I'm new to woodworking, and after some severe storms, I've acquired several silver maple logs. I'm planning to make riven-cut boards once I get a froe, but I've noticed that many of the logs have a lot of sap wood with less heartwood. I've also gotten a black oak log, and I'm wondering if sap wood is worth using. I've heard advice against it from several people and watched some YouTube guides cautioning me as well. I get that sap wood tends to be softer, but how much softer is it compared to heartwood? What are the main drawbacks of using it? I'm worried that the wood I have might not be of good quality. If I find harder woods like osage orange, hickory, or ash with the same sap wood issue, would it still be a bad idea to use them for tool handles or other projects?
1 Answer
Sap wood usually isn't a bad choice; a lot of it is just an aesthetic concern! In darker types of wood, like walnut or cherry, the contrast between heartwood and sapwood can be really pronounced, but some folks like that look! As for the hardness issue, sapwood in general is softer than heartwood, but the difference can vary. It's worth checking specific wood types for their characteristics. As for your silver maple, many find it quite usable, so don't stress too much!
That definitely eases my mind a bit, thanks! Do you know if sapwood's softness really impacts its usability for projects?