Making metal legs for your DIY projects requires careful consideration of the wood you choose. Even though there are many other types of wood, hard maple vs soft maple are frequently the most popular choices. Which one, nevertheless, goes better with your homemade metal legs? Let's examine each other's qualities and assist you in reaching a right decision.
What are the Common Uses of Maple Wood?
White curly maple wood on coffee table
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High-end furniture, flooring, cabinets, and kitchen items are frequently made of maple wood. Maple is utilized for bowling pins and flooring in bowling alleys due to its strength and longevity. It was also formerly a common option for baseball bats made of wood, but ash—which is lighter but just as strong—largely supplanted it.
For woodworkers of all stripes, maple is a favorite option because of its strength, smooth grain, and distinctive color. While wood may brighten a space when left unfinished, stained maple also looks stunning and can be dressed up to fit any desired style. Because it can withstand a lot of wear and tear, maple wood is also frequently chosen when durability is an issue.
What Distinguishes Hard Maple From Soft Maple?
Many distinct species of maple trees are grouped collectively as "soft maples." Conversely, "hard maple" is synonymous with "sugar maple" and describes lumber derived from the species Acer saccharum. The Black Maple (Acer nigrum) is the only other species in the maple family, other than Acer saccharum, that is occasionally referred to as hard maple. In fact, some people believe that the black maple is a subspecies of Acer saccharum because the two species are so similar.
Since dicot trees are the source of both hard and soft maple, they are classified as hardwoods. Maybe you haven’t known, with a Janka value of 1,450, hard maple table legs, also known as sugar maple, are the most resilient species of maple and is among the toughest domestic woods used to create furniture.
What about soft maple wood? The most popular ones are bigleaf, striped, silver, red, and box elder maples. Despite being referred to as "soft maple," the wood is just 25% softer than hard maple and yet harder than wood from California redwoods, Douglas firs, or southern yellow pines.
Hard Maple: Strength and Durability
Acer saccharum, or hard maple in science, is well-known for its remarkable tenacity and resilience. This type of hardwood is well-known for having a crisp grain pattern, which is advantageous when building strong and durable metal legs. A hard maple is a dependable option for heavy-duty applications because of its remarkable density and resilience to deterioration.
Hard maple typically refers to one specific type of maple species: Acer saccharum. Hard maple is also known as rock maple or sugar maple, (this is the same tree that is tapped to make maple syrup).
Besides this one species of maple, the only other species that are sometimes considered in the grouping of hard maple in the United States are black maple (Acer nigrum) and Florida maple (Acer floridanum). But these species are far less commonly seen commercially, and they are both so closely related to hard maple that some even consider them to be sub-species of the same tree, classifying them as Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum. and Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum, respectively.
Soft Maple: Versatility and Affordability
The word "soft maple" is a general term that encompasses a variety of maple species rather than referring to any particular species. The only purpose of the name "soft maple" is to set these species apart from hard maple.
The adaptability of soft maple is one of its benefits. It is relatively easier to work with, making it a popular choice for woodworking projects, including crafting metal legs. Its reduced density makes shaping and carving easier, which is useful if you want to add elaborate features or decorations to your metal legs.
Additionally, soft maple comes in a variety of hues, ranging from light cream to reddish-brown, providing versatility in developing different looks. It finishes beautifully and takes stains well, giving you options for personalizing it to fit your preferred aesthetic.
Furthermore, soft maple is often less expensive than hard maple, which makes it a cost-effective choice for do-it-yourself projects.
What Pattern Does Maple Wood Have in Its Grain?
Hard maple timber often has quite a straight, fine, and uniform grain. However, figures may also be seen, such as lovely quilted grain patterns and wavy or curly grain. These kinds of lumber are used to make violins and guitars.
Hard maple with a unique and sought-after bird's-eye look is known as birds-eye maple, according to many artists. When the grain has added character like this, it’s referred to as “figured”. Figured wood usually results from some kind of strain, injury, or disease in the tree as it grows.
How to Care for Maple Wood Furniture
The sort of finish used to seal the wood largely determines the maintenance instructions for furniture made of maple. Because maple wood has such tightly knit grain, it doesn’t absorb oil finishes as well as other furniture hardwoods. Maple also has a tendency to become somewhat yellow with oil finishes. Because of this, lacquers or varnishes are frequently used to finish soft maple vs hard maple for furniture. These finishes are low maintenance and generally carefree.
Maple Stains and Wood Finishes
Maple is beautiful in its natural state, as the grain, pitch flecks, and mineral deposits add authentic character to a piece. That said, it can easily be stained with many different hues to suit any preferred style or decor.
5 Metal Legs Styles to go with Maple Table
We're furniture manufacturers based in California with over 6 years of experience in the furniture industry. We specialize in providing unique metal table legs and table bases inspired by nature. All designs are 100% handmade with high quality finishing. Here, you can find coffee table legs, dining table legs, pedestal table bases,... whatever you need for each of your rooms.
Tulipe Pedestal Table Base with Coffee Maple Table Top
Maple table top combined with simple, elegant metal table legs
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Lithe Single Base for Dining Maple Table
Maple wood dining table with sturdy table base
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Uzar Metal Legs for Counter Height Maple Table
Uzar metal legs are ideal for kitchen areas
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Xeni Metal Legs for Outdoor Table Using Maple Wood
Large dining table using maple wood
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Wishbone Gold Table Legs for Luxurious Space
Maple dining table using gold metal legs
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Order now: 430 Wishbone 28H DIY Brass Furniture
For your do-it-yourself metal leg project, the hard maple vs soft maple you choose will depend on your preferences and demands. Hard maple is the obvious choice if stamina and resistance to denting are critical factors. However, soft maple offers a good substitute if you're working with elaborate designs that demand easy carving, or if your budget is smaller. You may pick the best soft maple vs hard maple for the furniture in your project by carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each type of wood. Contact with us via phone number +1 (323) 990-2487 or email customerservice@flowyline.com to get more useful information!