WOOD SPECIES:
Maple (Hard Maple)
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Acer saccharum
OTHER COMMON NAMES:
Maple, Hard Maple, Rock Maple, Sugar Maple, Hard White Maple
RELATED SPECIES:
Ambrosia Maple
Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Birdseye Maple
Black Maple (Acer nigrum)
Box Elder (Acer negundo)
Curly Maple
Field Maple (Acer campestre)
Quilted Maple
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
Soft Maple
Spalted Maple
Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum)
Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
AVG BENDING STRENGTH:
15,800 psi
SPECIFIC GRAVITY:
0.60
AVG WEIGHT:
44 lbs/cu.ft.
SAPWOOD COLOR:
The sapwood is the most commonly used portion of the Maple tree, with coloration ranging from almost white to a reddish-golden tone.
HEARTWOOD COLOR:
Maple heartwood is a uniform pale red-brown to a light tan color.
GRAIN:
Generally a straight, close grain, though frequently found with wavy or curly figuration.
TEXTURE:
Fine, even texture. Very uniform.
DURABILITY:
Left untreated, Maple exhibits very little resistance to decay and insect infestation.
BLUNTING EFFECT:
Above-average blunting effect, more so with irregular grain pieces.
CUTTING RESISTANCE:
Significant resistance to sawing operations.
PLANING:
Maple is typically difficult to plane free from any machining defects. Sharp cutters, proper angles and reduced feed rates are recommended.
TURNING:
Above average turning properties make Maple a favorite hardwood on the lathe.
BORING:
Excellent boring and drilling characteristics.
GLUING:
Most Maple varieties exhibit above-average gluing properties.
NAILING:
Holds nails well but requires pre-drilling to avoid splitting.
SCREWING:
Screws are best placed in pre-bored holes.
POLISHING:
Maple polishes nicely to a natural sheen.
STAINING:
Maple wood products respond well to most staining and dying applications.
STEAM BENDING:
Difficult but not impossible.
