Angle of cut

[flyingmelon]

I got some maple from a local sawmill today and am planing on cutting it into some blanks. What is the best angle to cut it at so that the grain pops? I know each board will be different but is there an angle that is best to start at? I want to get the most pieces out of it but also want some good looking blanks.
Thanks for any help,
Russ

 

[BigRob777]

Russ,
Is this plain maple? There isn't much grain in plain maple, so the angle doesn't matter much. If it's quartersawn (so that the grain cuts straight through the plank and the end grain has vertical grain lines), then you may get some cathedral graining, if you cut it at a very slight angle. You can make it into concentrated cathedral graining, sort of like the celtic knot in one direction, if you add a slight angle. This probably won't matter though, unless you have good grain lines. Most folks just use curly, or birdseye maple, as plain maple is, well....plain. You can use a dye, or stain, to add some character though.

If you have any questions about any of this, please send me an e-mail, as I probably won't be rereading this post.
Rob