Soft maple

Overview

Soft maple is the lumberyard name for the maples that are not sugar maple, mainly red maple and silver maple. The wood looks like Hard maple: pale, fine-grained and even, with a tendency to reddish-brown heartwood. It is lighter, softer and cheaper. It is a good choice for painted and stained furniture where the extreme hardness of hard maple is not needed, and for drawer boxes and interiors.

Pros

• Easier to machine than hard maple. Wood Database calls it fairly easy to work with hand and machine tools.
• Cheaper than hard maple; Wood Database describes it as very moderately priced.
• Fine, even texture takes paint very well and gives a smooth finish.
• Silver maple shrinks less than hard maple: 3.0% radially and 7.2% tangentially, against 4.8% and 9.9%.

Cons

• Softer: red maple is 950 lbf and silver maple 700 lbf, against 1,450 lbf for hard maple, so tabletops and benches dent more readily.
• Non-durable to perishable for decay resistance. Do not use outdoors.
• Blotches under pigment stains, like hard maple.
• Can burn under high-speed cutters such as a router bit.

Variants and subspecies

• Red maple (Acer rubrum): Wood Database gives 950 lbf and about 610 kg/m3, with 4.0% radial and 8.2% tangential shrinkage. It is heavier, stronger and harder than the other soft maples.
• Silver maple (Acer saccharinum): lighter at about 530 kg/m3, and the softest at 700 lbf. Its leaves have deep notches between the lobes.
• Other maples can be sold under the name too. The western species, Bigleaf maple, is also grouped with soft maples but is sold separately.
• Curly and quilted figure occur in red and silver maple; figured boards cost much more.
• Sapwood vs heartwood: sapwood is the usual lumber, near-white to light golden or reddish brown; heartwood is darker reddish brown.

Working and finishing

Cuts, planes and turns well, and glues and finishes well. Keep cutters sharp and keep the feed moving to avoid burn marks, particularly on routed edges. It is soft enough that careless clamping or handling leaves dents. Wood Database notes the growth rings are lighter and less distinct than in hard maple, so the surface is plain and uniform, which suits paint.

Staining and finishing colour

Wood Database warns that blotching can occur and says a pre-conditioner, gel stain or toner may be needed for an even colour. If you want a stained-dark look, dye or a toned lacquer is the safest route. It takes paint evenly. Clear finishes leave a pale surface.

Sustainability and handling

Wood Database says red and silver maple are not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List, and Wikipedia's taxoboxes show Least Concern for both (checked 2026-09-30). Wood Database also reports that maples in the Acer genus have been linked to skin irritation, runny nose and asthma-like symptoms. The US National Cancer Institute reports strong and consistent associations between wood-dust exposure and cancers of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses; extract dust and wear a respirator. US-grown timber falls under the Lacey Act, so keep your supplier's paperwork.

Popular projects

Painted cabinets and furniture, drawer sides and bottoms, shelving, interior trim, stained dressers and bedsteads, turned bowls and spindles. Wood Database also lists boxes, crates, musical instruments and small specialty items.

Buying notes

Often sold as "soft maple" without specifying red or silver, in 4/4 to 8/4 and FAS or 1 Common, and cheaper than hard maple at the same dealer. Heartwood is darker reddish brown, so choose boards by eye if colour uniformity matters. Because the species are mixed, expect a range of weight and hardness within one bundle. For a hard-wearing top use Hard maple or White oak instead.