Silver maple

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

The recent October snow has caused a lot of available turning wood. A friend offered me a sizable piece of silver maple. I've turned Norway and Sugar Maple but never tried silver maple. I know it is quite light for maple and the trees break easily. How is it to turn?
faust

[Roger Chandler]

It turns well, Faust...............I also like the figure you get in some, especially the crotch pieces which at times has nice feather to it..................maple is maple in my opinion............a great wood to put on the lathe!

[Jon McElwain]

I got a really dry silver maple log about a year ago. Turned a couple of salad bowls out of it. It was really nice to turn, resistant to tearout, and finished nicely. Like you said, it is really light in color. Don't do like I did and apply some BLO or other oil as it will turn yellow! I'd get that piece and enjoy!

[Prashun Patel]

I turned a bunch of silver maple last year. It was great, but can turn brown in parts during drying.

[Jamie Donaldson]

212653Silver maple is among my favorites, and it spalts beautifully as this example shows.

[Jack Mincey]

Silver maple is my favorite wood to turn, to date. Here are a few pieces from it. While these peaces vary a lot in color and spalting they came from the same vary large log. I like to get very large dia. logs to turn when I can, for they tend to be more stable and move less than smaller dia logs since the growth rings are flatter. Silver maple tends to be the largest logs that I find in my area.
Jack
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/IMG_3668.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/IMG_3671.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/IMG_2502.jpg

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Thanks Boys,
Jack, those are perfect proof that a picture is worth a thousand words. Beautiful stuff.
faust

[Baxter Smith]

I have turned a couple of spalted pieces that were given too me. Pretty stuff and turned esily!

[Greg Just]

It is great for spalting. Get all you can.