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hard vs. soft maple

3/21/17       
Gary

Seems like a lot if shops use soft maple instead of hard. We use lots of both. I would like to use all soft but it fuzzes on the machined surfaces too much.

My soft maple comes from the upper midwest. Are there certain species of soft or certain areas that it grows that don't fuzz?

3/21/17       #2: hard vs. soft maple ...
Adam

Yes. We get one out of fifty boards that I would say are fuzzy. Like they don't edge profile on the shaper well. I'm thinking door profiles. Basically unsandable.

It is so infrequent that I would never consider using hard instead of soft for paint grade. I would say we would get more chipped out hard boards than fuzzy soft boards.

3/21/17       #3: hard vs. soft maple ...
Steelie Mark

+1 w/Adam.
Are you checking your MC?

3/21/17       #4: hard vs. soft maple ...
rich c.

Red maple is my favorite, sometimes referred to red leaf maple. But getting a supplier that sorts soft maple by species is going to be tough. A load of soft maple logs is going to represent a wide selection of species. Silver maple and even box elder can be sold as soft maple. Tension wood can also lead to a lot of the fuzzing.

3/21/17       #5: hard vs. soft maple ...
Leo G

I use hard maple for stained projects. I use soft maple for painted projects. Hard maple is very chippy and harder to work with for minimal gain.

All wood will fuzz on certain boards. I get it with birch, maple and poplar. Sometimes it's just because you are going against the grain. But sometimes it's just the wood itself.

Lately I've been using a lot of soft maple.

3/22/17       #6: hard vs. soft maple ...
Andy

Why not use beech for paint grade, it machines much better and you get a high yield from the boards.

3/22/17       #7: hard vs. soft maple ...
Duster

I've been using beech lately also. It's easily as hard as maple, but it does machine better. I've used it for painted & stained pieces. Better price point than maple too.

3/22/17       #8: hard vs. soft maple ...
Gary

We do use some beech. It does machine nicely and is priced right. It is too grainy for to substitute for some of our maple product.

3/23/17       #9: hard vs. soft maple ...
Larry

Red maple or beech are my choices. Red maple is nearly as hard as hard maple and machines much better, costs a bit less also. Beech machines nicely but for some uses the grain and slightly darker color doesn't work out. Stains better than the maples.


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