istd booklet cover

CANADIAN
MAPLE
Colour/Appearance:
Unlike most other
hardwoods, the
sapwood of Hard
Maple lumber is most
commonly used rather
than its heartwood.
Sapwood colour ranges
from nearly white, to an
off-white cream colour,
sometimes with a
reddish or golden hue.
The heartwood tends
to be a darker reddish
brown. Birdseye Maple
is a figure found most
commonly in Hard
Maple, though it’s also
found less frequently
in other species. Hard
Maple can also be seen
with curly or quilted
grain patterns.
Grain/Texture: Grain
is generally straight,
but may be wavy. Has a
fine, even texture.
Endgrain: Diffuse-porous;
small pores that
are uniformly spaced;
solitary and radial
multiples of 2-3;
tyloses or mineral
deposits are absent;
parenchyma marginal;
both narrow and wide
rays, spacing normal.
Workability: Fairly easy
to work with both hand
and machine tools,
though slightly more
difficult than Soft Maple
due to Hard Maple’s
higher density. Maple
has a tendency to burn
when being machined
with
high-speed cutters
such as in a
router. Turns, glues, and
finishes well, though
blotches can occur
when staining, and a
pre-conditioner, gel
stain, or toner may be
necessary to get an
even color.
Sustainability: This
wood species is not
listed in the CITES
Appendices or on
the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
Common Uses: Flooring
(from basketball courts
and dance-floors to
bowling alleys and
residential), veneer,
paper (pulpwood),
musical instruments,
cutting boards, butcher
blocks, workbenches,
baseball bats, and
other turned objects
and specialty wood
items.
There are 115 species
of maple. Only 5
commercially
important species grow
in the U.S. Two of the
five are hard rock
maple and sugar
maple.
Properties: Maple is
so hard and resistant
to shocks that it is
often used for bowling
alley floors. Its
diffuse evenly sized
pores give the wood a
fine texture and even
grain. Maple that has
a curly grain is often
used for violin backs
(the pattern formed is
known as fiddleback
figure). Burls, leaf
figure, and birds-eye
figures found in maple
are used extensively
for veneers. The Birds
eye figure in maple is
said to be the result of
stunted growth and is
quite rare.
Uses: Maple is used
extensively for
American colonial
furniture, especially
in medium and lower
priced categories. It
can also be stained to
simulate cherry wood,
which it resembles.