WHAD Soft Maple

acer-rubrum

WHAD Soft Maple: (Acer rubrum) Ratings 1 to 5 (best):

WHAD Soft Maple: (Acer rubrum) Ratings 1 to 5 (best):

Available Sizes:

4/4 through 20/4 Select & Btr

4/4 through 12/4 #1 Com & Btr

  • Machining

    4

  • Nailing

    3

  • Screwing

    3

  • Gluing

    3

  • Finishing

    5

Distribution

Throughout Eastern U. S., and to a lesser extent on the West Coast (big leaf maple).

General Description

In most respects soft maple is very similar to hard maple. Generally the sapwood is greyish white, sometimes with darker colored pith flecks. The heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The wood is usually straight-grained. The lumber is generally sold unselected for color.

Availability

Abundant. Most widely used species.

Working Properties

Soft maple machines well and can be stained to an excellent finish. It flues, screws, and nails satisfactorily. It dries slowly with minimal degrade and there is little movement in performance.

Physical Properties

Soft maple is about 25 percent less hard than hard maple, has medium bending and crushing strength, and is low in stiffness and shock resistance. It has good steam bending properties.

Main Uses

Furniture, paneling and millwork, kitchen cabinets, mouldings, doors, musical instruments, and turnings. Soft maple is often used as a substitute for hard maple or stained to resemble other species such as cherry. Its physical and working properties also make it a possible substitute for beech.