Maple

Aguineapig

Aguineapig

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Southern Maine
I picked up this big round of maple from a neighbor, he said it was red maple so I figured I'd make canoe paddles or something from it- but to me it does not look like red maple. I snapped a couple pics, maybe you all can help? I am not tree whiz, but this doesn't have a few characteristics of red maple, first being the brownish red color, the second being this is not as brash as red maple (red maple often snaps/shears, whereas this breaks more fibrous).

Picture949.jpg


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Here is the difference in color

Picture951.jpg


Any help would be great!
 
ckirk1311 said:
I don't know what this is but I can tell you, it is not red maple.
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Thats what I was saying when the arborist was cutting it down. That aint no red maple... Sorry I don't have pics of the leaves, but I think they looked at them and thought they were red maple. Perhaps its a hybrid?
 
first being the brownish red color, the second being this is not as brash as red maple (red maple often snaps/shears, whereas this breaks more fibrous

It almost sounds like Northern red oak but there is so much licken on the bark I am having a hard time working it out. That plus no super tree expert.:4:
 
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Woods Walker said:
first being the brownish red color, the second being this is not as brash as red maple (red maple often snaps/shears, whereas this breaks more fibrous

It almost sounds like Northern red oak but there is so much licken on the bark I am having a hard time working it out. That plus no super tree expert.:4:
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We have maples here in Connecticut that have a ton of lichen on them like in the pic. It kinda does look like maple though just from looking out the window here. Leaf pic would be good to though
 
The bark had me fooled too until I cracked it open. The shock transfer property of the wood is much different as well I should add. red maple is not a very good shock absorber, but this is fairly flexible.
 
Easy_rider75 said:
We have maples here in Connecticut that have a ton of lichen on them like in the pic. It kinda does look like maple though just from looking out the window here. Leaf pic would be good to though
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That's so funny as was in a parking lot today looking at a Maple off exit 63 I-95 and it was covered just like the OP's tree and this thread came to mind.
 
Could be a Crimson king, Sugar or hard maple or a Norway maple. If buddy thought it was a red maple it may have been because of the red leaves. Is there a close up of the twig with the bud arrangement? This would be the most accurate way to ID it. The ribboning effect in the wood grain seems indicative of a harder maple I think.
If it was a hard specie it would be heavy as all get out and dense as granite. Red or soft maple is much softer and lighter in comparison.
 
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Ironwood said:
Could be a Crimson king, Sugar or hard maple or a Norway maple. If buddy thought it was a red maple it may have been because of the red leaves. Is there a close up of the twig with the bud arrangement? This would be the most accurate way to ID it. The ribboning effect in the wood grain seems indicative of a harder maple I think.
If it was a hard specie it would be heavy as all get out and dense as granite. Red or soft maple is much softer and lighter in comparison.
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Its hard and heavy. the 60" long, 10 or so diameter log took 3 (scrawny) people to carry out. I swing a chunk of red maple and this together and the red maple is dented, this does not dent at all. Unfortunately, the tree has long since been processed for firewood, wood and bark is all that remains. I can tell the wood works nothing like red maple after making a couple of axe handles today.
 
http://www.maple-trees.com/

Around these parts that's called hard maple (not the technical name). Leaves are brilliant red in the fall. Very dense and used for furniture manufacturing where the wood is for support not for show.
 
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HillbillyBushcraft said:
Looks like Oak to me... Seems a nice spoon is in order :)
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I am going to make 6 or 8 axe handles, keep your eyes peeled in the blades section... I don't think its oak, the pore structure and the way it rives is not quite like oak. Plus the old timer who's land it was on said he came out and tapped it for syrup every spring.
 
Aguineapig said:
I am going to make 6 or 8 axe handles, keep your eyes peeled in the blades section... I don't think its oak, the pore structure and the way it rives is not quite like oak. Plus the old timer who's land it was on said he came out and tapped it for syrup every spring.
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Well with that, I'd say the syrup is a clear indicator :)
 
Based on your description I'd say hard maple, either black or sugar. Hard maples have a tendency to have more lichen too, but I don't think that's a very good indicator, it's an indicator of good air though.

i really don't know much about the properties or colors of sapwood or heartwood of maples though, just that they make good syrup. :)
 
Aguineapig said:
I am going to make 6 or 8 axe handles, keep your eyes peeled in the blades section... I don't think its oak, the pore structure and the way it rives is not quite like oak. Plus the old timer who's land it was on said he came out and tapped it for syrup every spring.
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If it was tapped it has to be sugar or hard maple acer saccharum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_saccharum
 
I would say it's definitely a maple, but can't be specific. I cut a lot of oak for firewood. It doesn't look like oak at all.
 
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