Have a customer that needs a bunch of pine cut for the local boy scouts. I agreed to cut for free so he cut quite a few (25) maple logs that will be mine for the sawbill. Problem is he doesn't know if they are hard or soft. what's the best way to tell the difference after they have been cut? I can't tell by the bark and there are no leaves?
Wood,
I looked in the ID forum, and found this link. Hope it gets you started in the right direction.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,38302.msg552849.html#msg552849
~Mark
Hard maple looks like the candian flag, while soft maple is deeply serrated leaves. Easy to tell.
No leaves kelvin :D ;). Soft (silver) maple has smoother silver bark that becomes peely as it ages, sugar (hard) maple has gray to black furrowed bark.
Hard maple is white and may or may not have a small dark hardwood. Soft maple isn't as white, and is 30% softer.
You can tell the difference in the width of the rays looking at a cross section. I believe that hard maple has two distinct ray sizes. One is obviously wider and the other is obviously narrower. In soft maple, the rays all are similiar sized. I may have this backwards, bit I am sure that one has multiple sized rays and the other is more consistent. Maybe Swampdonkey or Dodgyloner will chime in as I am traveling and do not have access to my reference material.
You've got it right, Danny. It wold probably be hard to see what you're talking about, though, without someone pointing it out. I will try to see if I can upload some pics later this week!
You will need a hand lens to inspect the rays.
where is the best place to get a hand lens? Thanks for the replies. I was hoping for a little more info on the chemical way of identifying them but will get me a hand lens and try that.