Okay, so I’ve been messing around with some wood lately, specifically this “LVL dancing soft maple timber.” Sounds fancy, right? I was basically just curious about what I could do with it.

First things first, I got my hands on a decent-sized piece. It wasn’t cheap, but I figured, “Hey, let’s see what the fuss is all about.” I inspected it, ran my hands over the surface, and even gave it a good sniff. The texture’s pretty smooth, kinda like regular maple but…different. It felt solid, maybe a bit heavier than I expected.

Getting Started

My initial plan was super simple: I just wanted to cut it into a few smaller pieces and see how it handled. I grabbed my trusty saw – nothing fancy, just a regular handsaw – and got to work. It cut surprisingly well! Didn’t splinter too much, which was a good sign. I made a few straight cuts, then tried a couple of angled ones just to get a feel for it.

• Cut a few test pieces with a handsaw.
• Checked for splintering and ease of cutting.
• Experimented with straight and angled cuts.

Next, I figured I’d try sanding it down a bit. I started with some coarser grit sandpaper and then moved to a finer one. The wood responded really well to sanding. It became super smooth, almost velvety. I even noticed the grain popping out a bit more after sanding, which looked pretty cool.

The “Dancing” Part

Now, about that “dancing” part… Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what that’s supposed to mean. Maybe it’s just a marketing thing? But I did notice that the wood has a nice, subtle flex to it. It’s not like it’s going to bend in half, but it’s definitely not as rigid as some other hardwoods I’ve worked with. I tried gently bending a smaller piece, and it had a nice, springy feel to it.

I haven’t built anything specific with it yet, but I’m thinking it might be good for something that needs a little bit of give, maybe some kind of curved design. Or maybe I’ll just make some coasters. Who knows? It’s all about experimenting, right?

For now, I am satisfied with my experiment.