Unlike most other hardwoods, the sapwood of hard maple lumber 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 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. The grain is generally straight, but may occasionally be wavy, and has a fine, even texture.
Description
Hard Maple
Soft Maple
Janka Hardness:
1,450 lbf
Average Dried Weight:
44.0 lbs/ft3 (705 kg/m3)
Workability:
Hard maple is fairly easy to work with both hand and machine tools, but is 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. Maple 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.