Pine vs. Poplar vs. Red Oak
Nathan Gutman
Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
Is it as hard as red oak?
Any comments appreciated.
--
Nathan Gutman
Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
Richy
Nathan Gutman <gutm...@hgc.edu> wrote in article
<34C8F53C...@hgc.edu>...
> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
Yes, stronger and harder than pine. It is a utility wood, and most people
aren't that fond of its colors, especially the green. For this reason, and
because it's fairly cheap as hardwoods go, and because it paints unusually
well, it's often (usually) painted.
But, naturally finished poplar has fans, too, and count me among them.
Less strong/hard than red oak, though, but also less $$$. Red oak is also
a utility wood, but its trendiness in the late 80's and 90's has increased
its price dramatically.
Rich
wilson lamb
Robin J. Maxwell wrote:
>
> Nathan Gutman wrote:
> >
> > Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> > then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
>
> very stable. It makes good jigs in the shop. As others describe, it is
> used widely where it doesn't show and not so widely where it does. Any
> green coloration is temporary if it is exposed to light. Over time the
> green becomes brown, the darker the green, the darker the brown, and
> overall the color tends to even out. I'm a fan of naturally finished
> poplar myself, but you must be patient with it. Like any wood you must
> find some interesting pieces and put them in the right place.
>
> It works well by hand or machine and will finish very smoothly.
>
> I think it is easier to work than pine and doesn't have a tendency
> toward large knots (the knots it does have are very pretty).
> --
> Robin
>
> Opinions are my own. Who else would claim them?
Opolar was a major siding wood in times past. It's fast growing, fairly
easier to cut, and handles well. I don't have much experience, but I
just sawed 2000 BF for siding my house. It will be resawn into clapboard
before use. I put some Behr #80 exterior stain on a sample and it is
really nice. A medium brownish color and with plenty of grain showing.
If the house looks like that, I'll be thrilled! Looks like furniture.
Wilson
Robin J. Maxwell
wilson lamb wrote:
>
> Robin J. Maxwell wrote:
> Opolar was a major siding wood in times past. It's fast growing, fairly
> easier to cut, and handles well. I don't have much experience, but I
> just sawed 2000 BF for siding my house. It will be resawn into clapboard
> before use. I put some Behr #80 exterior stain on a sample and it is
> really nice. A medium brownish color and with plenty of grain showing.
>
> If the house looks like that, I'll be thrilled! Looks like furniture.
>
> Wilson
My Father (73) told me that my great-grandfather built a place in TN
with unfinished poplar and parts of that place are still standing,
siding intact. I bet you wouldn't mind not having to replace your
siding for 150 years!
Mario Nunez
Folks:
I used poplar to reproduce the 1920's style of moldings I had to tear
out in the kitchen and bathroom. It was a pleasure to work with, easy
to work in the shaper, no warping, splitting or weird knots, and it took
paint beautifully. If only all woods were that easy.
Mario
wilson lamb wrote:
>
>Robin J. Maxwell wrote:
>>
>>Nathan Gutman wrote:
>>>
>>> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
>>> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
>>> Is it as hard as red oak?
>>
>>Poplar is not nearly as hard as red oak. It is reasonably strong and
>>very stable. It makes good jigs in the shop. As others describe, it
>>is used widely where it doesn't show and not so widely where it does.
>>Any green coloration is temporary if it is exposed to light. Over
>>time the green becomes brown, the darker the green, the darker the
>>brown, and overall the color tends to even out. I'm a fan of
>>naturally finished poplar myself, but you must be patient with it.
>>Like any wood you must find some interesting pieces and put them in
>>the right place.
>>
>>It works well by hand or machine and will finish very smoothly.
>>
>>I think it is easier to work than pine and doesn't have a tendency
>> toward large knots (the knots it does have are very pretty).
>>--
>>Robin
>>
>>Opinions are my own. Who else would claim them?
>
>Opolar was a major siding wood in times past. It's fast growing, fairly
>easier to cut, and handles well. I don't have much experience, but I
>just sawed 2000 BF for siding my house. It will be resawn into
clapboardbefore use. I put some Behr #80 exterior stain on a sample and
>it is really nice. A medium brownish color and with plenty of grain
>showing.
