duckkisser Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 i was wondering if flame box alder is a very soft or hard wood?"think its related to maple" does it tend to split? does it keep it flame coloring after it dries out or over time? is it good for hand or machine tools? can it be cut into boards as i have only seen it as turning blanks? does it warp easily? and what are you general feelings about the wood. please give me your good and bad experiences working with it. thinking of cuting it into small 1/4 strips to make the inside edge on cherry picture frames for christmass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmac Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 I've never heard of box alder. Maybe you're thinking of box elder? In any case, here's a pretty good website that gives the properties of all kinds of woods: http://www.wood-database.com/ -- Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paoloberno Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Maybe you mean boxelder? Despite the name it is actually a soft maple (Acer negundo) with a white/slight yellow wood often flamed in bright red (maybe it is a fungus)... However it is the softest maple but hard enough to make something durable, with a very fine grain and small pores, my experience with it is limited to some wooden spoons i make but i love it because it's easy to work, to sand, takes a very good finish and the resulting spoons are light, strong and easy to clean (finished with linseed oil)... The tree is small and rarely have the long straight bole needed cut it into boards this is why you never find boards but only turning blanks, maybe the only problem can be the fading of the bright red flaming with time but i don'know how much it fades and how quickly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnell Hagen Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 It's common name here is Manitoba Maple, it's a soft Maple prone to burl and figure. They are hardy and do well here on the Canadian prairie. The red will fade with exposure to UV light, it's a good wood to use for drawers and cabinet backs. Your intended application is fine, although I would use Acer Saccarum, sugar maple, myself. The colour is whiter and would be a sharper contrast to Cherry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screamer777 Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 I never had the luck to work with this type of wood. It looks beautiful. Check out this link: http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/box%20elder.htm And to compliment rmac's post: http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/box-elder/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 I had some gorgeous box elder with a natural edge about 6-7 years ago. A friend sent them to me and I never got around to using them. My loss. After that time, the color faded dramatically and the boards checked. Should have used them right away. Live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbarton22 Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 At my local hardwood store, they have a nice bowl turned from boxelder. I actually only found that out today. The reason I didn't know before is because the red faded completely away and is brown-grey. The owner of the shop did say that it holds it's color in pens or other applications because they are not exposed to UV as much. Just some timely $.02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted July 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 thanks everyone i was realy worried about how much it would faid over time. if it fades that drasticly as some people say then maybe i should find something that will keep a drastic sharp color longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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