White Maple - Rough Cut Lumber

White Maple - Rough Cut Lumber

Scientific Name: Acer saccharum

Origin: North America

Average Weight: 44.0 lbs/ft³ (705 kg/m³)

Common Uses: Indoor use. Flooring (from basketball courts and dance floors to bowling alleys and residential), veneers, paper (pulpwood), musical instruments, cutting boards, butcher blocks, workbenches, baseball bats, and other turned objects and specialty wood items.

Color/Appearance: Unlike most other hardwoods, the sapwood of hard maple is most commonly used rather than its heartwood. The sapwood color ranges from nearly white to an off-white cream color, sometimes with a reddish or golden hue. The heartwood tends to be a darker reddish-brown. Birdseye maple is a figure most commonly found in hard maple, although it also occurs less frequently in other species. Hard maple can also be seen with curly or quilted grain patterns.

Shrinkage:

• Radial: 4.8%
• Tangential: 9.9%
• Volumetric: 14.7%
• T/R Ratio: 1.9

Workability: Fairly easy to work with hand and machine tools, although slightly more difficult than soft maple due to its higher density. Maple tends to burn when machined with high-speed cutters, such as in a router. It turns, glues, and finishes well, though blotches can occur when staining, and a pre-conditioner, gel stain, or toner may be necessary to achieve an even color.

Density: Janka Hardness: 1,450 lbf - For comparison: White Pine 420 lbf - Black Cherry 1,260 lbf