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What kind of Maple?

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oasis
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:53 am Reply with quote
Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 364 Location: Hilo,Hawaii
Anyone know what specific kind of maple is used for decks? Is it a hodge-podge? Is it different kind of maple depending on the harvest? What's up?
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crailtapper
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:36 am Reply with quote
Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 22
Depends on which brand deck you're talking about, but for the most part it's Canadian Maple.

Ross
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skinny
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:48 am Reply with quote
Joined: 12 Sep 2004 Posts: 2706
Actually it is called burl or birdseye white maple. Its sold as hard maple and is rotary peeled not cut by a saw. It has to be kiln dryed before it is ready to be used. It can only grow in cold climates so canada and the northern great lakes are the main sources. If you want to use it for skate boards it should be sorted into different grades, blemish free stuff goes on the top and bottom, stuff with knots or marks goes int the middle, cross grain cuts have to be used to create stiffness in the deck. Some companys use a small percent of hard birch for filler and it is sold without the knowledge of skateboard consumers. I have experimented with ultra thin layers of birch and cherry in some decks ( one was a 12 ply!) but never went to production with any. I have found that all maple decks are the strongest way to build one. The best trees to harvest for skate veneer are the old growth maple trees that get cut down after they have been sapped for years. . I hope this helps.


Last edited by skinny on Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
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oasis
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:56 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 364 Location: Hilo,Hawaii
Yeah defenetly. I was just curious because I know they are Canadian Maple but all that means is they are maple trees from Canada.

Thanks for sharing.
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AlvaCollector
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:57 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 3436
skinny wrote:
Actually it is called burl or birdseye white maple. Its sold as hard maple and is rotary peeled not cut by a saw. It has to be kiln dryed before it is ready to be used. It can only grow in cold climates so canada and the northern great lakes are the main sources. If you want to use it for skate boards it should be sorted into different grades, blemish free stuff goes on the top and bottom, stuff with knots or marks goes int the middle, cross grain cuts have to be used to create stiffness in the deck. Some companys use a small percent of hard birch for filler and it is sold without the knowledge of skateboard consumers. I have experimented with ultra thin layers of birch and cherry in some decks ( one was a 12 ply!) but never went to production with any. I have found that all maple decks are the strongest way to build one. The best trees to harvest for skate veneer are the old growth maple syrup trees that get cut down after they have been sapped for years. In the past I have gotten veneer with sapping marks in them and they were the strongest stuff. I hope this helps.


wow.
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skinny
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:42 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 12 Sep 2004 Posts: 2706
I haven't written anything on this subject in a while and I just came across it again. Here is more maple info.
Processing maple is a very important part of what the final product(skateboard deck) will turn out. Some concerns besides cutting and drying are; selection, sizing, sanding, and storing.
Selection: This begins with the trees themselves, older trees are longer and have thicker trunks. This allows for many cuts per log and will produce clean blemish free veneer for a larger amount. These trees produce even runs of stock and are producing fewer "wavy" or "wormy" veneer per log. They also produce tighter cellular structure which makes denser maple overall. They produce pale white veneer and have fewer knots. These trees are almost always cut in old growth forestry the trees average between 65-80+ years old. They are also cut less frequently and are found in North Eastern cold climates. These trees tend to be more expensive to cut as well. Sorting for grade and grain is important as well because top and bottom veneer or (face grade veneer) must be free of knots and most blemishes. Filler grades and crossbands are also graded for imperfections.

Sizing is an important part of skateboard construction. A mill should allow for many length, width,and thicknesses of peeled stock. Obviously poor quality stock cut very thin is bad for skateboard construction. Also the machinery becomes part of the equation here because dull equipment can tear up the grain of the veneer.

Sanding is a nice option for a mill to offer. Machine sanded face veneer makes printing the finished deck easier and machine sanding to thickness is a nice option for very thin veneer stock. Sanding does less damage to the grain than peeling does.

Bad storing/ warehousing techniques can ruin excellent veneer stock. Moist climates can warp veneer and expand the grains in the wood itself. Dry storage without concern of humidity can have an equally bad effect on veneer by making it brittle. Dry veneer can be caused by excessive heat or extreme lack of humidity. Bad storage can damage the corners and edges of the stock and can cause problems with cleanleness of the stock. Dust and dirt, even excessive handling by peoples hands can effect lamination by not allowing full penetration of adhesives into the wood itself.

There you have it more maple info.
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