I need an education

[JRD]

Folks,

I hope I'm never too proud to admit I don't know something. That's how I figure most of us learn what we do know, asking a lot of questions.

This afternoon I was turning a bowl out of maple from a tree cut down on our property when my wife asked me the difference between "hard maple" and "maple". Guess what, I had to admit, I don't know.

To me, maple is maple. So what's the difference? Educate me.

 

[DaveO]

Hard Maple is generally from Sugar Maple, and soft Maple can be from Red Maple, Silver Maple, and I believe, Bigleaf Maple. Hard Maple is hard but soft Maple isn't soft, it is harder than Oak. Hard Maple got the nick name Rock Maple from a furniture craftsman who made furniture with it and called it Rock Hard Maple. Usually HM is whiter than SM, and SM can often have mineral streaks in it that are greyish. SM is usually what is sold as spalted and Ambrosia Maple. Both burn like heck (DAMHIKT) due to their high sugar content. That is all that I know for now, I am sure that I will be schooled too, in this thread.
Dave

 

[DavidF]

Bloody hell Dave! what a mine of information you are - good answer.

 

[D L Ames]

Good question JRD and a great answer Dave. I was never aware of all that either but now I know. Between hard and soft maple which would look better when making a large piece of furniture, say like a bed or chest of drawers? is there much difference in the grain pattern?

D L

 

[DaveO]

I think both would work fine. SM is easier to work with and plenty strong. HM has almost no grain pattern to it, where the is a little in SM. IMO you get more color diversity with SM so board matching is harder. Also being more widely grown SM cost less. So you know what my choice would be I made the Maple desk in my album out of SM, screwed up a cut and had to quickly find a replacement board. All I was able to get locally in 5/4 was HM, see if you can find it in the desk top.
Dave

 

[D L Ames]

Thanks Dave, I remember that desk, it turned out great but now I am going to have to go look at the top again to look for the the lone HM board.

D L

 

[DavidF]

My Coffee table was made in curly SM and I liked it alot. The legs of the demilune were in HM and I thought burnt much easier, also as you say Dave the HM can be a bit boring