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N 45° 56.444′ W 94° 24.651′
Maple Is a common tree in Minnesota there are a number of species, Mountain Maple, Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Box Elder, and Red Maple. More recently Norway Maple and Amur Maple. Sugar Maple is most known for it's high sugar content (Maple Syrup). The others can still make syrup, but it is a lot less concentrated. For wood the Sugar Maple is also better for its attractive grain structure and wood strength.
Types of Maple Wood
There are two main categories of maple trees:
- Sugar maple: In tree form, this timber is generally referred to as the sugar maple. It is the same plant from which we get most of our maple syrup. In wood form, however, it is referred to mostly as hard maple, or sometimes rock maple. It is among the most dense American domestic hardwoods, with a janka hardness rating of 1,450 lbf (pound-force). The Janka hardness rating comes from a test that measures the density of wood species. For context, cherry has a Janka rating of 950 lbf and white oak comes in at 1,360 lbf.
- Soft maple: Soft maple does not refer to a specific species of maple tree but rather a broad category of lumber that is not hard maple. In fact, most soft maple species are about half as dense as hard maple. The species of soft maple available for sale often depends on your locale. Here are two generally available species in the eastern and western states.
- Silver maple: Growing in the eastern U.S., silver maple has a lovely silvery undertone to the wood. I’ve had a few boards that have wide streaks of silver, almost resembling a vein of silver oar when finished! It is quite a bit softer than hard maple with a Janka rating of 750 lbf.
- Red Maple
- Box Elder
The Pros of Maple Wood
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Availability: Maple is one of the most common commercially available woods in the U.S. and can be found at nearly all lumber suppliers, including big box stores.
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Strength: Maple’s density and durability are among the highest for American hardwoods.
- Price: Maple is often moderately priced, it lies right in the middle of the pack for domestic hardwoods.
The Cons of Maple Wood
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Staining: If you are one to use pigments on your wood, you may have a difficult time with hard maple. Due to its density and tight grain, it tends to take stains unevenly, and ends up looking blotchy. My simple solution is to not stain maple wood. Let the natural aging process beautify the wood.
- Density: Sure, rock maple earned its nickname by being wicked strong, but that density does make it slightly hard to work with.
What Is Maple Wood Used For?
Maple is used in a wide variety of applications, including:
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Flooring: From homes to basketball courts and bowling alleys, maple is used for any floor that takes a beating;
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Musical instruments: Maple is a favorite among luthiers (makers of stringed instruments) for its tight grain structure, resonance and visual beauty;
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Baseball bats: In the last 20 to 30 years, maple has become the wood of choice for most bats used by Major League Baseball;
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Woodworking: Let’s not forget the myriad uses maple has in the woodshop, from workbenches to jigs to furniture.
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Welcome to the Little Falls Area! We have a series of caches dedicated to the people that have and are making the area a great part of the Minnesota quilt. These caches are placed under the name TeamGeoPilot in honor of our team of Cache Hiders! Enjoy and hopefully you will all be Little Falls experts after you search these out.