Hard or soft maple?

[Jim Kountz]

Just wanted to get some opinions here as to which you prefer to turn hard or soft maple? I got a line on some SUPER cheap maple logs and I have my choice or either. Mainly for bowls and possibly some hollow forms later on.

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

Jim, unless the grain is really special, soft maple is for burning. Just my opinion, especially as it applies to segmented work. The hard stuff is just so much easier to work with.

[Skip Spaulding]

Jim, Here in Vermont most of our maple is sugar maple (hard) but real light color almost white. I have purchased big leaf maple which I think you have in CA. and it is a very nice wood. I am not sure how it rates on the hardness scale but I bet someone out there does.

[Jim Kountz]

Whoa man Im in WV not CA! LOL

[Skip Spaulding]

Sorry about that! Don't know where the CA came from. What have you got for maple down there ? I've turned some Norway that is not bad. Skip

[Frank Kobilsek]

Well said Malcom.

Jim even the most solid looking soft maples can be punky which just adds frustration when sanding. You take your best finish cuts, start sanding thru the grits and everything seems just great, you blow of the piece and a hunderd tiny holes appear, suddenly realizing that area you thought was just a stain or variation in the grain is punkier than you thought and you left a bunch of tiny tear out. All that said I have found some very curly soft maple, so there are rewards for the frustration.

Frank

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hard Maple Jim. I find it turns much nicer IMHO.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Jim You can't just said hard Maple or soft Maple, every tree and log is an individual, on the one hand you can get get some very colorfull soft and just plain jane sugar Maple, or the other way around, though on average I think hard is a nicer wood for salad bowls.

[Reed Gray]

I'd go for the hard maple. We have lots of the softer Big Leaf maple here in Oregon, which is beautiful, but I prefer the harder sugar maple. Cuts better, and is the best wood for rolling pins and cutting boards. I think that the softer maples spalt better, but also, they rot a lot quicker.
robo hippy

[Terry Quiram]

Jim

Try a couple bowls of each and you will soon see why we all recommend hard Maple. Its difficult to explain the difference but once you put tool to wood you will see. Take all the hard Maple and a small amount of the soft Maple.

[Jim Becker]

For me, it would come down to the figure....

[Jim Kountz]

Jim You can't just said hard Maple or soft Maple, every tree and log is an individual, on the one hand you can get get some very colorfull soft and just plain jane sugar Maple, or the other way around, though on average I think hard is a nicer wood for salad bowls.

Hey Leo,
Yeah I get that, I know the different types of maple and the trees they come from, I just havent turned much of either and was wondering what most people who have prefer as a medium. Kind or overall or generally speaking. I realize that each piece of wood you get could be holding a treasure inside but I suppose thats not what I was asking as much as which one actually turned better, easier etc. Sorry for any confusion!!

[Jim Kountz]

Jim

Try a couple bowls of each and you will soon see why we all recommend hard Maple. Its difficult to explain the difference but once you put tool to wood you will see. Take all the hard Maple and a small amount of the soft Maple.

Ahh now thats useful advice, I think I will do just that. Thanks!

[Jim Kountz]

For me, it would come down to the figure....

I think I must have worded this question bad so again I apologize. Let me rephrase and say it like this, which one turns better? You know like some woods machine better than others (ie pine vs purpleheart). So I was wondering which maple had better turning characteristics like holding details better or being easier to manipulate with tooling. Thanks for the tips though!!

[Matt Hutchinson]

Well, when it comes to turning minute details, I think that hard maple performs better (fine details are easier to achieve). But in truth both turn well, and with good technique fine details can be done in most woods.

With that said, I prefer hard maple for most projects, but nicely figured wood of any type gets added to my stash, including wood normally considered poor for turning.

Hutch

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hi Jim, if you put it that way, well hard Maple does turn better, if all else equal :-))

[Al Wasser]

Don't forget that Box Elder or boxelder is a maple. In my limited experience, it turns fine.

[charlie knighton]

Jim,

if after turning the soft maple, and sharping your tools for the 4th time and you still have tear out, coat object with shellec let dry and return, its a fine line to turn away the shellec before the soft maple has tear out again but does save the vessel :D

[Jeff Nicol]

I have turned a lot of soft maple both red and silver also tons of box elder! I have had more trouble with the hard maple when end grain or figure is involved. THe hard maple cuts real nice and pretty curls come off it but I can cut the soft maple twice as fast and with sharp tools no tear out. If you are cutting against the grain then all wood will tear out or not shear off clean. So for me I like them all and the cheaper the better!

Good luck and try them all!

Jeff

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jim - one of those things where you turn what you have available locally. In my case it is soft maple and I really like turning it. I have a few maple turnings in my photo gallery (personal info page) and everything listed as maple is soft maple. Will give you an idea of some of the color variations that I have run across up here.

[Tom Storey]

Hmmm..If it not expensive TAKE A LOT of BOTH! Just my thrifty nature :)