Expert: Jamie Yocono - 10/4/2007

Question
I read your response regarding maple vs. birch. It was helpful but I have other questions.  I have a choice between getting stained maple cabinets or glazed birch cabinets (cream antique finish) The quotes are close in price.  However, I'd like to know which wood takes a glaze better?  and if I am glazing, is Birch better?  Also, is the self closing hardware a good option or will it present problems in the future?  But most importantly, according to the lumber website you recommended, I see that birds eye maple is more expensive thus I am assuming better quality, and if so, how can I VERIFY for sure the kind of maple I am getting is not the lowest quality and what does that mean as far as durability?
Please help.

Answer
Hi Greta,

I cut and pasted your last set of questions below, so I wouldn't miss answering anything:

I read your response regarding maple vs. birch. It was helpful but I have other questions.   I have a choice between getting stained maple cabinets or glazed birch cabinets (cream antique finish) The quotes are close in price.   However, I'd like to know which wood takes a glaze better?   I don't know the answer to this question regarding which wood will take a glaze better. But as a rule, Maple is considered a premium wood, while Birch isn't. You have mentioned the two quotes are close, but how close? If you're talking $200, I would choose the Maple. But if you're talking $2000, then that's a different story. Also- how big is the cabinet run? If the difference is $2000, but you're buying 50 or 60 lineal feet of cabinets, that really isn't that big of a difference, per cabinet.

and if I am glazing, is Birch better?   I guess this depends on how opaque the glaze is. If it's so opaque that the wood grain is concealed, there probably isn't much of a difference.

Also, is the self closing hardware a good option or will it present problems in the future?   Self closing hardware is really convenient, but the brand is probably more important than the fact that it's self closing. Do you have a brand name of the hardware? Also- the type of hinge is more important than the brand, in some cases.  Cup hinges are better than butt hinges, as they are adjustable in 3 different directions, which makes it easy to adjust a sagging or misaligned door.

But most importantly, according to the lumber website you recommended, I see that birds eye maple is more expensive thus I am assuming better quality, - Bird's Eye Maple is more expensive because of the figure of the grain (the bird's eyes), not because it's a superior wood. In fact, I prefer NOT to use it, as it is difficult to surface. It chips horribly, so the best way to surface it is with a surface sander, rather than a planer. While I happen to have both tools, many woodworker's don't.

and if so, how can I VERIFY for sure the kind of maple I am getting is not the lowest quality and what does that mean as far as durability? - I think the best way to judge if you're getting the right quality (or at least the quality that you're paying for) is to check for things like knots, color variation and grain patterning. Knots are generally considered defects (unless it's knotty wood, and then it's sold that way as a premium) so you do not want knots, unless you paid to intentionally have knotty wood.

I tend to look for things like straight, even grain, with a general color match from board to board. Some sapwood is acceptable, especially in Maple, since it's so light, you can barely tell the sapwood from the heartwood. You want the wood to feel heavy and dense; if it's a lighter weight, it could possibly be Sugar Maple, which is a softer Maple that Hard Maple.

You asked a lot of good questions, but you also didn't provide a lot of information for me to help you more. I did the best I could with what information I had to work with.  Write back if you need more help. Hope this helps!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com