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Blunting Effect Boring Carving Certified Source Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Substitutes Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities		Scientific Name Acer saccharum Trade Name Sugar maple Family Name Aceraceae Common Names Bird's eye maple, Black maple, Blister maple, Canadian maple, Curly maple, Fiddleback maple, Hard maple, Maple, Rock maple, Sugar maple, White maple Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Agricultural implements, Bedroom suites, Billiard-cue butts, Boat building, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Handles: general, Hatracks, Instrument cases, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Musical instruments, Musical instruments: piano, Musical instruments: strings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Paneling , Paneling, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Shade rollers, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Stools, Tables , Tables, Textile equipment, Tool handles, Toys, Trimming, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Woodenware Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Sugar maple grows from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick westward to Ontario and Manitoba, southward through Minnesota, and eastern Kansas into northeastern Texas. It extends eastward to Georgia and northward through the Appalachian Mountains into New England. Local populations occur in northwestern South Carolina, northern Georgia, and northeastern South Dakota. Disjunct populations are known from the Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma. Sugar maple grows in a wide variety of plant communities throughout eastern North America, where it prefers moist soils of uplands and valleys, but may be found in pure stands. It is a dominant or codominant in many northern hardwood and mixed mesophytic communities. Common codominants include beech (Fagus grandifolia), birch (Betula spp.), and American basswood (Tilia americana). Heartwood Color Brown Red White Purple Black Tan Pink Reddish brown White to cream Red Pale brown Dark brown Pale red to pink Light tan Brown Bird's eye maple, a form of white or sugar maple, usually exhibits a whitish background with brownish dots, which are rarely solid, at irregular intervals. The dots form "eyes" by having a circular rim which is of different color than the center. The dots are believed to be the starting points of new side branches growing from the trunk of the tree Sapwood Color White Yellow Red Pink Green/Grey Brown White to yellow Pinkish Whitish Reddish tinge Paler than heartwood Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Figure Straight Wavy Distinct (figure) Other (figure) Growth rings (figure) Closed Even Variable (figure) Fiddleback (figure) Stripe (figure) Mottled (figure) Birds-eye (figure) Generally straight, but not always Wavy Other figure Clear growth rings (figure) Distinct figure Distinct and very fine figure Variable figure Other figure Striped figure Mottled figure May be wavy or curly Fiddleback figure Closed Decorative figuring includes bird's eye, maple burl, blistered, leaf, and fiddleback. Texture Fine Even or uniform Uniform Very fine Fine Very fine Even textured Natural Growth Defects Bird's-Eye figure is characteristic for the hard maples and appears as attractive patterns on veneer manufactured. Flecks caused by insects may also be present. Boards containing this are often culled during grading and sold at a premium. Natural Durability Non-durable Perishable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Non durable Perishable Very little natural resistance Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles A hard maple rated as more durable than other maples. Fire resistant properties higher than average timber Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Distortion Collapse Discoloration Internal Honeycombing Possible Warping can be expected Sapwood discoloration possible due to extractives. Moderate twist/warp Collapse and honeycomb in heartwood is possible due to mineral stains and wetwood. Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Slowly Medium to High Shrinkage Moderately Difficult to Difficult Thick Stock Requires Care Little degrade Easy Moderate Little degrade if dried properly High tangential shrinkage can result from lack of care during drying. Dries slowly Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Sapwood width is 15-20 cm Product Sources Plain maple is readily available in both lumber and veneer forms, but figured maple veneers are limited in availability and are considerably more expensive. Sugar maple derives its name from one of its by-products, maple sugar. A single Sugar maple tree is capable of producing twelve gallons of maple sap a year. About forty gallons of maple sap is required to produce one gallon of pure maple syrup. Certified Source Certified Source Substitutes Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ) African celtis (Celtis mildbraedii ) Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Blunting Effect Moderate High to severe Blunting effect on machining is moderate High effect from irregular grain Boring Very good to excellent results Fairly easy to very easy Excellent (95+ pieces out of 100 will yield excellent results) Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Hard maple responds well to carving, and works without tear-outs or chipping. Cutting Resistance Moderate to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate Moderate to fairly difficult to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moderate gluing properties Easy to glue Satisfactory gluing properties Mortising Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Good mortising properties Expected number of pieces out of one hundred producing fair to excellent mortising results = 95 Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Number of shaped pieces out of one hundred producing good to excellent results = 72 Timber is relatively easy to shape without chipping and splintering. Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Medium Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Pre-Boring Recommended Poor to Very Poor Results Very Good to Excellent Results Holds nails well Difficult to nail Possible if prebored Tends to split during nailing Pre-boring recommended Poor nailing properties Percent of nailed pieces expected to be free from complete splits = 27 Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor to Very Poor Results Moderately easy to plane Ease of planing is moderate Difficult to plane Expected number of planed pieces out of one hundred without any machining defects = 54 Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Permeable sapwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is resistant Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately resistant Difficult to treat with preservatives Heartwood is fairly difficult to treat with chemical preservatives. Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Difficult to machine Moderate working qualities Easy to machine Variable qualities Sanding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor to Very Poor Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Good sanding finish Difficult to sand (expect < 50 out of 100 good to excellent results) Extra care is recommended since sanding marks are rather difficult to cover because of the wood's density and light color Screwing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Screwing yields good results Difficult to screw Possible if prebored Pre-boring recommended Expected number out of one hundred of screwed pieces free from complete splits = 52 Turning Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Good results Good results Good results Expected number out of one hundred with fair to excellent results in turning = 82 Veneering Qualities Veneers easily Suitable for slicing Veneers moderately easy Difficult to veneer Suitable for peeling Various figures can yield decorative veneers There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits Moderately easy to veneer Good gluing qualities Burl Birds-eye Birds-Eye is common in veneer of sugar maple, but can also be found in yellow birch, white ash, and other maples Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Good Moderate Fair/moderate (,50% of pieces are unbroken during steam bending) Painting Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Satisfactory results Excellent results Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory results Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Surface Preparation Very Good to Excellent Results Finish is generally satisfactory Finish is generally good Stains satisfactorily but unevenly Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Max. crushing strength = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Work to Maximum Load = very low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Hardness (side grain) = soft Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shrinkage, Radial = small Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Bending strength (MOR) = high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Hardness (side grain) = medium Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact strength) = medium Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Shrinkage, Radial = very small Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Resists denting and marring Max. crushing strength = low Max. crushing strength = high Heavy Hardness = medium Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = low Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10688 16904 psi Crushing Strength 627 1441 psi Density 45 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1359 lbs Impact Strength 39 40 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 4069 7233 psi Shearing Strength 2235 psi Stiffness 1566 1828 1000 psi Toughness 358 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 11 14 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.49 0.55 Weight 46 44 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 14 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 751 1188 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 44 101 kg/cm2 Density 721 kg/m3 Hardness 616 kg Impact Strength 98 101 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 286 508 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 157 kg/cm2 Stiffness 110 128 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 412 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.77 0.98 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.49 0.55 Weight 737 705 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Betts, H.S.,1959,American Woods- Maple,USDA Forest Service, American woods Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin Brown, H.P. and Panshin, A.J.,1940,Commercial Timbers of the United States Their structure, identification,,properties and uses,McGraw-Hill, London Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World: - No.7 North America,TRADA Canadian Forestry Service. 1981. Canadian Woods - Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors. Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. Clifford, N.,1957,Timber Identification for the Builder and Architect,Leonard Hill (Books) LTD. London Edlin, H.L. 1969. What Wood is That?: A Manual of Wood Identification. A Studio Book, The VIking Press, New York. Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO Fiji Forestry Department,1971,The Properties and Potential Uses of Vuga (Metrosideros collina) A Summary,of C.S.I.R.O. Investigations,Fiji Timbers and their Uses No.52, Department of Forestry, Suva, Fiji Findlay, W.P.K.,1975,Timber: Properties and Uses,Crosby Lockwood Staples London,224PP Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1945,A Handbook of Empire Timbers,Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Forest Products Research Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1954,Hardwoods for Industrial Flooring,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Leaflet, No.48 Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1957,Timbers for Flooring,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Bulletin, No.40 Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1969,The Movement of Timbers,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough Technical Note,No.38 Forests Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1956,A Handbook of Hardwoods,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Department of,Science and Industrial Research, Building Research Establishment Harrar, E.S.,1942,Some Physical Properties of Modern Cabinet Woods 3. Directional and Volume,Shrinkage,Tropical Woods,9(71, pp26-32 HMSO, 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed. I.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer Cutting Jackson, A. and D. Day. 1991. Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood. Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio. Kaiser, J. Wood of the Month: Hard Maple - The Most Popular Maple. Wood and Wood Products, February, 1991. Page 38. Kaiser, J. 1989. Wood of the Month - Maple: The Star of Autumn, the Sweetness of April. Wood of the Month Annual, Volume 1, Supplement to Wood and Wood Products, Pages 37-38. Kline, M. 1979. Acer saccharum - Sugar maple. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Pages 21-22. Kloot, N.H., Bolza, E.,1961,Properties of Timbers Imported into Australia,C.S.I.R.O. Forest Products Division Technological Paper,No.12 Kukachka, B.F.,1962,Characters of Some Imported Woods,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison,,Foreign Wood Series,No.2242 Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc. Fresno, California. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Markwardt, L.J., Wilson, T.R.C.,1935,Strength and related properties of woods grown in the United States,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin,No.479 Mullins, E.J. and McKnight, T.S.,1981,Canadian Woods Their Properties and Uses,University of Toronto Press 3rd Edition NWFA. 1994. Wood Species Used in Wood Flooring. Technical Publication No. A200. National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. Patterson, D.,1988,Commercial Timbers of the World, 5th Edition,Gower Technical Press Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Redding, L.W.,1971,Resistance of Timbers to Impregnation with Creosote,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Building Research,Establishment Bulletin No.54 pp.43 Rijsdijk, L.F. and Laming, P.B.,1994,Physical and Related Properties of 145 Timbers, Information for,Practice,TNO Building and Construction Research Centre for Timber Research Kluwer,Academic Publishers Skolmen, R.G.,1963,Robusta Eucalyptus Wood: Its Properties and Uses,US. 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