wood grain pattern terminology........

[Odie]

curly.....tiger.....fiddleback.....quilted.....

possibly a few more.....!

These are all terms used to describe patterns in wood grain that may have some overlap, or are identical in meaning......depending on who is using the term.

I did a little online investigating, and was unable to establish any meaningful differences in these terms.

So, here's the question: Is there substantial differences in these terms, or are they just descriptive terms that may have evolved separately to describe essentially the same thing?

There are other terms, such as burl, birdseye, wavey, crotch, ambrosia, spalt, etc.,......these all seem to have specific meanings......but those four terms mentioned at the top of this post all seem to have meanings that don't distinguish themselves from one another........

Curious minds want to know!

Your thoughts?

ooc

 

[Jake Debski]

Odie,

Going out on a limb here, in my experience, curly, tiger, and fiddleback are often used to describe the same piece. As you said, it mostly depends on the person speaking. In my mind, curly and tiger overlap and is used to describe mostly flat or turned work. It becomes fiddleback when used on musical instruments, and seems more pronounced. Quilted, in my minds eye, is more akin to crushed velvet and stands alone and apart from the others.

 

[Odie]

Odie,

Going out on a limb here, in my experience, curly, tiger, and fiddleback are often used to describe the same piece. As you said, it mostly depends on the person speaking. In my mind, curly and tiger overlap and is used to describe mostly flat or turned work. It becomes fiddleback when used on musical instruments, and seems more pronounced. Quilted, in my minds eye, is more akin to crushed velvet and stands alone and apart from the others.

Thanks Jake......

I will admit to being a little confused about the exact applications of the terminology, myself.

It's surprising the question remained "hanging" without an immediate response.......then again......maybe not!

Since I've heard other woodturners and wood dealers use the "fiddleback" term, I'm not so sure it applies strictly to musical instruments. You may be absolutely correct, if the origins of the term are all that are considered.

Your guess is as good as anyone else's on the "quilted" term. To me, this particular term is more mysterious than the others.....that is, if there is a distinct difference between it, and the others. I don't know for sure, but it's occurred to me that "quilted" may mean a "cross-hatch" effect in the grain......while the others are generally referring to a grain pattern that is strictly linear......?

ooc

 

[MichaelMouse]

Your research go here? http://www.ag.auburn.edu/aaes/communications/bulletins/figureinwood/ If not, should.

Potayto potahto, still a spud.

 

[Odie]

Your research go here? http://www.ag.auburn.edu/aaes/communications/bulletins/figureinwood/ If not, should.

Potayto potahto, still a spud.

Mornin, MM......

As a matter of fact, my research took me to that exact same web page.

I was using Google to find it.

How about if you tell us what you think?

ooc

 

[robo hippy]

The Arborists refer to most of it as 'reaction' wood. Simply, the wood fiber does an addordian thing so the wood fiber can move and stretch without breaking. This does not cover crotch wood which is more interlocking fibers to keep the branches from splitting apart. I think that the Brits call most of it 'rippled' which is pretty accurate. Not really sure about the quilted pattern though.

Burl and Birdseye are two different things, though a lot of people call burl 'birds eye' because of the spots.

robo hippy

 

[MichaelMouse]

The Arborists refer to most of it as 'reaction' wood. Simply, the wood fiber does an addordian thing so the wood fiber can move and stretch without breaking. This does not cover crotch wood which is more interlocking fibers to keep the branches from splitting apart. I think that the Brits call most of it 'rippled' which is pretty accurate. Not really sure about the quilted pattern though.

Arborists might say that, but the scientists at USDA recognize reaction wood as something else. For instance, http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2005/fpl_2005_rowell001.pdf , where reaction wood is covered in 3.7.

Figure is generalized, not localized, though whether you call it tiger maple or fiddleback is, as I stated above, immaterial. If the luthiers call it fiddleback and the cabinetmakers call it tiger, they both understand it's the same thing.

"Reaction wood" should remain, in either of its forms, just that.

 

[Bill Turpin]

To me, and my own personal opinion. Curly is "stripes" that are relatively short... 1 to 2 inches. Tiger is the same thing, but longer, they go all across the wood. Quilted is stripes that somewhat form rectangular patterns. Rectangular is a VERY loose term in my use. Patterns could be roundish or some other "regular" shape. Since I have never touched a piece of fiddleback, I will not comment on it. Our local red maple is quite often both curly and ambrosia.

All I know is that all of it is purty, I will take all of any of it that I can get!

 

[waltben]

A comment on tiger, or tiger stripes - there's a small boring bug that can make pin holes in soft maple cambria that will look like tiger stripes as a tree grows over time. It looks nothing like curl and there are small pin-sized holes here and there. I've never called curly wood tiger striped as there isn't enough color differentiation, but this stuff does have that.

 

[Michael Kuehl]

It has been my understanding that curly, tiger, and fiddleback refer to the relative "curliness," with "curly" the least, then "tiger," and "fiddleback" with the most. I'm not sure if "quilted" is a part of that continuum at all; it describes a different figure. "Ambrosia" is caused by a boring beetle (although the effect certainly isn't boring), and "spalted" is wood that has a type of decay. The word comes from the German word for "spoiled."