Curly (sapwood faced) Maple…

[Phil Winn]

Curly (sapwood faced) Maple…both the Soft and Hard are Sapwood Faced..
1. When comparing “musical” (the highest figured materials) grade materials, which usually has nicer-curl/highest-curl/highest-figure, Curly Hard Maple or Curly Soft Maple?
2. With Curly Soft/Hard Maple which usually has nicer-curl/highest-curl
“regular sawn boards” or Quartersawn boards?
3. If given the choice, would you rather use Curly Hard Maple or Curly Soft Maple? When would you use Curly Hard Maple or Curly Soft Maple?
I usually buy and use Curly Soft Maple; buy own a few pieces of the Curly Hard Maple.
Thanks,
Phil

[Jim Becker]

I generally don't care if it's "hard" or "soft" maple...they are both quite hard! It's the figure that counts and my eyes do the counting. I've never considered which has better figure, but suspect that "soft" maple.

[Eddie Darby]

If the wood is being used for acoustic musical instruments, then I would avoid the heavy dense woods such as Sugar Maple. The ability to resonate drops off fairly rapid with increasing density.

If you are making an electric musical instrument, such as an electric guitar, then you want a stable, almost or as close to non-vibrating platform as possible, for your pick-ups to be steady. Here the density works in your favour.

Also remember that the tighter the curl the harder it is to work.

[lou sansone]

from my experience in both buying and sawing maple logs on my mill, it seems that quarter sawn shows off the curl much better. Having said that, it also seems that the curl will run out as you move toward the heart of the tree, so sometimes you will find plain sawing produces better boards. I have not sawn or purchased hard maple, but from all the photos that I have seen, it seems that hard maple will have a much tighter curl than soft maple will. Since I seem to have a lifetime supply of soft maple, I can't see buying any hard maple in the future.

lou

[Phil Winn]

Thanks all! The last table I finished was made from Soft Curly Maple-I was thinking about making a friend's 22 yo daughter a kitchen/dining table for a graduation gift...and was wondering since the "Hard" Maple was harder-that perhaps it would work better; then was wondering how the "curl" would compare. Then found a bunch which was cheaper in price than the same in "Soft". Then for
$0.50 a bf more, could get QS.......so was just thinking....
Thanks,
Phil