Maple Sugar/Hard

Acer saccharum

Top portion is finished with water-base finish; bottom with oil-based finish

Appearance

Color: Heartwood is creamy white to light reddish brown; sapwood is pale to creamy white.
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.
Variations Within Species And Grades: Black maple (B. nigrum) is also hard; other species are classified as soft.

Properties

Hardness/Janka: Janka: 1450; (12% harder than Northern red oak).
Dimensional Stability: Average (9.9; 15% less stable than red oak).
Durability:

Workability

Sawing/Machining: Density makes machining difficult.

Sanding: 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. The species also burnishes, dulling fine paper and screens.
Nailing: No known problems.
Finishing: Takes neutral finish well; May be difficult to stain.
Comments: Origin: North America

Availability

Easily available. Figured grains have limited availability.