Hasta La Ideas

This Wood Species series of entries comes to us from guest writer Rob Wilkey, an Atlanta-based woodworker and industrial designer whose expertise is in small home goods, furniture, and large installations.

Over the next few articles, we’ll be analyzing a number of common North American wood species. This week’s featured species:

Maple lumber is sold under two distinct names: Soft Maple, which is harvested from a number of different species and has a Janka hardness of 700 to 900lbf; and Hard Maple, which comes from the Sugar Maple tree and has a much higher Janka hardness at 1450lbf. Hard Maple is the maple of choice for most woodworkers due to its density and structural stability, although the softer maples make a fine substitute in less demanding applications. Soft Maple is also cheaper, partly due to the fact that the softer species tend to grow faster, but also because many of the harvestable Sugar Maples are reserved for the production maple syrup.

Maple is a pale cream color when first cut, but will darken to light yellow or pale reddish brown with exposure to sunlight. Maple is diffuse-porous with small pores, and sands to a smooth, even surface. It is easy to cut and shape, but can be prone to tearout due to its occasionally interlocked grain pattern. Despite its density, even Hard Maple is susceptible to decay and suffers from a fair amount of seasonal movement, especially when left unfinished. Maple lumber should be joined securely and finished thoroughly to prevent any shifting with changes in temperature and humidity. The various species of maple are known to exhibit a wide range of figured grain patterns and are also prone to spalting. Spalted and figured pieces of maple are usually more expensive than plain boards, but their striking visual effects can make a project very unique and eye-catching.

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