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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, fiddleback, curly
or bird's-eye figuring. Figured boards often culled during
grading and sold at a premium.
Species & Grade Variations: Black maple (B. nigrum) is also hard; other
species are classified as soft.
PROPERTIES
Hardness (Janka): 1450; 12% harder than Northern Red Oak.
Dimensional Stability: Average (change coefficient .00353; 4%
more stable than Red Oak).
Durability: Dense, strong, tought, stiff; excellent
shock resistance -- often used in bowling alleys and athletic
facilities. Markedly resistant to abrasive wear.
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WORKABILITY
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.
Comments: Light color lends itself to contemporary light
floors. 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.
COST
(relative to plainsawn select Red
Oak)
Multiplier: 1.30
AVAILABILITY
Commodity item; figured grains limited. |
