Hard Maple is a favorite choice of our Amish wood turners. It is easy to work with and turns and sands out very well. Its graining tends to be straight, but sometimes flame like patterns can be seen in the wood. Hard Maple is a durable wood that lends toward a creamy color with graining that ranges from light to dark brown. Hard Maple is especially beautiful when clear coated, and is a more challenging wood to stain. It will accept stain to varying degrees along the same piece of wood which can lead to a blotchy appearance. If you want to stain your stair parts anything other than a clear coat or a very dark color, it is generally recommended that you choose Soft Maple because it accepts stain better than Hard Maple.
