Sooooo... I got a piece of hard maple. long and thick. I plan to rip it to 1/8" strips.
Here are some pics.
Face- near perfect grain (look at the angle of the end grain):
![](https://scontent.fhfa2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/l/t1.0-9/14956470_1138283342928055_863822355459292264_n.jpg?oh=9f08252ab206e15aa3bee309cbd66750&oe=58A29A3E)
Sides- Well, the grain sucks at the sides...
![](https://scontent.fhfa2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14962794_1138283336261389_7297145096033883787_n.jpg?oh=ff244595cea0b0f5fbb6f532e0c456ac&oe=589B75FA)
Now, I plan to use it as a core and back the whole think with bamboo.
My question is, can I use it as backing strips? the grain on the face side is one of the straightest I`ve seen but the side grain concernes me.
Your thoughts please.