>
>If the house looks like that, I'll be thrilled! Looks like furniture.
>
>Wilson
--
*************************************************************
* Mario Nunez - Buffalo, NY USA - <nun...@buffnet.net> *
*************************************************************
* Sex on television can't hurt you... unless you fall off. *
*************************************************************
Ken Cobb
Nathan Gutman wrote:
>
> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
> Is it as hard as red oak?
> --
> Nathan Gutman
> Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
I've used poplar a good bit recently making face frames and door frames
for cabinets (they will ultimately be painted). I've also used it in
the past for drawer sides and backs. It is softer than pine, quite a
bit softer than red oak, and is very easy to cut and rout. Since it's
not that hard, you can dent it pretty easily. It's also fairly light in
weight for a hardwood. It's readily available here in Texas (which is
generally lacking in hardwoods except for good ol' red oak) and is one
of the not-so-expensive woods (none are cheap). But I use it mainly for
secondary woods or for projects that are to be painted, just because the
grain pattern is not all that interesting to me. The only other
downside for me is I don't like the way it smells.
Ken Cobb
Robin J. Maxwell
Nathan Gutman wrote:
>
> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
> Is it as hard as red oak?
Poplar is not nearly as hard as red oak. It is reasonably strong and
David Gersic
In <34C8F53C...@hgc.edu>, Nathan Gutman <gutm...@hgc.edu> writes:
>Has anyone used poplar boards for anything?
I built a todler bed for my daughter out of it last summer.
>Is it stronger then pine?
Probably marginally so. Depends on what kind of "strength" you're looking
for.
>Harder/easier to cut?
I found it was very nice to work with.
>Is it as hard as red oak?
No.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
|David Gersic dgersic_@_niu.edu |
|Systems Programmer Northern Illinois University |
| |
| From dusk to dawn, a programmer's work is never done. <sigh> |
| |
|I'm tired of receiving crap in my mailbox, so the E-mail address has been|
|munged to foil the junkmail bots. Humans will figure it out on their own.|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Kevin J. Gordon
Nathan Gutman wrote:
>
> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
> Is it as hard as red oak?
> --
> Nathan Gutman
> Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
I recently used poplar to built a large built-in entertainment center
for a customer. I used poplar because the customer wanted to finish the
unit with white paint. Poplar if easy to work with - softer than oak -
harder than pine. It depends on what you want to do with it. Both pine
and oak finish naturally very nice. Depends upon the look you are going
for.
Pat Nealy
Yes
Yes
Yes/No
No
Mike T.
I find it one of the more enjoyable woods to work. It is the softest
of the hardwoods. The current project here is making a large TV/
Sterio cabinet using poplar for all but the paneling in a raised panel
type design. It is easy to dent though so you have to be careful in
assembling something. Not sure why, but it seems to be more durable
and stronger after you finish it. I've made many things with it
including a utility workbench using 8/4 material. The workbench has
really held up well to and because it is softer than most of the other
woods it is easier on them. It is a trick to finish it in some shades,
but using waterbased finishing materials makes it easier to get
pleasing results...at least for me. I just bought a bunch of wide
boards for 135.00 per hundred bf(clear and knot free) and these were
planed and straight line ripped for that price. No...did not get it at
HD's or Lowes..Now lets all keep it quiet about this wood before it
gets too popular and hard to find at bargin prices.
Regards,
Mike T.
SLACKCE
NATHAN GUTMAN
HAD ASKED IF POPLAR WAS ANY EASIER TO WORK WITH, OR HARDER THAN
PINEOR RED OAK
KEN COBB'S REPLAY;
>I've used poplar a good bit recently making face frames and door frames
>for cabinets (they will ultimately be painted). I've also used it in
>the past for drawer sides and backs. It is softer than pine, quite a
>bit softer than red oak, and is very easy to cut and rout. Since it's
>not that hard, you can dent it pretty easily. It's also fairly light in
>weight for a hardwood. It's readily available here in Texas (which is
>generally lacking in hardwoods except for good ol' red oak) and is one
>of the not-so-expensive woods (none are cheap). But I use it mainly for
>secondary woods or for projects that are to be painted, just because the
>grain pattern is not all that interesting to me. The only other
>downside for me is I don't like the way it smells.
