| NAME: |
Soft Maple |
| BOTANICAL NAME: |
Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum |
| ALSO KNOWN AS: |
Red Maple, Silver Maple, Box Elder |
| RANGE: |
Mainly throughout the Eastern US |
| STRENGTH PROPERTIES: |
About 25% softer than hard maple, medium bending and crushing strength, and is low in stiffness and shock resistance. It has good steam-bending properties. |
| GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: |
Often used as a substitute for hard maple or stained to resemble other species such as cherry. Soft maple machines well and can be stained to an excellent finish. It glues, screws, and nails satisfactorily. Polishes well and is suitable for enamel finishes and brown tones. Little movement after fabrication. |
| AVAILABILITY: |
Readily available |
| USES: |
Furniture, paneling and millwork, kitchen cabinets, mouldings, doors, musical instruments, and turnings. Often used as a substitute for hard maple or stained to resemble other species such as cherry. |
| COST: |
Low |
