CutMath

Red Maple

Acer rubrum · hardwood · Eastern North America · moderate movement

Field data
  • Janka hardness 950 lbfred oak ≈ 1,290 lbf
  • Density ≈ 38 lb/ft³specific gravity 0.54 at 12% MC
  • Shrinkage — tangential 8.2%flatsawn width, green → ovendry
  • Shrinkage — radial 4%quartersawn width
  • T/R ratio 2.0 : 1higher = more cupping in flatsawn stock

Shop notes The most common "soft maple" — 80% of hard maple’s look at two-thirds the effort. Takes paint and dye well; watch for tension-wood fuzz.

Seasonal movement at a glance

Width change for red maple across a typical indoor year — 6% moisture content in the heated winter to 12% in a humid summer:

Board widthFlatsawnQuartersawn
6″ 3/32″ (0.105″) 1/16″ (0.051″)
12″ 7/32″ (0.211″) 3/32″ (0.103″)
24″ 13/32″ (0.422″) 7/32″ (0.206″)
36″ 5/8″ (0.633″) 5/16″ (0.309″)

Run your own numbers

Different width, different climate swing — the calculator below is preset to red maple:

Board & conditions
Grain
Conditions given as

Typical swings:

Movement estimate
    Estimate Figures use species-average shrinkage from the USDA Wood Handbook and the standard shop movement formula. Individual boards vary — leave margin, especially with flatsawn stock.

    Red Maple questions

    How much does red maple move with the seasons?

    A 12″-wide flatsawn red maple board moves about 7/32″ across a typical indoor swing from 6% to 12% moisture content; quartersawn, about 3/32″. Its tangential shrinkage is 8.2% and radial 4% (green to ovendry) — a moderate-movement wood.

    How hard is red maple?

    Red Maple rates about 950 lbf on the Janka scale — softer than red oak but sturdy (red oak is roughly 1,290 lbf). Density runs about 38 lb/ft³ at indoor moisture levels.

    Is red maple good for wide panels and tabletops?

    Carefully. Its tangential-to-radial ratio of 2.0:1 makes flatsawn boards prone to cupping — choose quartersawn stock for wide glue-ups, alternate growth rings, and fasten tops so they can slide.

    Similar species

    Black Cherry · Paper Birch · Black Walnut · Hackberry · Southern Magnolia · Water Tupelo

    Shrinkage, specific gravity, and hardness from the Wood Handbook, FPL-GTR-282 (2021 edition), USDA Forest Products Laboratory (public domain). Values are species averages — individual boards vary with growth conditions and how they were dried.