Western Species & Grades
Pacific Coast Maple
Other Common Names: Big Leaf Maple, Oregon Maple, Northwest Maple, Red Maple, Western Maple.
Go modern. Go rustic. Go ornate. No matter the design direction you choose, Pacific Coast Maple can bring it to life. Pacific Coast Maple is one of the few commercial hardwood species in the Western region and the only commercial Maple on the West Coast.
Pacific Coast Maple’s color is pale pinkish-brown to almost white. There is little color variation between the heartwood and the sapwood. It has fine grain similar to Birch and Cherry that makes it perfect for furniture, cabinet and millwork applications. Pacific Coast Maple dries easily with little degrade and has good dimensional stability after drying. Pacific Coast Maple accepts stain and finish beautifully, creating the visual appeal of Cherry and eastern maples.
Properties
- Machining 5
- Nailing 4
- Screwing 4
- Gluing 4
- Finishing 5
Properties of Pacific Coast Maple
Pacific Coast Maple has medium density (slightly harder than Eastern Soft Maple) and possesses medium-bending strength, shock resistance, and stiffness. It has machining, turning and bending properties and nails, screws and glues well.
How does it compare
Lumber (12 % moisture content) | Specific Gravity (Density) | Dimensional R (%) | Movement T (%) | Hardness (lbs) | Compression Parallel (ps) | Bending Strength (ps) | Bending Stiffness (kps) | Grain |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alder, Red (Western) | .41 | 4.4 | 7.3 | 590 | 5,820 | 9,800 | 1,380 | Fine |
Ash | .60 | 4.9 | 7.8 | 1,320 | 7,410 | 15,400 | 1,770 | Fine |
Basswood | .37 | 6.6 | 9.3 | 410 | 4,730 | 8,700 | 1,460 | Fine |
Beech | .64 | 5.5 | 11.9 | 1,300 | 7,300 | 14,900 | 1,720 | Fine/Medium |
Birch, Yellow | .62 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 1,260 | 8,170 | 16,600 | 2,010 | Fine |
Cherry, Black | .50 | 3.7 | 7.1 | 950 | 7,110 | 12,300 | 1,490 | Mod/Coarse |
Hickory | .66 | 4.9 | 8.9 | 1,820 | 7,850 | 13,700 | 1,730 | Mod/Coarse |
Maple, Hard | .63 | 4.8 | 9.9 | 1,450 | 7,830 | 15,800 | 1,830 | Fine |
Maple, PC | .48 | 3.7 | 7.1 | 850 | 5,950 | 10,700 | 1,450 | Fine |
Maple, Soft | .47 | 3.0 | 7.2 | 700 | 5,220 | 8,900 | 1,140 | Fine |
Oak, Red | .63 | 4.0 | 8.6 | 1,290 | 6,760 | 14,300 | 1,820 | Coarse |
Oak, White | .68 | 4.4 | 8.8 | 1,360 | 7,440 | 15,200 | 1,780 | Mod/Coarse |
Poplar, Yellow | .42 | 4.6 | 8.2 | 450 | 5,290 | 9,200 | 1,500 | Fine |
Walnut, Black | .55 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 1,010 | 7,580 | 14,600 | 1,680 | Medium |