# Is This Hard Maple?



## HomeBody (Apr 11, 2013)

I found another log dump. Seems many of the small towns around here have one for yard waste. Not much here today except one or two trees. Is this hard maple? I seem to have a harder time identifying the stuff when it's on the ground vs. a live tree.:question: 
How do I find out if it's curly? A chainsaw? An axe or hatchet? How about hard maple crotches like the trunk pictured below? Are they worth getting excited about? I could also bring it home and let it spalt if it's indeed hard maple. Gary

[attachment=22912]
[attachment=22913]
[attachment=22914]

I'm not sure this last piece of wood goes with the first 3. It was nearby but looks like it could be different. ??

[attachment=22915]


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## dave jirgl (Apr 11, 2013)

sure looks like hard maple, if its tiger or curly the wood under the bark will be rippled . hope this helps.


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## Flacer22 (Apr 11, 2013)

Yup all sugar maple might be black maple but both are hard maple either way. And yes appears last photo is same tree.


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## DKMD (Apr 11, 2013)

Not sure about the species, but the left side of the last piece looks to have some figure... The base of large trees often show compression type curl, so those are the sections I typically scout first.  Crotches can be worthwhile, but narrower crotches seem more likely to have large bark inclusions. Even without figure, spalted maple is definitely worthwhile.


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## JonLanier (Apr 11, 2013)

HomeBody said:


> I found another log dump. Seems many of the small towns around here have one for yard waste. Not much here today except one or two trees. Is this hard maple? I seem to have a harder time identifying the stuff when it's on the ground vs. a live tree.:question:
> How do I find out if it's curly? A chainsaw? An axe or hatchet? How about hard maple crotches like the trunk pictured below? Are they worth getting excited about? I could also bring it home and let it spalt if it's indeed hard maple. Gary
> 
> 
> ...



Best way to find out if it is hard: Pick it up from one end, swing it at your best friends head, if he goes, 'Ow that hurt.' It's soft maple, if he falls down and wakes up hours later, it's hard maple.


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## davduckman2010 (Apr 11, 2013)

JonLanier said:


> HomeBody said:
> 
> 
> > I found another log dump. Seems many of the small towns around here have one for yard waste. Not much here today except one or two trees. Is this hard maple? I seem to have a harder time identifying the stuff when it's on the ground vs. a live tree.:question:
> ...



lol hell if he can pick it up its soft maple that stuff is like lead duck


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