WOOD SPECIES · Hardwood
Hard maple (sugar maple): density, weight and properties
Acer saccharum
Hard maple (sugar maple) (Acer saccharum) averages 705.6 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, according to the USDA Wood Handbook. The figures below are averages for clear, mature wood; individual boards vary with origin, growth and moisture.
Key figures
- Density at 12% moisture
- 705.6 kg/m³Specific gravity 0.63 (oven-dry mass, volume at 12%) × 1.12 × 1,000 kg/m³, Wood Handbook Eq. 4-14
- Basic specific gravity (oven-dry mass, green volume)
- 0.56
- Janka side hardness at 12%
- 6,400 N (≈ 1,439 lbf)
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 109 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 12,600 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 54 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 9.9%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 4.8%
- Volumetric shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 14.7%
- Fibre saturation point
- 30%Not measured: Wood Handbook default
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 705.6 kg/m³, the same calculation as the weight calculator. Green or wet wood weighs considerably more.
| Piece | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic metre | 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 mm | 705.6 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.67 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.91 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.58 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 5.83 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 11.4 kg |
Movement across the width
How much a board 11 1/4 in (286 mm) wide changes when its moisture content moves by a few percentage points. The estimate uses the total shrinkage above and a linear relation below the fibre saturation point of 30% (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-9). Flat-sawn boards move with tangential shrinkage, quartersawn boards with radial shrinkage.
| Moisture change | Flat-sawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 3 percentage points | 2.8 mm (0.111 in) | 1.4 mm (0.054 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 5.7 mm (0.223 in) | 2.7 mm (0.108 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
The Wood Handbook groups the heartwood as slightly or nonresistant to decay (Table 14-1). Keep it dry, or use treated wood where decay can develop.
Working and finishing
Fine, uniform texture; heavy, strong, stiff, hard and resistant to shock, with high shrinkage. The grain is generally straight, while birdseye, curly or fiddleback figure is selected for furniture and novelties (Wood Handbook, chapter 2).
The Wood Handbook lists cherry and maple among the hardwoods with small vessels; pore filling is mainly needed on large-vessel woods.
Typical uses
- Flooring
- Furniture
- Cabinets
- Cutting boards
- Musical instruments
- Tool handles
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Red oak 705.6 kg/m³
- European beech 710 kg/m³
- Yellow birch 694.4 kg/m³
Sources & references
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 5: Mechanical properties of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 4: Moisture relations and physical properties of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 14: Biodeterioration of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 2: Characteristics and availability of commercially important woods
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 16: Finishing of wood
Uses and working notes summarise the cited source. Check the moisture content, grade and origin of the wood you actually buy.