Replies

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Feb 15, 2006 06:47am | #1

   dunno about the Jatoba -

   hard and soft maple are different species of Acer - hard maple is Sugar and Black - soft being Silver - 'Negundo' (Boxelder) is a soft maple,  but of a different nature and is not a timber tree - this is the local situation in the midwest - species may vary in other locations -

    

    

   "there's enough for everyone"
1. 
   ThreePuttJoe | Feb 16, 2006 05:28am | #6

   So is all of the furniture you see that is Maple made from hard maple? I see a good deal of curl to the soft Maple that I have been seeing which looks a great deal more like that I've seen in furniture. Hard Maple is obviously great for bench-tops and cutting boards, but it seems a bit tough to work and awful heavy to be making entire furniture pieces from. But you're saying soft Maple is unsuitable for furniture?Thanks,Joe

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Feb 16, 2006 06:31am | #7

   So is all of the furniture you see that is Maple made from hard maple?

   'all'?...well,  no,  certainly not - figured maple comes from both hard and soft species - hard maple is 'softer' than most of the oaks - and tho 'hard' maple (particularly figured) is challenging to work with hand tools,  it's not much of a match for power (tho figured wood tends to tear out - sharp cutters and good technique!) -

   I have a friend who works for a larger hardwood timber buyer/processor/seller - he has told me he finds an higher percentage of figured soft maple vs hard - for several years his firm supplied Gibson Guitars with figured maple - one time I snaked in as they were sorting the pallets of maple and snagged several boards that wouldn't quite make the guitar grade - I was in the picture frame business for that winter - fun -

   soft maple is fine for furniture - a little softer than black cherry - I'd avoid using it for table tops and legs -

    

    "there's enough for everyone"

2. 
   philip | Feb 15, 2006 12:48pm | #2

   Jatoba safe-I hope so as I made my chopping board from it!
   Also made a few bar tops with it-ideal application-the false teeth just bounce off it.

   Philip Marcou
1. 
   KeithNewton | Feb 15, 2006 05:35pm | #4

   Hey Mook,

   "Also made a few bar tops with it-ideal application-the false teeth just bounce off it."That was funny, I was a little surprised that they wear false-teeth way around on your side of the world. I figured they would just pull one of those horns out of the helmets that they wear, and pound their food until they can just swallow it without chewing.Oops, maybe I am thinking of another part of the world. Ha Ha

1. 
   philip | Feb 15, 2006 09:56pm | #5

   Hello Keith-yes... maybe you are thinking of Denmark, where they have just given new meaning to "putting the foot in the mouth".Philip Marcou

3. 
   wdrite | Feb 15, 2006 04:41pm | #3

   Hard maple , sometimes referred to in the furniture industry as hard rock maple, is very hard and wear resistant while soft maple looks very much the same , it compares favorable to poplar.  In fact, I have used it many times as a substitute for poplar.  It has just a little finer grain and is slightly harder.  Soft maple is very abundant here in the Ohio valley lowlands.  Hard maple, on the other hand, grows more slowly and is found on higher, well drained soil.

4. 
   WillGeorge | Feb 17, 2006 03:58am | #8

   Jatoba..

   If it not maple and not from the good old USA I'd think twice!