The American species of maple are divided into two groups: Hard maple, which includes sugar and black maple; and soft maple, which includes red and silver maple. Until the turn of the century, the heels of women's shoes were made from maple, as were airplane propellers in the 1920s. Maple has been a favorite of American furniture makers since early Colonial days. Hard maple is the standard wood for cutting boards because it imparts no taste to food and holds up well.

Grain:
Closed, subdued grain, with medium figuring and uniform texture. Occasionally shows quilted, fiddle back, curly or bird's-eye figuring. Figured boards often culled during grading and sold at a premium.

Characteristics:
Light color lends itself to contemporary light floors. Extra care must be taken during sanding and finishing, as sanding marks and finish lines are more obvious due to maple's density and light color.

Durability:
Dense, strong, tough, stiff; excellent shock resistance -- often used in bowling alleys and athletic facilities. Markedly resistant to abrasive wear

Color:
The heartwood is light reddish-brown with deeper-colored late-wood bands. The sapwood is white in co lour. and furnishes the white maple prized for certain uses. It differs mainly from the soft maples in its greater density and finer texture.

Finishing:
Takes neutral finish well; does not stain uniformly.

Stained best with:
Natural or Colonial Maple stain. Dark colors sometimes come out blotchy. Colonial Maple looks lighter and more orange. Click on Paint Brush for Finishing samples.

Woodworkers Preferred:
Too hard, doesn't like stain.