"David" wrote in message . ..
So the consensus seems to be Maple. I am amazed. Seems like Maple is pretty
expensive but this thing wasnt well taken care of.


Expensive compared to what? In most places Maple is cheaper than
walnut, cherry, mahogany, or birch, and it is harder and more
durable than those. Often Oak is cheaper than maple, but not
by a lot.

I think you'll find that a lot of school furniture was made of
maple. I think the student deks back when I was in school
were made from maple ply and sheet steel, and the maple ply
may have been maple all the way through. It was very tough
stuff, usually outlasted the steel.

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FF