How to Identify Soft (Red) Maple Wood (Acer rubrum)

Sapwood ranges from almost white to a light golden or reddish brown; heartwood is a darker reddish brown. Grain is generally straight but may be wavy; fine, even texture. End grain: Diffuse porous; pores solitary and in radial multiples, small to medium, moderately numerous to numerous; parenchyma banded (marginal); rays narrow to medium, normal spacing.

Janka hardness 950 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Specific gravity 0.54 at 12% moisture content, so a cubic foot weighs roughly 34 lb. Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Soft maple's hardness/density (roughly 700-950 lbf, near black walnut or black cherry) is noticeably lower than hard maple's ~1,450 lbf, and soft maple is easier to machine; hard maple also shows more diverse ray widths on the endgrain than the more uniform medium-width rays typical of soft maples. The Hard (Sugar) Maple page has its own details.

No characteristic odor; maples in the Acer genus have been reported to cause skin irritation, runny nose, and asthma-like respiratory effects.

Veneer, paper (pulpwood), boxes, crates/pallets, musical instruments, turned objects, and small specialty wood items.

Reduced density generally makes soft maple easier to work and machine than hard maple; maple has a tendency to burn when machined with high-speed cutters, and can blotch when stained.

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.