Wood ID (Red Maple?)

[JSeery]

I've never worked with red maple, and was wondering if this is it. Somewhat dense and splits pretty easily. I have access to a large pile of this stuff but already have lots of soft maple so not sure I will bother with it, but just wanted to get your input.

Thanks, folks.

 

[Firefighter938]

Looks like it could be red maple. I would get as much as I could, but I really like maples burning characteristics. I think red lasts a little longer than silver. I like adding soft maple with a split of locust.

Red maples bark stays together while silver maple tends to peel when it gets larger. It is difficult to tell 100% without leaves. Red maple twigs are bright red, and silver maple buds smell when crushed.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Yes it looks like Red Maple, not bad burning stuff, not the greatest but certainly above average, I'd grab it if you had the room!

 

[EJP1234]

Looks like Red to me...

I love maple... Sure it doesnt coal as well as the harder woods, but I can also cut it in spring and burn it properly the next winter.

I catches real easy, and throws off great heat..

Again the only thing you wont get is good coals that throw off heat themselves for hours like the harder woods.

 

[Woody Stover]

Looks like it could be red maple. I would get as much as I could, but I really like maples burning characteristics. I think red lasts a little longer than silver. I like adding soft maple with a split of locust.

Agreed, I like Red a little better than Silver. Red, and Cherry too, are great to have around to kick off a load of something harder to start like BL, or for bridging over to the next full load of high-BTU stuff.

 

[woodsHAM]

Im going to be the odd ball here and say that is hard maple. Red maple around here has smoother bark like beech. Both are great , hard maple is top shelf above oak in my opinion however !

 

[JSeery]

OK, OK. You all have me convinced. Even though I have more silver maple than I can shake a stick at, I'm gonna go get this red (possibly sugar) maple. My dad is visiting in his pickup truck this weekend anyway, so I should take advantage of the equipment when it is available. Thanks again.

 

[wooddope]

Me thinks hard maple as well.

 

[johneh]

Times 3 on the hard maple
The bark sure looks like the one out my window
Burns great

 

[JSeery]

Now I'm getting pretty excited. If there's a chance this is sugar maple I'm definitely grabbing it all. Thanks, everyone.

 

[TedyOH]

Looks like the sugar maples I tap in the Spring.....but even if it is red it's worth processing for sure.

 

[pernox]

Looks like Free Maple! Get it all!

I couldn't tell red vs sugar without leaves, but I've processed lots of silver and that doesn't look like it. Imho.

 

[Woody Stover]

Looks like a little bit of a red or pink tinge to the heartwood, which I've seen in Red. I haven't cut as much Sugar yet, to know if that hue can also be seen in it...

 

[weatherguy]

That's sugar, get it all lucky dog.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Looks most like sugar to me. Hot score.

 

[Woody Stover]

That's sugar, get it all lucky dog.

Looks most like sugar to me. Hot score.

Yeah, I guess I'm jumping on the hard Maple bandwagon. On that bark, I almost see what appears to be the beginnings of a "flap" on the right side of that round on the left. That would be a great score; Hard Maple is rated about the same as Red Oak for BTU...not to shabby at all.

 

[husky345 vermont resolute]

I say sugar maple [emoji260]


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[StihlKicking]

I agree with all the people who say hard maple. All the red maples down here have smooth bark.

 

[Woody Stover]

I agree with all the people who say hard maple. All the red maples down here have smooth bark.

I don't have pics right now but the Red here has somewhat rough bark, but not scaly like Sugar can be. And the bark will actually have a red hue sometimes.

 

[StihlKicking]

I don't have pics right now but the Red here has somewhat rough bark, but not scaly like Sugar can be. And the bark will actually have a red hue sometimes.

To clarify our red maples have rougher bark a the base of the tree, the higher you go up the trunk the smoother it gets.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I only had Sugar Maple once that I know of, at first glance it almost looked like Silver Maple bark but I knew it quite wasn't; it was at a local compost site, I cut it to an 18" round and nearly dropped a nut when I went to pick it up, it was soaked with water and man it was HEAVY! I do remember that it burned very nicely. Red Maple is wet when fresh cut, but when dry considerably lighter, but still good stuff!

 

[JSeery]

UPDATE: Sugar Maple acquired. This stuff sure is dense. I had to knock slabs off a lot of these rounds just so I could heave them into the Scrounge Sedan.

Thanks again, folks!

 

[Woody Stover]

Sweet!

 

[woodsHAM]

Best part now other than the heat is the occasional whiff from the flue or when loading. Best smelling smoke IMO !

 

[JSeery]

Best part now other than the heat is the occasional whiff from the flue or when loading. Best smelling smoke IMO !

I can believe that. The fresh splits smell great on their own. Maybe it's just a placebo effect, but I think I'm really gonna like this stuff.