The great figured wood of the Pacific Northwest. Pale, bright, and fine grained, and in roughly one tree out of hundreds it carries quilt or curl: a three dimensional figure that pools and shifts as you move around the piece.
Big leaf maple is Acer macrophyllum, the only maple of commercial consequence in the Pacific Northwest and the source of the finest figured maple in the world. It takes its name from its leaves, the largest of any maple. Furniture makers know it for something else entirely: when a big leaf maple grows figure, it grows the best figure there is.
Where walnut is dark and oak is warm, maple is light. The sapwood runs from nearly white to a cream carrying a faint golden or reddish cast, and the heartwood deepens to a light reddish brown. Most of what we build with is the pale wood, and it is the brightest surface in our shop. Under a hand rubbed oil finish it warms toward honey and amber. In a room short on natural light, a maple top gives light back.
This is the reason to choose it. Quilt is a three dimensional figure, oblong bulges that pool and roll across the board like light under moving water, and the highest grades of it in the world come out of big leaf maple. It is rare. Roughly one tree in hundreds carries real figure, which is why figured maple is priced the way it is and why the good boards are worth waiting for. The effect is strongest in flat sawn boards, and it is not a pattern printed on the surface. Walk around the table and the figure moves with you. Curl runs through this species as well, tight rippled bands across the grain, and spalted big leaf maple, where fungal lines draw fine dark boundaries through the pale wood, is a Pacific Northwest signature.
Big leaf maple is a soft maple, and we will not tell you otherwise. At 850 on the Janka scale it is softer than white oak at 1,360 and black walnut at around 1,010, which means it will take a dent more readily than either. That is the honest trade for the figure. It is straight grained with a fine, even texture, machines and turns cleanly, and finishes to a clarity that lets the figure read at full depth. For a piece that will see children and heavy daily use, we recommend the 2K polyurethane finish for the harder surface. For a piece that will be looked at more than it is worked on, oil brings the quilt alive in a way no film finish can.
We bring big leaf maple in from the Pacific Northwest board by board, kiln dried and selected for figure. Plain maple is easy to find. Quilted and curled boards are not, and each one is shown to you before the first cut. If the piece you have in mind wants light rather than depth, or a surface that changes as you cross the room, this is the wood. If you know what you want, we find it. If you are not sure yet, we help you discover it.
Every piece that leaves our shop is finished one of two ways, and the choice is yours. We offer a 2K polyurethane spray finish applied in our commercial spray booth, or a hand-rubbed oil finish using Odie's Universal Oil. Both are exceptional finishes. They simply offer different things, and understanding the difference helps you care for your piece properly.
The 2K polyurethane finish is applied in our dedicated commercial spray booth, a capability that most small custom furniture shops simply do not have. The result is a surface that is hard, consistent, and highly resistant to moisture, heat, and daily use right from the start. It requires less ongoing maintenance and is well suited to households with children, heavy everyday use, or clients who prefer a more set-it-and-forget-it approach to care. Because big leaf maple is a softer hardwood, this is the finish we most often recommend for maple pieces that will see daily use. For day-to-day cleaning, wipe the surface with a soft damp cloth and dry it promptly. Avoid harsh chemical cleaners. The finish will perform beautifully for many years without any reapplication.
The hand-rubbed oil finish is a different experience entirely. We finish these pieces with Odie's Universal Oil, a food-safe, non-toxic hard wax oil that penetrates the wood rather than sitting on top of it as a film. The result is a surface that feels alive under your hands. You are touching the wood itself, not a coating over it. The finish deepens and enriches the grain in a way no spray finish can replicate, and on figured maple it gives the quilt and curl a depth that film finishes flatten.
An oil finish does ask a little more of you over time. Once a year, or whenever the surface begins to look a little dry or flat, a light maintenance coat of Odie's Universal Oil is all it needs. Apply a small amount with a soft cloth, work it into the surface, allow it to set for roughly 45 minutes to an hour, then buff off any excess with a clean dry cotton cloth until the surface feels dry to the touch. Allow the piece to rest for 24 to 48 hours before subjecting it to standing liquids. That is the full extent of the maintenance required. For everyday cleaning, wipe with a soft dry cloth or a lightly damp one as needed.
Regardless of finish, use trivets and felt pads under anything hot or rough, and avoid leaving standing water on the surface for any length of time. Keep your piece out of prolonged direct sunlight to prevent uneven lightening of the wood over time.
If you have any questions about caring for your piece or would like guidance on maintenance, contact us. We stand behind every piece we build and are always glad to help.