>
>Ken Cobb
POPLAR IS A TRUE HARDWOOD, AND ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT HARDER THAN RED OAK, IT IS
MUCH HARDER THAN THE NORMAL 1x PINE MATERIAL THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE LUMBER
YARDS. TRUE SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE IS HARDER THAN POPLAR, BUT IS VERY HARD TO GET
IN A CLEAR GRADE THESE DAYS. AND IF YOU CAN GET SOME, IT CAN ACTUALLY COST YOU
MORE THAN WALNUT! EVERY ONE KNOWS THAT RED OAK IS INDEED HARD, HAS A WONDERFULL
GRAIN PATERNS, AND IF FINISHED PROPERLY, IT WILL LAST A LIFE TIME. RED OAK WILL
COST YOU ABOUT 40% MORE THAN POPLAR.
ALL HARDWOODS, AND EVEN SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE, CAN BE HARD TO CUT. BUT IF YOUR
TOOLS ARE SHARP, AND YOU WATCH WHERE YOU PUT YOUR FINGERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE NO
PROBLEM.
IT IS A WONDERFUL WOOD TO USE IF YOU PLAN ON BULIDING FURNITURE, AND PAINTING
IT. IT HAS MINERAL STREAKS IN IT THAT RUN FROM BLACK IN COLOR, TO PURPLE, AND
TO LIGHT GREEN, TO WHITE. IT IS FOR THIS REASON, MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT STAIN
THE FINISHED PRODUCTS.
I HAVE WORKED IN THE CABINET INDUSTRY FOR THE PAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS, AND OVER
THAT TIME I HAVE SEEN THE COSTS OF ALL LUMBER PRODUCTS GO THRU THE ROOF. DOOR
AND WINDOW MANUFACTERS HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF INEXPENSIVE PINE
FORESTS AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THE PAST, AND HAVE HAD TO TURN TO OTHER SOURCES
YEARS AGO.
POPLAR LUMBER WAS ONE SOURCE THAT THEY TURNED TO. THE COST OF MATERIAL WAS LOW,
BUT HAS GONE UP WITH THEIR DEMAND FOR THE PRODUCT. THE PRICE HAS STABILIZED,
AND REMAINED CONSTANT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.
FOR PAINTED FURNITURE, OR FOR YOUR PAINTED MOULDINGS, POPLAR IS THE ONLY WAY TO
GO. IT IS STABLE, IF DRIED PROPERLY, AND IT DOES NOT TEND TO HAVE THE GRAIN
BLEED THRU YOUR PAINT. REMEMBER TO PRIME AND SEAL THE BACK SIDE.
OH KEN, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY POPLAR SMELLS, PLEASE WEAR A MASK.
CHARLIE SLACK
SLA...@AOL.COM
Keith Bohn
Nathan,
Go to this Web page for a more or less complete listing of different
woods and their properties.
http://www.wood-worker.com/properties.htm
Keep in mind that different woods are good for different applications.
Keith Bohn
b2d
Keith Bohn
CHARLIE,
If you don't turn your CAPS lock off your account with AOL will be
terminated. You will then be forced to use WEBTV.
Keith Bohn
b2d
>POPLAR IS A TRUE HARDWOOD, AND ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT HARDER THAN RED OAK, IT IS
Snip
Raymond Hearn
Nate
Oak is harder that poplar and poplar is harder than pine.
Poplar is used for many applications, face frames, doors, etc.
OleRay
DSimms7591
<<Red oak is also
a utility wood, but its trendiness in the late 80's and 90's has increased
its price dramatically.>>
Red oak a utility wood? Possibly you could define the characteristics that make
a wood a "utility" wood. Are those characteristics objective standards, or just
your own personal opinion?
