearnatural or with dye stain in this no nonsense video tutorial.
More on our blog. How to restore a birds eye maple veneer cabinet. There are few woods that yield as contrasting appearances as birds eye maple. In this video career fine furniture maker tom mclaughlin will describe step by step techniques for finishing curly maple.
The term fiddle back maple came from this industry as properly matched boards would be used to make the large back panels of guitars and fiddles. The first will be how to apply a natural varnish finish and the second. If you have some time on your hands try a natural watco oil let it dry up for a few days and proceed with your finish schedule either a post pre 2k cv etc. Ill tell vou where to find it and how to choose the best boards.
Since birdseye maple is not a distinct species the written information below is for hard maple acer saccharum though the endgrain images show a sample with birdseye figure for reference. You want variations in how deep the finish will penetrate throughout different areas of the figure ive found that this can be best accomplished by sanding the raw wood up to at least 400g before. Use dewaxed shellac for your best clear finish on curly maple. A natural look with oil and a topcoat.
A darker version from a base of shellac and glazing stain. There is a lot of beauty in birdseye maple all by itself.