# What kind of maple is this?



## sprucegum (Jun 13, 2013)

These maples were set out in the early 1900's by a wealthy family by the hundreds and perhaps thousands. They were set out along roads and in parks. They are not native to this part of Vermont and I have never seen but a very few reproduce. I had a piece sawed many years ago from a tree that was being removed in a park. It turns nice and machines well but I don't call it real pretty. I have quite a bit left I just don't know what to use it for. I would like to sell what I have but I really need to know what I am selling and if it is even worth bothering with.


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## Mike1950 (Jun 13, 2013)

Kinda looks like silver maple to me. Some of it is very nice.

[attachment=26205]


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## Rkent (Jun 13, 2013)

Silver maple.


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## DKMD (Jun 13, 2013)

Looks like the sliver maple around here. It spalts nicely and can have a fair bit of figure/burl especially near the bases of larger trees.


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## sprucegum (Jun 13, 2013)

DKMD said:


> Looks like the sliver maple around here. It spalts nicely and can have a fair bit of figure/burl especially near the bases of larger trees.



Some of the wood I had sawed has quite a bit of figure but it does not take stain well and seems rather bland with a clear finish. I made a couple of rifle stocks from it. One of them is a .338 win mag I glass bedded it for strength and so far it has stood up well. On the gun stocks I very carefully scorched it with a torch to give it some color.


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## DKMD (Jun 13, 2013)

sprucegum said:


> DKMD said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like the sliver maple around here. It spalts nicely and can have a fair bit of figure/burl especially near the bases of larger trees.
> ...



You might try dye instead of stain... I've had decent luck on small items like pens and stoppers using alcohol based dye. I've also seen chemical treatments like chromium trioxide used with stellar effects(caution: that stuff has a nasty MSDS sheet). Even a tea soak(for the tannins) followed by the old steel wool/vinegar solution might be worth a try.

It's about the only kind of maple we see around here, so I've turned a fair bit of it. The burl is particularly interesting... More color and variation than the other maple burls that I've seen.


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## sprucegum (Jun 13, 2013)

Mike1950 said:


> Kinda looks like silver maple to me. Some of it is very nice.



The piece you have pictured is beautiful. I have wood with that kind of figure but it does not look nice and white when finished. I tends to have almost a dirty look to it. It makes me wonder if our harsh winters, high rainfall, and acid soil conditions affect the coloring of the wood. The lumber I have also tends to have bark inclusions deep within the tree. My grand farther and great grand farther. Helped set many of these trees out. I remember gramp saying that many of them died the first year and it took several years of planting and replanting to get them established. I guess if you were a millionaire in 1920 you could afford to be stubborn. These trees produce large seed crops most years but almost none sprout and grow into a tree.


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## Mike1950 (Jun 13, 2013)

sprucegum said:


> Mike1950 said:
> 
> 
> > Kinda looks like silver maple to me. Some of it is very nice.
> ...



Some of the pieces I have, have grey in them but a lot of figure- nice to machine. My jewelry box thread has 2 frames out of silver maple.

[attachment=26208]

This one only has one coat of finish but you can already see the figure. Maybe you should picture a piece for suggestions.


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## sprucegum (Jun 14, 2013)

Thanks for all of the input at least I know what it is now. People around here often refer to it as split leaf maple, I thought it might be silver maple but there is another non native maple that some folks call silver maple. These logs become available occasionally they are usually processed into pulpwood, firewood or just dumped. I may try to get another one and let it spalt. Thanks again for the finishing suggestions I may give it another try next winter.


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## BassBlaster (Jun 15, 2013)

Looks like silver maple to me too. Those are the weed trees of OH. They are everywhere. I have 5 or 6 in my yard. Do they get thier seeds in the spring or the fall? I think silvers are the only maples that gets seeds in the spring except maybe box elder. There may be others but if it gets its seeds in the fall its definately something other than silver.


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## sprucegum (Jun 18, 2013)

BassBlaster said:


> Looks like silver maple to me too. Those are the weed trees of OH. They are everywhere. I have 5 or 6 in my yard. Do they get thier seeds in the spring or the fall? I think silvers are the only maples that gets seeds in the spring except maybe box elder. There may be others but if it gets its seeds in the fall its definately something other than silver.



I really am not sure when they have seeds but I think it is in the summer which is probably why they don't reproduce here. I expect the seedlings do not become established enough before cold weather comes. We often have nine months of winter here and three months of dam poor sledding.


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