How to tell the various types of Maple.

[wvmtnman]

Once the maple is in the plank form, how can you tell if the wood is silver, red or sugar maple? Any positive signs?
                                                                Thanks, Brian

[rich pierce]

The first clue is weight, if all are dried to the same moisture content.  Silver maple is light, red maple is medium weight, and sugar maple is very heavy.  Specific gravity of silver maple is .44, of red maple, .55, and of sugar maple, .68.  These are averages of course.  Weight and hardness go hand in hand.   There will be overlap of the softest sugar maple and the hardest red maple.  But the hardest sugar maple will be close to hickory or the oaks in density.

Some sugar maple has a pinkish cast to the wood.

[flintriflesmith]

A quick "field test" for hardness will also help separate silver from red or sugar. If your thumbnail will make a clear impression in the blank it is probably silver maple or at least red maple on the soft end of that range.

Soft red maple is not the best but for plain rifles with no carving it can work out okay. It is often cheaper for the same amount of curl.

Gary

[Bioprof]

When a saturated water solution of ferrous sulfate is applied to red maple, a deep blue-black color develops; when the same solution is applied to sugar maple, a greenish color results

[t.caster]

Bioprof, is that a lab formula you use, or can I crush up my iron supplement tabs and dilute in water?
I'll admit, I don't know a sulfate from a sulfide anymore. Chem class was 42 lite yrs. ago!

[JTR]

Bioprof,
I was about to ask the same question, when I noticed that Tom had beat me to it.
Your test sounds more definitive than the thumb nail or how much it weighs test.
John

[Bioprof]

I wouldn't call it "my" test.   I found it on another web site.   I guess I should have posted the link.    Here's another one with a little more information:

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Distinguishing_Hard_and_Soft_Maple.html

"I've never tried it, but according to an article in October 2006 Wood Magazine, mix 2 tablespoons of ferrous sulfate (iron sulfate) in one cup of water and shake until dissolved. (They say ferrous sulfate is available at lawn and garden stores.) Wipe on wood and wait for color change. Soft maple will turn a translucent blue-black, hard maple will turn greenish gray. "

Ferrous sulfate is FeSO4.   I would think that you would need to use reagent grade FeSO4.   I wouldn't think the diet supplements would be pure enough.   They probably have other fillers.   Pure ferrous sulfate crystals are a light greenish blue color.

[Top Jaw]

One other way to tell is color.  Over time, hard maple will develop a slight yellow cast (I guess some kind of oxidation), when compared to red or silver, which are more of a cream color.  Easier to see when compared side by side.

Top Jaw

[Kermit]

You might try your local pharmacist for small quantities of FeSO4.