MAPLE - COMMERCIAL WOOD Four species of maple are of commercial importance from the lumber standpoint. These are hard or sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), soft or silver maple (Acer saccharinum), and Oregon maple (Acer macrophyllum). Hard maple is by far the most abundant and useful member of the group.
The wood of hard maple is of moderate weight for a hardwood, strong, hard, and with good wearing qualities. Variations in structure and appearance due to peculiarities of growth give curly and bird's-eye effects which are much prized. The wood of soft maple is considerably lighter in weight, and not so strong or stiff as that of the hard maple. It has a good figure, and is used for many purposes. Red maple is about midway between hard and soft maple in weight and strength. In hardness, it is close to the soft maple; and in stiffness, not very far from the hard maple. Oregon maple is the only commercial maple on the Pacific Coast, and is the most important hardwood of that region. The wood resembles that of the Eastern maples, and is used for the same general purposes.
Hard maple is the maple used in the manufacture of hardwood flooring and wherever strength and resistance to wear are the determining qualities.
In the wood-using industry reports, all the maples are grouped together with results shown in Table 93.
Table 93 Factory Uses of Maple Purpose Per Cent Mill Work 34 Furniture and Fixtures. 17 Boxes and Crates. 10 Boot and Shoe Findings 6 Agricultural Implements 5 Musical Instruments 5 Handles 4 Woodenware, Novelties, etc. 4 Vehicles 4 Laundry Appliances 2 Other Uses 9 Total 100 These specific uses reported for hard maple indicate the great serviceability of this wood: Automobile benches Bobbins Automobile bottoms Bobsleds Automobile gears Bolsters Automobile sub-floors Bowling alleys Axles Bowls Baggers Boxes Baseball bats Bread boards Baskets Brewers' chips Bean pickers Broom handles Bicycle rims Brush backs Billiard cues Brush handles Billiard rings Built-up panels Blueprint frames Butcher blocks Butter boxes Faucets Butter ladles Feed cutters Butter molds Feeders Cameras Flooring Canes Furniture Cant-hook handles Games Car-gallows frames Gas-engine skids Carpet-sweepers Girts Carrom cues Go-carts Carrom rings Grain doors Caster rollers Grain separators Cattle guards Grills Center wheels Guitars Chair bottoms Hand cars Chair rods Handles Checkers Handspikes Churn dashers Hay balers Clothespins Hay pressers Coat hangers Hoop drums Coil bases (telephone) Horizontal bars Corn huskers Hose menders Corn planters Indian clubs Corn shellers Interior finish Costumers Kitchen cabinets Cot frames Knobs (furniture) Cranes Kraut cutters Croquet balls Ladders Croquet mallets Lasts Culm pipe (mines) Lemon squeezers Cultivator handles Levers Curtain poles Log cars Dashboards Mallets Die blocks Mandolins Die cases Mangle rollers Dishes Manual training supplies Dominoes Manure spreaders Door knobs Meat boards Dowels Medicine cabinets Drawer bottoms Mission furniture DUmb-bells Office fixtures Electrotype blocks Packing-house cutting tables Ensilage cutters Paddles Extension stretchers Pails Factory trucks Paper cutters Parasol handles Steak mauls Parquetry floors Steering wheels Patterns Stonecutters' mallets Peavy handles Stone boats Pianos Store fixtures Piano bridges Switch boards Piano pin planks Table rims Piano players Talking machines Plow beams Tanks Plugs Tanning drums Plumbers' woodwork Tenpins Porch swings Threshing machines Portable sawmills Thresholds Potato mashers Tie plugs Potato planters Timber grapples Pulley spokes Tinners' mallets Pumps Tin-plate boxes Push cars Toothpicks Racks Towel racks Railroad velocipedes Toys Reed furniture (rods) Track gauges Refrigerators Track levels Riddles Trucks Road rollers Trunks Roller pins Tubs Rules Type cabinets Sawmill machinery Type cases Scythe snaths Umbrella racks Self feeders Wall cases Separators (grain) Wall clocks Sheeting Washboards Showcases Washing machines Shredders Weighing machines Skewers Wheelbarrows Sleighs Wind stackers Spindles Wooden bearings Spoke wedges Wood knobs (grilles) Spool barrels Woodtype Spoons Yardsticks Soft maple is used in the manufacture of Auto frames Berry baskets Baby carriages Boats Ballot boxes Bookcases Boxes Ironing boards Brooders (poultry) Kitchen cabinets Broom handles Knobs (furniture) Butter bowls Lap boards Carpet sweepers Lawn swings Chairs Manual training supplies Coat hangers Music cabinets Corn planters Office fixtures Cot frames Parquet floors Cradles Pianos Cultivators (garden) Piano benches Door frames Pumps Egg cases Potato planters Extension-table sides Reels (wire) Fanning mills Refrigerators Filing cabinets Root cutters Fixtures Signs Flooring Sleeve boards Furniture Table tops Grass seeders Tabourettes Hall clocks Tin-plate boxes Hand sleds Umbrella racks Hay racks Vehicles Ice boxes Velocipedes, railroad Incubators Wardrobes Interior finish Woodenware Oregon maple is used on the West Coast for baskets, boat finish, building rollers, dollies, fixtures (counter tops, grill work, mirror frames, show cases), furniture (bookcases, chairs, davenport frames, school furniture, spindles, tables), handles, interior work (finish, flooring), pulleys, saddles, tent toggles, and trunk slats.