Maple

Andrew Brenner

Andrew Brenner

Active member
I've got some silver maple - cut down last spring. I've quartered it and planed it. Seems like it would be good carving wood.

What has always puzzled me is that maple is NEVER used for heads or bodies. Is there a reason that maple is never used for decoy carving? I mean basswood is a member of the maple family, right?
 
Not sure Andrew but I wonder if maybe soft maple checks too much and of course hard maple is much too hard and heavy. I'm sure the guys that really know what they are doing will chime in.
 
you can carve whatever you want, but maple is hard and HEAVY. Do a head with that and 1 in cedar, see how much lead you drop in the butt of the maple one to get it to float level. Save it for furniture or at least keels.
 
Speaking only from experience cutting them down, I think you will find the wood a hell of a lot harder than basswood. Not so hard as sugar maple, but similar to red maple.

They make way better firewood than basswood or poplar . . . .
 
No doubt that cedar is lighter. I don't want to confuse the issue with any sort of hard maple. This is a soft wood, and relatively light. Maybe it is just the perception that maple is hard and heavy that makes it something that never gets used.
 
I mean basswood is a member of the maple family, right?
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Nope, basswood actually changed families since I was in school, but neither of them were the Maple family.

IMHO the only thing silver maple is good for is growing sod in my neighbors gutters on his house...and that isn;t good for much other than comic relief.
 
No doubt that cedar is lighter. I don't want to confuse the issue with any sort of hard maple. This is a soft wood, and relatively light. Maybe it is just the perception that maple is hard and heavy that makes it something that never gets used.
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"Soft" maple is usually still a lot harder then basswood, it's just softer then "hard" maple and there ain't much that isn't softer then hard maple.
If it is of average density it still could be something like 30% heavier then basswood and 50% heavier then white cedar. Hard maples can be twice the weight of cedar.
Not saying it can't make good heads because there are some who use pine and at times that can be nearly that heavy also.

I've heard it is good for turning so maybe it's time to take up call making. :-)

Tim
 
Sometimes FREE is just too expensive (in time, money and effort)! I'm sure with enough perseverance, you could make a decoy out of it, but would you WANT to? My suggestion is to find some a willing mentor and some good material, then spend time carving rather than fighting your material. It's a hobby and like all hobbies, it takes a couple bucks to play.

Good luck!
 
Well, I've been carving decoys since about 1999. I've carved everything from pear to foam. So while paying to play is definitely something I have been doing.

I guess I just have more curiosity than spare change anyway. I like brown cork as well, but it seems relatively heavy when compared to hollow wood.

Also my mentor is second to none. I don't remember him discouraging me from trying anything in particular - other than cherry as I recall.

On a side note, I did get a piece of curly basswood once that was as hard as anything. I'm sure it was basswood, we cut the tree down. Other parts of the tree were much more compliant.
 
any good dry tight grain wood is good for heads

I have a scotor rig in the works now that has oak heads

oak is some tough stuff. a lot more durable than cedar when really abused

decoys are being used in the big boat so weight isn't much of an issue.
 
...there ain't much that isn't softer then hard maple.

Tim
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Beech? primary uses are (were) mallets and factory floors. I cut out a goose head once from beech, but unfortunately Ballard didn't fall for it...still have it laying about the garage somewhere if anyone wants to dull a knife they could have it
 
With regard to the weight issue---northern white cedar-20 lbs per cu. ft., basswood-25 lbs per cu. ft., silver maple-32 lbs per cu. ft.

See no reason not to try carving a head but you will have to compensate for the "heavy head" by adding weight in the tail area. You may want to hollow the head as much as possilble to minimize the weight.
 
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