MAPLE

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 or bird's-eye figuring. Figures boards often culled during grading and sold at a premium.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES & GRADES: Black maple is also hard; other species are classified as soft.

PROPERTIES
HARDNESS/JANKA: 1450; 12% harder than Northern Red Oak.
DURABILITY: Dense, strong, tough, stiff; excellent shock resistance - often used in bowling alleys and athletic facilities. Markedly resistant to abrasive wear.
SAWING/MACHINING: Density makes machining difficult.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
NAILING: Fair resistance to splitting, good holding ability.
FINISHING: Takes neutral finish well; does not stain uniformly.