Hard Maple

Hard Maple, also called Sugar Maple and Rock Maple (scientific name: Acer saccharum), has a heartwood of dark red-brown color. Sapwood tends to range from nearly white to off-white cream with a red or golden hue. Its texture is fine and even, and grain is straight but can be wavy.

Hard Maple is commonly found in north eastern North America. It is non-durable, prone to insect attack and perishable.

Janka Hardness :
6,450 N (1,450 lbf)

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

Workability :
Fairly easy to achieve good results with either hand tools or machine tools.However, when machined with high-speed cutters it has a tendency to burn. It turns well and is good for steam bending. It is good with glues and finishes well.Staining can produce blotching. Avoid by using gel stain, toner or pre-conditioner for an even color.

Pricing / Availability

Hard Maple is usually more costly than Soft Maple due to the material’s higher density and firmness, but it is still an affordable option. However figured objects made out of Hard Maple, like quilt and birdseye, are on the expensive side.

Sustainability

Hard Maple is not mentioned on the IUCN’s Red List or in the CITES Appendices.

Common uses

It is a widely used type of wood and has a wide array of applications ranging from the flooring of basketball courts to bowling alleys, to pulpwood for paper, to musical instruments, to various culinary utilities such as cutting boards and butcher blocks to sports equipment such as baseball bats, to turned wooden objects and specialty wooden objects.