Wormy Maple

Wormy Maple

Is wormy maple good for furniture?

Wormy Maple

They leave a fungus behind them wherever they go and that fungus causes a beautiful gray-blue streak pattern, which has become a favorite of solid wood furniture collectors. It’s used often for flooring, instruments and beautiful wood accents.

Does wormy maple have holes?

the lumberman’s term for this product has been wormy maple. The appearance is actually caused by Ambrosia beetle that carries a fungus on its legs that causes the discoloration. The holes are due to the beetle boring through the living wood.

Is wormy maple a hardwood?

Today, wormy soft maple has become more of a requested item. The worm like variations are now regularly considered a decorative feature, much like a rustic or character grade hardwood lumber product, and this feature is growing in demand and price. Wormy soft maple lumber is not considered to be a lumber with defects.

Where does wormy maple come from?

Even though we call it wormy, the darker streaks are not caused by a worm at all. They are actually caused by a beetle. Ambrosia beetles infest soft maple trees leaving a larvae behind that bore a shallow channel and deposit a fungus which causes the discoloration.

What is wormy Soft Maple?

It is altenatively named Ambrosia Maple, for the wood boring Ambrosia beetle whose tiny holes allow the intrusion to occur, is stronger and less prone to rot than Spalted Maple and as such is especially sought after for woodturning.

What is wormy oak?

Wormy Chestnut Oak is indeed a rare, exceptional find in the interior wood market. The key to its uniqueness is the occasional wormhole that results in the handsome, natural mineral streak caused by the trees dense bark that contains an exceptional amount of natural tannic acid.

Is Ambrosia maple hard or soft?

Ambrosia Maple is Soft Maple with a cream colored background which is host to a variety of greyish-blue to brown streaks that are caused by an infestation of the ambrosia beetle.

Is Ambrosia maple good for table top?

Ambrosia Maple is the most affordable wood species we work with. It’s softer than other hardwoods. Because of this, it absorbs stain really well and makes for beautiful finishes. It’s perfectly suitable for dining tables, coffee tables, shelves, and other wood furniture.

Is Ambrosia maple good for cutting boards?

This ambrosia maple cutting board is great for serving and entertaining. It has a hole for a handle or for hanging. The grain is really pretty and if you turn it over you get a whole new look. A very nice choice for a wedding gift or a gift for someone who likes a rustic cutting board.

Can you stain ambrosia maple?

Coloring maple is surprisingly tricky; standard wood stains give very mixed results. So we hired a finishing specialist to work with the Amish to develop for us special toned finish blends with a multi-step finish tailored to the unique problems of staining Ambrosia maple. And the results are stunning!

Is Ambrosia maple good for furniture?

Today, many people consider the unusual grain pattern of the Ambrosia Maple to be decorative, and woodworkers highly prize it for table tops and other visible areas of furniture.

What do I do with ambrosia Maplestory?

I use Ambrosia maple to make beautiful trays and boxes. Occasionally will use it for a cheese/Charcuterie board. Never a cutting board as it is too soft and you lose most of teh the beautiful colored streaks when you use the edge or end grain.

What is ambrosia maple good for?

Musical instruments, millwork, cabinets, and furniture. Ambrosia Maple is considered a decorative feature which gives the wood additional character, and can be available for purchase.

Is Soft Maple good for cutting boards?

Maple. Both soft and hard maple make for excellent cutting surfaces. But hard maple (1,450 lbf on the Janka hardness scale) is the industry standard among cutting board makers: It’s more scratch- and impact-resistant than beech, teak, or walnut but not so hard that it will dull your knives.

What is wormy wood?

“Wormy” chestnut refers to a defective grade of wood that has insect damage, having been sawn from long-dead blight-killed trees. This “wormy” wood has since become fashionable for its rustic character.

What is the difference between Soft Maple and hard maple?

The heavier of the two is most likely to be hard maple, but this test isn’t always 100% accurate. Look at the end grains – Hard maple tends to have a lighter, more uniformed color while soft maple tends to be darker and includes red, brown, or gray streaks. Also, inspect the spacing between the growth rings.

Elena Rostova
Author

Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.