Best wishes,
David Simms
Ron Webb
I have some poplar in my shop that has been air dried for many years. This
poplar is extremely hard. It is so hard in fact that I can't dent it with a
hammer very easily and is much harder than the red oak that I have.
I know that this is contrary to what other replies have seen, but I account
for that by the way the lumber was dried. Green poplar is very soft in my
opinion ... much softer than pine.
Ron Webb
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Nathan Gutman wrote in message <34C8F53C...@hgc.edu>...
Raymond Hearn
At 2.92 a brdft for 10" and wider, I can't think of one utility that I
would use Red Oak for!!!
OleRay
Robert
I would take utility wood to mean it is used for other than
"woodworking" purposes. Such as building crates and pallets. If this
is what the original message meant, then he is correct. Half of ALL the
oak cut goes to the pallet industry. Nice article in Wood Magazine
about it. However, even though it is readily available and tough enough
to be used for "utility" purposes, this does not diminish its beauty.
It is still my number one choice for building furniture. Anyone got a
stack of old pallets they want to get rid of?
Robert-FL
Ron Webb
No its isn't ironwood. It was from a poplar tree that was on the property of
a friend of mine. He cut down the tree and another friend cut rough planks
out of it. He got tired of it being in his barn so he offered some of it to
me.
Ron Webb
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Dr. Charles Pezeshki wrote in message <34CB70F7...@idaho.tds.net>...
>Sounds like this may be ironwood-- secondary wood, lesser value tree--
maybe
>it made its way into the sawmill..
>
>Chuck
>
>Ron Webb wrote:
>
>> I have some poplar in my shop that has been air dried for many years.
This
>> poplar is extremely hard. It is so hard in fact that I can't dent it with
a
chop----chop
Richy
DSimms7591 <dsimm...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19980124141...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> <<Red oak is also
> a utility wood, but its trendiness in the late 80's and 90's has
increased
> its price dramatically.>>
>
> Red oak a utility wood? Possibly you could define the characteristics
that make
> a wood a "utility" wood. Are those characteristics objective standards,
or just
> your own personal opinion?
It's humorous that Ray would use red oak's high prices as justification
against it being a utility wood. It's the characteristics that determine
this, but a non-fad-adjusted prices IS one determinant.
Red oak was the wood of choice for hardwood floors many decades before it
became trendy. Why? Because it's hard and (was) cheap.
But you won't find a ton of antique fine furniture made out of it.
Red oak's open pores and coarse grain make it an unrefined look that's
easily recognizable, even with heavy staining. Although I prefer to leave
the pores open, most furniture makers seem to prefer to fill them.
Red oak has a fairly high expansion/contraction rate, which make it less
desirable than the most favored furniture woods. And, it darkens and rots
easily with moisture contact.
It's still fairly common to find red oak pallets, which gives us an idea of
how much is being harvested.
But beyond all this, it's just a matter of taste. I've heard more people
proclaim red oak as their 'favorite wood' than any other species, but much
of this must be attributed to the inundation of red oak in recent times.
If you are one of them, please don't take offense. Taste is taste. I know
some high-priced lawyers who enjoy Jeno's pizza.
Rich
Robert
The biggest part of it being my "favorite" wood to build with is it's
availability. I can drive 3 minutes to my local Home Depot and buy oak
plywood (1/4" or 3/4") and solid red oak 3/4" in various widths and
lengths. I would love to build projects from cherry or black walnut but
they aren't available in Florida unless you go to a specialty shop and
are willing to pay big $$. The other hardwoods available here are Poplar
and Maple. Poplar is fine to paint but doesn't stain too well. I like
the grain look of oak. The Maple is nice but the pattern is too bland
for me. But, like you said, it is a matter of taste. Personally, I
hate the look of pine. It is too soft, has large knots, and dings too
easy. The oak is tough and stands up to the daily use and abuse in our
house. The open grain poses a little more challenge to finish. A extra
coat of polyurethane usually gets the finish I'm looking for. I'm not
trying to achieve the "glass" effect. I take no offense to anyone elses
view points on the matter. Yes, it is definetly a utility wood. Love
to get my hands on someones old floorboards. I've got a Delta planer
ready to go!
