Common Names:   Bigleaf maple Broadleaf maple Maple Oregon maple Pacific Coast maple Western Maple Purchase Maple Quilted

Mechanical Values

Environmental Profile
Bigleaf maple is reported to be generally widespread, abundant, and secure globally, although it may be rare in the periphery range (Source - The Nature Conservancy - Rank of relative endangerment based primarily on the number of occurrences of the species globally).

Distribution
Bigleaf maple is reported to be native to the Pacific Northwest, with a growth range from southwest British Columbia through Oregon to southern California, with the highest concentration in the Puget Sound region of Washington and the Northwest region of Oregon. It sometimes grows in pure stands, and prefers stream banks and moist canyon soils. It is usually found at low to moderate elevations, up to 1000 feet (305 m) in the northern parts of its range, and at 3000 to 5500 feet (914 to 1676 m) in the south.

Product Sources
Some material from this species is reported to be available from environmentally responsible or sustainably managed sources. 

Bigleaf maple is reported to be the only commercial maple in British Columbia, Canada.

Tree Data
The tree is reported to mature to a height of 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 m), with a maximum height of abvout 101 feet (30 m). Tree life is rated as moderate, with some trees reaching 300 years of age. Boles are reported to be well-formed and clear to about 50 to 70 percent of the total height of the tree, and diameter at breast height is reported to be from 12 to 30 inches (30 to 80 cm).

Sapwood Color
The sapwood is reddish-white with a grayish cast, and is not distinct from the heartwood.

Heartwood Color
Heartwood is pinkish brown. 

Grain
Straight but occasionally curly or wavy. 

Texture
Texture is fairly coarse to coarse.

Odor
Bigleaf maple has no distinct odor or taste. 

Ease of Drying
The wood is fairly easy to dry.

Kiln Schedules
T8 - D4 (4/4); T8 - D3 (8/4) US

Movement in Service
The timber is reported to have moderate dimensional stability after seasoning.

T/R Ratio
1.92
This ratio is more meaningful if it is used together with actual shrinkage data in the tangential and radial directions. (Refer to the Numerical Values window).

Natural Durability
The heartwood is reported to have very little natural resistance to decay, and should not be used under high decay hazard conditions. 

Resistance to Impregnation
Heartwood response to preservative impregnation is reported to be poor. 

Veneering Qualities
Blister-like structures formed under the bark of Bigleaf maple give quilted patterns in veneer produced from this species. The name, Quilted maple, is derived from these structures.

Planing
The wood may be very difficult to plane if curly grain is present. (Expected number of perfectly planed pieces out of one hundred = 52).

Turning
Turning properties are reported to be good. (Percent of pieces reported to yield fair to excellent turning results = 80).

Moulding
Moulding characteristics are reported to be fair. (Percent of moulded pieces reported to provide good to excellent results = 56).

Boring
The timber is reported to have excellent properties in boring. (Number of bored pieces expected to yield good to excellent results out of one hundred = 100).

Mortising
The material is reported to have good mortisisng properties. (Expected percent of mortised pieces providing fair to excellent results = 80).

Gluing
The wood glues satisfactorily under controlled conditions, and has a very high bond strength.

Nailing
The material is reported to have high resistance to splitting in nailing operations and nail-holding characteristics are reported to be good.

Screwing
The material is reported to have good screwing and screw-holding properties.

Sanding
The material is reported to have fair sanding qualities.

Polishing
The wood finishes very well and uniformly. The wood has a high resistance to fuzzing during polishing.

Staining
The timber is reported to accept all types of stains rather well.

Steam Bending
The wood is reported to have fair steam bending properties.

Strength Properties
Bending strength in the air-dried condition (about 12% moisture content) is medium. Its strength in compression parallel to grain is medium. It is fairly hard, resisting wear, denting, and marring fairly well. Weight is medium.