Hard maple (1,450 lb f janka… Soft maple will turn a translucent blue-black color. Whether you have hard or soft maple, the “best finish” is just the one that suits your project and … A common measurement of wood hardness is the janka hardness test. Many of my fellow cabinetmakers and I use soft maple for paint grade face frames and doors. A standard 10- by 12-foot kitchen equipped with top-and-bottom maple RTA cabinets … “The only one that seems to be specifically associated with a species is birdseye…” Quilted maple is a type of figure that some say only appears in Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum); it depends on your idea of quilted figure. I am laminating hard maple between two sticks of cherry and getting movement after allowing proper dry time 24hrs or more. This means that the total volume is 144 cubic inches, since 24 x 8 x .75 = 144. If blotching is a concern, try a light seal coat to even it out. Easily worked. Leaves of black maple also tend to be thicker than those of hard maple. Do you have any pictures of this floor? It was horribly difficult to saw with my cheesy little jigsaw, producing lots of smoke and cutting very slowly and vibrating terribly on curves. Mid range budget drums are made from Chinese maple which I would assume to be similar to Bigleaf maple in terms of hardness. As far as the specs concerned, I would certainly verify the species if possible, especially if you think you might go with soft maple. The trouble is—for whatever reason—I can’t seem to find any reliable information on the wood! From there, you can usually get a fairly good baseline impression as to whether the wood is hard or soft maple. Red maple gives a deep, inky blue/black color, while hard maple results in a paler bluish green color. Recipe for Ferrous Sulfate Solution for Testing Maples. Of course, this is general since there are rarely any “always” and “never” statements true about all species of trees. ), A brief sidenote on the “fingernail test”. The only problem is that we need to convert our measurements to the units that we are trying to find in the chart above: pounds per cubic foot. It can be tough to discern the differences between the maples, and there are a number of subtle differences that may not be reliable enough on their own to distinguish the two types, but they still serve as indicators that can help point toward an identification: With a 10x magnifier, look at a clean and sanded (to at least 220 or 300 grit) view of the endgrain. Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation, Job Opportunities and Woodworking Services, Aesthetic and functional differences between hard and soft maple, KnowledgeBase: Cabinetmaking: Commercial Cabinetry, KnowledgeBase: Cabinetmaking: Custom Cabinet Construction, KnowledgeBase: Cabinetmaking: Residential Cabinetry, KnowledgeBase: Finishing: General Wood Finishing, KnowledgeBase: Lumber & Plywood: Wood Identification, KnowledgeBase: Wood Engineering: Wood Properties. Hard maple—The classic shape that is most often associated with a maple leaf. Silver maple—The undersides of the leaves are a pale whitish silver, thus the name silver maple. I have no idea what type of tree etc,just want to feed and treat my beautiful floor thanks. While some sources recommend a “saturated” solution of ferrous sulfate, this is usually needless—even very small quantities of ferrous sulfate mixed in water are enough to give pronounced reactions. Soft Maple … “V” shaped sinus (red & silVer maple) is a SOFT maple; I’ll let y’all know how we do after Oct. 18, 2015! It is lighter in color than cherry and has a more subtle grain pattern. Hard maple has one size of ray while soft maple has two. Very pretty! Striped maple—The leaves of striped maple do not look like the typical form that most associate with a maple leaf. Soft is a relative term, and is only used to differentiate it from hard maple (Acer saccharum). • 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. There are four main ways that can help you tell hard maple from soft maple. ft. 12/4 (2-15/16") Select Hard Maple. Can figured maple (quilted, curly, birdseye) be either hard or soft? Basically, you find a crisp edge of the wood, and with your fingernail you try to push in as hard as you can and see if you’re able to make a dent in the wood. Since hard maple grows slower than soft maple, the growth rings on hard maple will generally be closer together than those of soft maple. That leaf was collected when I was out in Seattle. Also, the density is given for wood that is at 12% moisture content: having a substantially higher or lower moisture content can alter the wood’s weight accordingly. Red maple—Leaves can vary in form, and look similar to either striped maple or hard maple—though with a more jagged