Hard maple vs soft maple?

[jaustin]

What the difference between hard and soft maple?
Looking to build a butcher block table and don't know if it makes a difference, looking to build it like a end grain cutting board.

[fredhargis]

Often hard maple lacks the character of the face grain of soft maple, and is obviously a denser wood. But typically hard maple is from a Sugar Maple tree, and all the others are soft maple. One word about soft maple, it's only soft when you compare it to hard maple. As my friend Steve N pointed out some time back, on the Janka scale soft maple is right there with cherry in hardness. For most stuff I prefer soft maple but I suspect for an end grain cutting surface I would go with hard maple.

[Steve N]

What the difference between hard and soft maple?
Looking to build a butcher block table and don't know if it makes a difference, looking to build it like a end grain cutting board.

You can press a fingernail into Soft Maple, and Cherry almost exactly the same amount, some differences per board will show varied amounts. If I was making a cutting board I would use hard maple if it was actually going to get use. If it was a decorative piece, I'd go with soft and look for some spectacular curly grain


Either are easy to work with hand or power tools. If Maple had a problem I would say it's difficulty to finish, it yellows with any finish, and splotches with stains. On a cutting board a mix of Mineral Oil, and a bit of beeswax heated together make an excellent food finish, easily restored, and fortified.

Show us pics when you get done

[jaustin]

So hard maple is what i will use.
I do have another question on a joint.
our current table has a joint so when it folds up it over laps.
What type of bit or how would you reproduce the joint?

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

So hard maple is what i will use.
I do have another question on a joint.
our current table has a joint so when it folds up it over laps.
What type of bit or how would you reproduce the joint?




Called a drop leaf table joint. Done with a router bit set.

www.rockler.com/rockler-2-pc-drop-leaf-table-rule-joint-router-bit-set

[jaustin]

Thanks for the link and name of the joint.

[Paul-in-Plymouth]

Also often called "rule joint."  Here are references to articles in Popwood and FineWW and a WoodsmithShop online article.

http://www.weblessons.us/shop/howto/rout...-joint.pdf
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techni...d-by-power
http://www.finewoodworking.com/2014/04/2...rule-joint

[Steve N]

Actually the name of the joint is a "rule joint"





Rule Joint







Paul I even went back and looked to make sure no one named it correctly before I posted

[fredhargis]

Look close at those hinge in that illustration Steve N. posted.

[Steve N]

Yeah that is why I chose that one, plus on the link page to Google images it has several sporting the hardware. It won't swing right hinged from below unless you have that offset. Now some people use an arm like hinge, like you find on a Hope chest. I like the smaller forward hinge, looks a lot cleaner.