Was looking for a suitable wood for legs and arm spindles for windsor chairs. Here in central Maryland we have plenty of yellow poplar (tuliptree) for seats and red oak for bending however we do not have sugar maple which I believe was the wood of choice for legs and other spindles. We do have alot of beech, soft maple (Acer rubrum) and ash. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Replies
I thought sugar maple was fairly prevalent in Maryland. In fact, I think bought mine from Groff & Groff, in PA, just barely above the MD line.
Definitely not. You will not find hard maple until you get at least 100 miles north or west of the central MD area. I used to be a forester for a local utility. Groff and Groff must get their material from western or northern PA.
Ah, so you're looking for green material?
yes. I should have made that clear. It sounds like from the other response that red maple would be a fine substitute.
Good luck with it. A good Windsor is a real heirloom.
Soft maple is a good substitute, it really isn't soft.
John White
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