# Flame Out!



## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

I am starting a new project to build a 19 foot long entertainment center. I went over to my lumber supplier this morning to get a truck load of paint grade maple to make the face frames. Their paint grade maple is super cheap and if dig through the pallet pile enough I usually find nice clear pieces. I was digging, pulling out 12 foot pieces, and stacking them on the cart when I made a startling discovery. About halfway down was a nice piece of flame maple.

After about thirty minutes of digging, I had pulled out 30 board feet of highly figured flame maple. One of the guys working there walked by and said "good find". The price was $1.38 a board foot. I kept looking over my shoulder on the way home for blue lights.

This is what we call "paint grade" down here in the south.


----------



## SwedishIron (Jun 6, 2008)

Wow, nice paint grade maple..  As you just found out.. making sure to look through every board in a bunk before buying your boards can really pay off.. Is it just more or doesn't it seem that the best ones are always on the bottom of the pile?.. at least for me.. Murphy's Law.


----------



## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

seek and ye shall find….Nice score Dennis.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

very cool super bargain


----------



## studie (Oct 14, 2009)

Always amazing to see some fine wood & how the grain turns around the corner like in your pictures. I lost a custom Birds-eye Maple Telecaster & a 1967 Martin D18 also custom from a luthier here in Seattle. Someone broke into my house in 02. But now my tools are so heavy I'll find them only a few feet from the door with some crackhead underneath. LOL Awesome wood too good to paint for sure!


----------



## rhett (May 11, 2008)

Gotta love that paint grade wood. I once knew the owner of a door making company. He used to let me neaty dig thru stacks of lumber once I found out all the "figured" wood got painted. I would get all their figured cherry and maple before it got covered over with paint. If I sold it for profit he got 50%. The owner had no interest in fine woodworking and would tell me "I cant put that crazy wood in my doors". Wish I could meet more people like that!


----------



## ARTTdylan (Jan 6, 2010)

I can't put that crazy wood in my stair parts or my customers complain but I try to put what I get aside and dream of a customer coming in and asking for an entire stairway out of it.


----------



## Kerux (Oct 7, 2007)

That is sweeet wood. I want to see the final product.


----------

