Wood species

Soft Maple

Acer rubrum (red maple); Acer saccharinum (silver maple) · Sapindaceae

The pale, affordable maple, and the one most likely to carry curl, spalting or ambrosia. Soft is relative to hard maple only: it sits near walnut and cherry in hardness and density.

Janka hardness: 950 lbf
Shrinkage T / R: 8.2 / 4.0 %
Origin: Eastern North America (red maple); northeastern United States (silver maple)
IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Shop Soft Maple in stock (24)All live edge slabs

(Pre-Built) Soft Maple Live Edge Tabletop #PB185 141" x 46" - 48" x 2.2" — overhead view — Oak City Customs

Pictured: (Pre-Built) Soft Maple Live Edge Tabletop #PB185 141" x 46" - 48" x 2.2"

About Soft Maple

Soft Maple is sold on its sapwood, which runs nearly white to a light golden or reddish brown, with darker reddish brown heartwood where it shows. Grain is generally straight but can be wavy, with a fine, even texture, and curly figure turns up often enough to look for. It works easily with hand and machine tools, though it can burn under a slow router pass and blotch under stain, so we favor clear oil or hardwax finishes that keep the pale color. Soft is relative to Hard Maple; it lands near walnut and cherry in hardness. It suits tables, desks and bench tops. Our Soft Maple is red or silver maple, milled and kiln dried in Zebulon, NC.

Working & finishing

Fairly easy to work with hand and machine tools and easier than hard maple; it burns under high-speed cutters such as a router, so keep the bit moving. Turns, glues and finishes well but blotches under stain, so OCC finishes it clear. A water-white oil or hardwax keeps the pale color; an oil-based finish warms it toward amber. Sand one grit finer than oak because the fine texture shows every scratch.

Care

Indoor use only; rated non-durable to perishable. Wipe spills promptly and keep the pale surface out of standing water, which can grey it. Expect moderate seasonal width movement and refresh oil finishes with a thin coat as they dull.

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