# Wormy Maple Countertop



## bruc101 (Sep 13, 2008)

We just installed a wormy maple countertop. The owner is doing the finish work and is using bar top oil. We started with 5/4 lumber and the finish sanding was at 4/4 so we put a 13/4 inch drop on it. Price for the maple was $1.68 a brd ft. We used about 175 brd feet to get the top One photo is the cherry we built the cabinets from. The two woods made a great looking marriage with each other. We used common cherry at about the same price as the wormy maple. 300 brd ft.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

The term for that wormy maple is ambrosia maple because the ambrosia beetle bores the holes and a fungus that rides in on the beetle's body creates the tear streaked stains around the beetle hole. You got a steal on it for sure as it goes for double what you paid in most places.

That is a stunningly beautiful counter top!


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

You've got a great looking counter top there! I love carving laminated gunstocks with ambrosia maple on the outside. It looks like natural desert or winter woodland camo and wet sanded to 800 grit with tung oil makes a finish that looks 10 miles deep. You got a great price on your lumber. Every time I find ambrosia maple with good color, I buy it.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

I have to say again, that I am in love with that counter top!!!!!!!!!!


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## bruc101 (Sep 13, 2008)

Well, I would like to thank you and Hal for your nice compliments on the top. The homeowner has just started doing the finish on it, It's their retirement home here in the mountain and sits almost on the top of a mountain. He's going to put five coats on it and then buff it with corn starch. I'll put up more photos of it when he's finished and has the back splash on it. They're still undecided whether to use cherry or the maple. I think it's going to turn out to be one of the prettier wood tops we've done as far as the grain.

It took us a week to build the top. We used a Proformax 22-44 to sand it instead of the wide belt so we would have closer control over the feed ratio. I think that was some of the hardest wood we've ever tried to sand before. After we got it flat on the sander we then took out the linear sanding lines with a OS with 100 grit. We ran the tops on 120 grit. We finished off with 220 on the OS.

We've got to do another wood top in a few months and it'll be out of curley maple with a walnut drop edge.
The cabinets will be out of walnut with curley maple door and drawer panels. Sure it will be a site for the eyes.


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## Danpaddles (Jan 26, 2012)

Our wormy maple is not that wormy! Should I say- what I have seen has much less of the dark streaking.

Good job!


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Beautiful top !


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Stunning !


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## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

I agree…..beautiful!!!!!


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

I come here every day to get my ambrosia maple fix!


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## bruc101 (Sep 13, 2008)

I continue to thank you for your fine compliments on this top. I'm going to put it up in the projects section soon.

Wood Mizer on our next trip down to south Ga. to visit friends I'll stop by your place and leave you a cut off one of those boards lol


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Now that is a deal! I am only 10 miles off I-75 and I would love for you to stop by.


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