![]() Despite falling into the ‘soft maple’ category, the woods which are considered to be soft are only soft by comparison to hard maple, which is exceptionally hard.Ĭompared with other types of hardwood, soft maple is of very similar quality. Soft MapleĪll types of maple woods are hardwoods however, they are sorted into two categories hard maple and soft maple. Maple wood can be polished up to a high shine, and it also stains well, making it versatile in terms of the type of finish you want. The heartwood of maple has a red-pink tone which is less desirable than the almost white sapwood. The sapwood of maple is favored due to its more attractive color, unlike most hardwoods which use the heartwood of the tree. Maple has an even creamy color and a typically straight grain that give it a uniform look which appeals to many people. The high density of maple is what makes it so durable however, this can also make it difficult to work with. This is the case whether you opt for soft or hard maple, although hard maple is the more durable of the two, hence why it is sometimes known as ‘rock maple. ![]() One of the best features of maple wood is that it is very strong and durable. It comes from the maple tree, though there are numerous varieties of maple trees that will produce woods with different qualities. Therefore, you should be ready to sand in between coats of paint with high grit sandpaper to knock down areas of paint that have built up too much.Maple wood is a popular material used for everything from flooring to instrument making. Sanding and More Sanding May Be Requiredīecause the maple doesn't soak up paint so fast, paint buildup can be a problem with Maple. ![]() Therefore, when painting with a brush, you always want to make sure that you paint with a wet edge on the brush and avoid overlapping strokes too much because paint buildup shows up easily on Maple lumber or wood. However, maple does show lap marks more easily than other types of hardwood. When painting maple wood, it is always best to use a high-quality nylon brush rather than a roller. You can also add about half a cup of a linseed oil/turpentine mixture to the oil-based enamel to create a better bond between the wood and the paint as well. Therefore, using an oil-based enamel will keep the paint from drying out too fast while it is binding with the surface of the wood. maple wood will not soak up the paint as easily as open grained woods such as cherry or walnut. When painting Maple, use a slow drying enamel paint. Because Maple doesn't accept paint as readily as some other types of open grain hardwoods, a high-quality primer is a must when painting this type of wood. Use a good quality nylon brush to apply the primer, and then sand the primer completely smooth before painting. If you must paint Maple lumber, apply a slow drying oil-based primer before you do so. This will help create a better bond between the wood and primer or paint that will be applied later. Immediately take a dry towel and wipe off the excess and allow it to set in and try at least 12 hours before painting. Then, take an old towel and rub the entire surface of the maple wood that is to be painted with the mixture. Before staining or painting maple wood, you should create a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine in like proportions. If you have determined that you need to change the color of maple wood, you'll need to make sure that you properly prepare the wood before painting. In almost all cases, you may want to consider simply protecting the original Maple wood color finish with a durable polyurethane clearcoat finish, rather than applying a different colored stain or paint to the hardwood. Maple is a true hardwood with a very thin grain that makes it harder for paint or stain to soak into the wood as easily as it would with open grain woods such as cherry or walnut. If at all possible, you should leave maple in its natural state unless it was pre-finished or pre-stained by the manufacturer.
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