is this maple?

[shane petersen]

hi, I had a buddy that brought me a bunch of what he said was maple and would like to use it for some wood working projects but I dont know how to tell if it is maple. I'm real new to this stuff and was wondering if anyone can tell what it is?

[Prashun Patel]

could very well be. Paint those ends with wax, though. You're likely to get some splitting about that pith.

[shane petersen]

thanks I will, its def a hard wood. I dont think its locust as i havent seen any thorns on any of it.

[Richard Coers]

Pretty sure it is sugar maple since it has no color change in the heartwood. Many hard maples have dark brown heartwood, sugar maple does not.

[Chris Fournier]

Pretty sure it is sugar maple since it has no color change in the heartwood. Many hard maples have dark brown heartwood, sugar maple does not.

Sugar maple can have brown heartwood in Ontario Canada in fact most of it does have brown heartwood, heatwood is often called mineral stain. Bought and sold plenty of this wood! Soft maple tends to be orange under the grey bark, hard maple tends to be more purple, from the look of your photos I'd say soft maple but wouldn't bank on it. Hoadley's book Identifying Wood would help you! It ain't Locust.

[Richard Coers]

Sugar maple can have brown heartwood in Ontario Canada in fact most of it does have brown heartwood, heatwood is often called mineral stain. Bought and sold plenty of this wood! Soft maple tends to be orange under the grey bark, hard maple tends to be more purple, from the look of your photos I'd say soft maple but wouldn't bank on it. Hoadley's book Identifying Wood would help you! It ain't Locust.

Around here, Central IL, soft maple never is that cream color all the way through. It can be pink or silver grey as heartwood, and a narrow cream sapwood. Almost always has flaky bark as well. Never tightly rowed like that. In fact, it may just be a box elder as I think about it.
http://sites.ipfw.edu/native-trees/BoxelderIconGallery.htm

[Chris Fournier]

Around here, Central IL, soft maple never is that cream color all the way through. It can be pink or silver grey as heartwood, and a narrow cream sapwood. Almost always has flaky bark as well. Never tightly rowed like that. In fact, it may just be a box elder as I think about it.
http://sites.ipfw.edu/native-trees/BoxelderIconGallery.htm

If you check out your link to box elder you are kinda right and kinda wrong. Acer is maple, is box elder etc. The heartwood characteristics have a lot to do with age and soil properties, same species, different conditions, different identifiable characteristics.

[shane petersen]

wow, thanks for all the replies. I love this site!:D I forgot to mention I'm north of spokane washington if area helps with identification. any suggestions on how to cure it and how long it will take?