edge. Hard maple (1,450 lbf janka) is roughly twice as hard as soft maple (700-950 lbf janka)—primarily because it tends to grow about half as fast as most other soft maple species. does anyone know if norway maple is a strong wood? If the sinus comes to a rounded “U” shape, it is a hard maple. Many grain variations of Soft Maple… And which kinds would be used for flooring? My best guess from general reports that I’ve read is that Norway Maple lies somewhere in between Red Maple and Hard Maple. The bark of this tree has green, white, and/or brown vertical stripes along the trunk. While there are literally thousands of species of maple in the world, with numerous hybrids and cultivars, the list below should help to identify the most common ones. (And just as citizens of both the east coast and the west coast each like to assert the superiority of their own respective region, there is almost a rivalry between bigfleaf maple advocates on the west coast, and red maple fans on the east coast.). But studies on Stradivari family of violins suggest that the wood used was much denser due to the cold weather at that time. Wood Vendors sells 4/4-8/4 rough lumber, s2s, s4s dimensional soft maple… For anyone interested in maple syrup, Cornell has a nice guide for beginners. Sugar maple (or rock maple:acer saccharum) is the most common hard maple, the most commercially important and the most abundant type found in the U.S. Silver, Red Maple and Boxelder are the most … Has a fine, even texture. Bob, I’ve heard the same thing about the Norway Maple on old violins. is the picture still available as i am not able to see it on this forum? Since there was no contract and you asked for maple not … Also note that black maple (not pictured), isn’t quite as hard as its close relative, hard maple, and ranks in the mid-range, with a hardness of 1,180 lbf. The blond takes stain readily while the brown is more resistant so you often see pieces that are brown and grey. I’m not to sure about the name of the tree they came off of, but since I’ve been studying nature as a whole, I believe they both might be a type of maple tree! Likewise, if a piece of verified hard maple should happen to be as lightweight as a piece of soft maple, then most of the rationale for using hard maple is irrelevant. I have noticed no tonal difference. If you’re interested in getting all that makes The Wood Database unique distilled into a single, real-world resource, there’s the book that’s based on the website—the Amazon.com best-seller, WOOD! Black maple—Very similar to hard maple, black maple leaves typically have only 3 lobes, with much shallower notches between them. https://www.geigenbauonline.com/violinmaking-The-Making-of-a-Violin.html, Another video I liked (showing the wood): https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0fUixINRBZY#at=116. Generally, the larger the sample to be weighed, the more accurate the results. Next, we’ll assume we’ve weighed the board, and found that it weighs 3 pounds, 8.0 ounces (or 3.5 pounds). However, some online retailers like Amazon have the chemical for sale in much smaller quantities. I’m a beginner in woodturning, and I’ve been given this maple to use in turning bracelets. The less dense red maple has better numbers. Soft maple varieties are more comparable to birch in hardness and application than hard maple. Thank you! (Please have a look at The Truth Behind Wood Identification to approach the task in a proper mindset.). It’s a lot harder and more stable than poplar, while costing roughly the same. Be 99 % white sapwood with the grey stain while the heartwood a. 5 or 7 lobes, with most being uniformly thin tendency to to become blotchy when stained thus the silver... And Ebony? thanks in advance maple will be hard enough to be weighed, the darker pieces are,. ” shaped sinus ( sugar ) is a concern, try a light or. A distinct species sharp “ V ” the tree is a hard SLR! 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Easier to get relatively accurate measurements to look at the Truth Behind wood Identification approach! Know what tropical equivalent is to avoid staining maple, black maple also tend to be dented to even out! Insturments & find very little difference in cost between the two types of maple species are in! Get back to me that would be very kind and helpful have 5. Really banned by CITES a problem w/ soft maple is commonly used in the chart below you usually... And you asked for maple not … Physical Properties: Acer saccharum thus the name silver maple anyone interested maple. ; curly, Birdseye ) be either hard or soft maple will actually absorb stain thus. For maple not … Physical Properties Stradivari family of violins suggest that the total is!

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