Unfinished Maple Furniture Gives Long-Lasting Beauty

Maple has been a favorite wood of American furniture makers since early Colonial days, prized for both its beauty and durability. Unfinished maple furniture is a popular choice today as well.

Maple is a light-colored hardwood, usually with a very even grain texture. Some maple has a figured grain that is highly prized for its decorative effect. Bird’s-eye maple shows many small circular or elliptical shapes, and burl maple displays clusters of round curls. Bird’s-eye and burl maple were often used for elaborate inlays. Tiger maple, sometimes called curly maple, shows a distinctive and beautiful wave pattern. When tiger maple is sawn across that grain, an iridescent striping is revealed in the face of the plank. Tiger maple is very rare and is used to great effect by museum-quality furniture makers.

Maple ranges from cream to a light reddish-brown in color. It is an extremely tough wood that has excellent resistance to abrasion and indentation, making it a good choice for cutting boards and countertops. Hard maple is the traditional wood for cutting boards because it imparts no taste to food. In the early twentieth century, maple was used for airplane propellers and the heels of women’s shoes.

American maple trees are divided into two groups: hard maple, which includes sugar and black maple; and soft maple, which includes red and silver maple. Any of these varieties can be found in unfinished maple furniture. Artisans also use striped maple for decorative pieces. This small tree is also called moosewood or moose maple because moose are so fond of eating it! Artisans also like to incorporate sugar maple into their work for the beautiful decorative effects created by the marks left from years of tapping the trees for maple syrup.

Most unfinished maple furniture needs additional fine sanding before finishing. This eliminates any surface fuzz or roughness that will show when the stain is applied, as well as removing any oils that may have clung when the furniture was touched by human hands. Use very fine sandpaper, and always sand in the direction of the grain. Then rub the surface with a tack rag to remove any dust.

Sometimes maple wood blotches when it is stained, so a pre-stain preparatory coat may be advisable. Stains can be water-based or oil-based, liquid or gel, designed to be the first step in a multi-step procedure or incorporated into a one-step finishing project. Each manufacturer issues directions and safety warnings with its products. Be sure to follow all safety precautions and to follow directions carefully when working with unfinished maple furniture.

Maple wood is strong and durable, so any piece made of it is likely to be used for a long time. The even grain is beautiful when polished to a high shine, and bird’s eye maple and burl maple are highly decorative. Unfinished maple furniture is a good choice for long-lasting beauty.