What type of maple?

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Ctwoodtick

Minister of Fire
Jun 5, 2015
2,107
Southeast CT
1FBEA8E6-3C46-4033-AC30-5820E043F9B8.jpeg E0789222-F349-45E7-98AB-BE167193C289.jpeg i scrounged this maple last summer- figures it was sugar as I know it isn’t a soft maple. What do you think, could it be a Norway maple?
 
To me, the bark in the first picture screams ASH.

Do you know it to be maple for other reasons?
 
To me, the bark in the first picture screams ASH.

Do you know it to be maple for other reasons?
Yes, I thought that too at first. The person who was selling it said it was maple and after looking at it a bit more looked like some maple bark I’ve seen (figured sugar at first). At this point, I can’t recall what if any leaves were present that would solve this mystery.
 
From what I’ve read, ash and Norway maple have similar BTU rating so I suppose I’m just curious for curiosity’s sake.
 
Ash is great burning wood. Good BTUs, no sparks, but little coaling though. It's clearly better than any soft maple.
 
Is Norway maple considered a soft maple?
 
On larger rounds of maples, you'll often see characteristic darker heartwood that's about half the diameter of the entire round. Ash, on the other hand, will not have much distinction between heartwood and sapwood.

Any rounds with darker hearts?
 
On larger rounds of maples, you'll often see characteristic darker heartwood that's about half the diameter of the entire round. Ash, on the other hand, will not have much distinction between heartwood and sapwood.

Any rounds with darker hearts?
Unfortunately, I can’t remember.
 
Ash usually has more distinct growth rings at the end grain and I don’t really see any. I think it’s Norway maple.
 
If it is maple it is Norway
 
Man this is a tough one, I think I might go along with TreePointer in his thinking it is Ash, the piece underneath it with that fungus on it looks like Ash, was that part of this too? If not Ash then yes Norway for sure, they look so so similar in this picture for some reason!
 
Man this is a tough one, I think I might go along with TreePointer in his thinking it is Ash, the piece underneath it with that fungus on it looks like Ash, was that part of this too? If not Ash then yes Norway for sure, they look so so similar in this picture for some reason!
Probably not the same wood as piece beneath it. My wood is almost 100 percent scrounged so it is a potpourri of what I’m fortunate to find.
 
From my experience, norway maple and ash bark are very similar. Norway is good firewood. Not quite as good as sugar but still good.
 
When I look at the picture I don't see the straight grain that is usually found with
Ash and Red OAK. The reason they are so easy to split
So I am going with Norway Maple.


Where is nrford when you need him.
 
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The photos look like Norway Maple to me. Just from the photos I couldn't say for sure it's not ash.
 
I can see Norway maple in some pieces, but the bark in the first is throwing me off a bit. As always, viewing pictures on computer can be deceiving.
 
Norway all the way. I hate it but it does burn. Pretty much leaves it's own volume in ash behind after it's done. All Maples leave a lot of ash as compared to most other hardwoods but Norway seems to be the worst of the Maples save for maybe Silver. My two cents.