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Quarter sawn timber
Timber in which the average inclination of the growth rings to the wide face is not less than 45 degrees.
American Soft Maple | Acer spp.
American Soft Maple is similar in appearance to the American Hard Maple, with greyish-white sapwood and light to dark reddish brown heartwood. It is used in a range of interior applications, including furniture, paneling and doors.
American Soft Maple is about 25% less hard than American Hard Maple, making it easier to work but not as hard-wearing. It is widespread throughout eastern USA, but the Big Leaf Maple grows only in the Pacific Northwest region.
Other Names: Red Maple, Silver Maple, Bigleaf Maple, Pacific Coast Maple, Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum, Acer macrophyllum
Overview
American Soft Maple is the trade name for three trees of the Acer family. They grow widely throughout the eastern USA, although the Pacific Coast/Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) grows only in the Pacific Northwest region*. The eastern Soft Maple is normally called Red Maple in the northern States and Silver Maple throughout the Midwest and southern States. Red Maple is very similar to Hard Maple and is generally consistent in colour. Silver Maple has a much wider range of colours and tends to have a softer texture.
American Soft Maple is very similar in appearance to the American Hard Maple, with a greyish white sapwood and light to dark reddish brown heartwood. However, due to the widespread growth of American Soft Maple, colouring can vary between regions. The wood is generally straight-grained although a highly figured wormy variety can occur that is not considered a defect.
About 25% less hard than Hard Maple, American Soft Maple is easier to work. It has moderate bending and crushing strength and low stiffness and shock resistance. American Soft Maple responds well to steam bending. It is often used as a substitute for Hard Maple, given the similarity in appearance, or is stained to resemble Cherry. Its good working properties also make it a potential substitute for Beech.
American Soft Maple is easily worked. It machines well and takes glue, nails and screws satisfactorily. It is considered to be an excellent timber for sawing, planning, drilling and boring. It can be stained and polished to a high finish, making it ideal for decorative purposes. The timber dries slowly and has good stability.
Soft Maple is used in a range of interior applications including furniture, paneling, cabinets, mouldings and doors. It is a good woodturning timber and is also used in the construction of musical instruments.
It is expected that the availability of Soft Maple will improve as the demand for the timber increases.
*The Properties listed on WoodSolutions refer to Red Maple (Acer Rubrum). The Properties for Pacific Coast/Big Leaf Maple can be found at www.americanhardwood.org.
Properties
Shrinkage
| Very Low | Low | Medium | High | Very High | |
Tangential: |
|||||
| 8.2 | |||||
| Radial: | > 5 | ||||
| Unit Movement: |
10.5 % |
Strength Group
| Very High | High | Reasonably High | Medium High | Medium | Reasonably Low | Low | Very Low | |
| Unseasoned: | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | |
| Seasoned: | SD1 | SD2 | SD3 | SD4 | SD5 | SD6 | SD7 | SD8 |
Stress Grade
| Structural No. 1 |
Structural No. 2 |
Structural No. 3 |
Structural No. 4 |
Structural No. 5 |
|
| Unseasoned: | |||||
| Seasoned: |
Density per Standard
| Unseasoned: | 0 kg/m3 |
|---|---|
| Seasoned: | 801 kg/m3 |
Joint Group
| Very High | High | Reasonably High | Medium | Low | Very Low | |
| Unseasoned: | J1 | J2 | J3 | J4 | J5 | J6 |
| Seasoned: | JD1 | JD2 | JD3 | JD4 | JD5 | JD6 |
Colour
| White, yellow, pale straw to light brown | Pink to pink brown | Light to dark red | Brown, chocolate, mottled or streaky | |
Mechanical Properties
| Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned: |
92.393 |
|---|---|
| Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned: |
11.308 |
| Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned: |
45.093 |
| Hardness - Seasoned: |
4.225 |
Durability
| Low | Moderate | Reasonably High | High | |
| (0 - 5 yrs) | (5 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 25 yrs) | (more than 25 yrs) | |
| In-Ground: |
||||
| (0 - 7 yrs) | (7 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 40 yrs) | (More than 40 yrs) | |
| Above ground: |
||||
| (0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5) | (21 - 40 yrs) | (41 - 64 yrs) | (More than 60 yrs) | |
| Marine Borer Resistance: |
| Lyctid Borer Susceptibility: |
Susceptible |
|---|
Fire Properties
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
| EFH Ignitibility: |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| EFH Spread-of-Flame Index: |
|||||||||||
| EFH Smoke-Developed Index: |
| 1 - non-combustible | 2 - reasonably non-combustible | 3 - slightly combustible | 4 - combustible | |
| Fire Properties Group Number: |
| Bushfire Resistance: |
Not tested |
|---|
Description
| Botanical Name: | Acer spp. |
|---|---|
| Preferred Common Name: | American Soft Maple |
| Other Names: | Red Maple, Silver Maple, Bigleaf Maple, Pacific Coast Maple, Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum, Acer macrophyllum |
| Photographer Name: | Copyright AHEC |
| Species Type: | Hardwood |
Appearance
American Soft Maple is very similar in appearance to American Hard Maple although it is susceptible to regional colour variations. It has greyish-white sapwood and heartwood that ranges from a light to dark reddish brown. Soft Maple is normally straight-grained but a wormy figure can occur. This is not considered to be a defect.
Common Applications
American Soft Maple is used in a range of interior applications, including furniture, veneer panels, doors, joinery, cabinets and mouldings. It is also a good woodturning and carving timber and is used in the construction of musical instruments.
Common Form
Sawn, Veneer
Workability
Being 25% less hard than Hard Maple, American Soft Maple is easily worked. It machines well and nails, screws and glues satisfactorily. It can be stained and polished to produce an excellent finish, which makes it an ideal timber for decorative purposes.
Readily Available
Other-specify
Availability - Further Information
The availability of American Soft Maple in Australia is expected to improve as the demand for the timber increases. Consult a specialist timber supplier in your area for more information about the availability of American Soft Maple.
Source of Timber
Native Forest
Applications
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Doors
Timber is one of the most popular and superior material choices for both internal and external doors. Whether manufactured from solid or engineered timber, there are many stylish and practical options that won't compromise on strength and structural performance. A distinctive timber door can also create visual impact, adding value to any commercial or domestic building.
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Flooring
Whether for structural or finished flooring applications, timber offers durability, versatility and adaptability. The warmth, strength and natural beauty of timber flooring has proved enduringly popular in a wide variety of interior settings.
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Interior Rails and Balustrades
With its natural beauty and inherent strength, timber is a popular material choice in internal balustrade construction. Commonly built from treated softwoods and durable hardwoods, interior balustrades and handrails are typically finished with a clear lacquer to generate the most natural result.
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Interior Stairs
Timber should be the material of choice for designers seeking internal staircases of strength, beauty and durability. The construction procedure described here applies to most general type stairs of either conventional or contemporary construction.
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Internal Paneling
Timber paneling creates interiors as warm as they are stylish. Commonly utilising an MDF or plywood substrate, internal timber paneling is natural and versatile and comes as either solid natural timber panels or as sheets of engineered wood products
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Timber Joinery Products
Timber joinery products offer a classic, unique and stylish touch to any interior design.
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Timber Mouldings
Mouldings are extremely versatile and durable, enhancing the aesthetics of any interior and functioning as the icing on the cake for designs with a focus on beauty and splendour.
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