Maple
3-5 usd/kgMaple is a hard timber prized for its light colour, high strength and shock resisting properties. As well as providing a durable timber for a diversity of applications, the grain can take on incredible figured patterns, such as bird’s-eye and quilted. Such samples are highly sought after and can fetch a high price.
The heartwood is darker in colour and not as desirable as the sapwood. Neither are durable outdoors, and so mainly used for interior projects, woodwork and paper pulp.
There are two main groups of maple: hard and soft. The hard variety – known as hard maple, sugar maple, rock maple – is the most valuable commercial timber sought after for construction and woodworking projects. It is the arboreal emblem of Canada and a maple leaf adorns the national flag. Most species of maple produce sap used to make sugar. The sweetest and most notable commercial production of maple syrup comes from the sugar maple. Soft varieties grow faster, but are less strong, hard and dense. They are less expensive and utilised in firewood, paper making pallets and other industrial applications.
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Hard maple (Acer saccharum) is applied as both a timber and veneer. Its hardness and shock absorbing qualities are utilised in flooring, including residential and commercial, but also dance floors and bowling alleys, for example. It is popular for furniture making, yielding light coloured and hard-wearing stools, chairs and tables, for example. Sports equipment such as snooker cues and baseball bats make used of its straight grain and resilience.
Employed by Stradivari and Guarneri in the construction of violins, its used in the highest quality musical instruments continues to this day. It is used for the back, body and sides of violins, cellos and drums. Not only is its hard surface good for producing rich tones, the decorative grain patterns create some dramatic and eye-catching effects.
Maple with figured grain, such as bird’s-eye, fiddleback, quilted and flamed, is often turned into veneer and fetches a high price. It is used to decorate furniture, as well as musical instruments.
Maple is often compared to birch, because they have a similar light appearance. In this case, maple is much harder wearing. It is also compared to ash as another wood that is good for flooring, tool handless and sports equipment.