I found some "Red Leaf Maple" shorts on Facebook Marketplace for a great price and was considering using them for cutting boards. However, I came across some information claiming that red leaf maple might be toxic and not suitable for cutting boards. I'm looking for more clarity on this since I can't find much reliable info. Additionally, I'm wondering if this type of maple is hard enough for cutting boards. What do you all use to figure out the differences between wood types and which ones are safe or not? I had no idea there were so many species of maple!
2 Answers
I recommend checking out The Wood Database; it’s a solid resource for this kind of stuff. Red Maple is actually the hardest among the soft maples and somewhat comparable in hardness to cherry. All maples in the Acer genus, including the harder maple often used for cutting boards, can potentially cause some skin and lung irritation, but they're not toxic at all. So, looks like you’re good to go! Just make sure to wear a mask while sanding it.
Absolutely, it’s perfect! Although it’s classified as a soft maple, it’s actually harder than popular cutting board choices like walnut and cherry. It’s a bit misleading because ‘soft’ seems bad for cutting boards. But in this case, it doesn’t affect its suitability at all!