Robert-FL
Richy wrote:
>
SNIP
Don Yasaki
The availability and cost factors of finding hardwoods is understandable.
You should try finding sawmills and lumberyards in the area, and you
should be able to get nice boards for cheaper than at places like Home
Depot or Lowes. You'll probably get rough-sawn lumber, but the price
difference should make up for it.
Pallets have some good wood sometimes, but you could also try to get it
before it is made into pallets.
Forgive the plug about my father's sawmill in NC, but he has pallet grade
lumber for $0.15 per BF. More expensive than free, but at least you don't
have to get the nails out. If you want to try some kiln-dried Walnut, and
don't mind working around knots or sapwood, he has straight-run 4/4 Walnut
(KD rough) for $0.80 per BF.
Don Yasaki
HH & NK Co., Ltd. Kings Mtn., NC
Kiln-dried Hardwoods - Sawmill Direct Prices
tel (704) 739-6914
fax (704) 739-7336
http://www.unc.edu/~dyasaki
Mike Mcdonald
In article <Pine.A41.3.95L.980126...@login4.isis.unc.edu>,
Don Yasaki <dya...@email.unc.edu> writes:
> The availability and cost factors of finding hardwoods is understandable.
> You should try finding sawmills and lumberyards in the area, and you
> should be able to get nice boards for cheaper than at places like Home
> Depot or Lowes. You'll probably get rough-sawn lumber, but the price
> difference should make up for it.
The price difference only makes up for it if you have
the time and equipement to finish the lumber yourself.
I don't (yet on the equipement, time's always in short
supply!)) so I pay extra for finished lumber. In factm
this past weekend I went out to see Gilmer's here in
Portland. They have some beauticul stuff there but it's
all unfinished. So I left empty handed. Now I just have
to find someplace around here (Tualatin) that has 4
sided lumber.
Mike McDonald
mik...@mikemac.com
Robin J. Maxwell
Mike Mcdonald wrote:
>
> The price difference only makes up for it if you have
> the time and equipement to finish the lumber yourself.
> I don't (yet on the equipement, time's always in short
> supply!)) so I pay extra for finished lumber. In factm
> this past weekend I went out to see Gilmer's here in
> Portland. They have some beauticul stuff there but it's
> all unfinished.
It doesn't take that much, you need:
TS
jointer
planer
If you limit your stock width to what your jointer can do you can do
without the planer but its harder. You could also just use hand tools
to do the same thing. The Delta 12" planer (the old model) is down to
under $300 now. It doesn't take too many BF to make that up when the
difference is several dollars a BF. As for the time, it really doesn't
take that much more time.
It really changes things when you can handle rough stock. There is a
LOT more air dried stuff available at lower prices if it is rough. You
can also generally end up with thicker stock since you don't have to
plane it all down to 3/4 or 4/4. The same tools are what you need to
resize to other sizes e.g. 1/2", 3/8", so that you can do grain and
color matching much better (and be more efficient with your stock) when
you need odd sizes for a project.
Besides, its a lot more fun to have to figure out how to get the boards
you want out of big rough sawn lumber!
JBabine
Jack (woodbutcher) Babine
El Paso,TX
jba...@aol.com
Suprisingly no one has mentioned it, but I found poplar a real good wood for
practice turning. I have had a great number of comments from many who would be
concidered unknowing, regarding the color changes from almost white to black
and the many shades inbetween. Though the pieces I have turned are limited in
functionality, they are quite decrative and if nothingesle, you alway have
something to start a fire with.
Mike Mcdonald
In article <34CE5BD1...@netscape.com>,
"Robin J. Maxwell" <rmax...@netscape.com> writes:
> Mike Mcdonald wrote:
>>
>> The price difference only makes up for it if you have
>> the time and equipement to finish the lumber yourself.
>> I don't (yet on the equipement, time's always in short
>> supply!)) so I pay extra for finished lumber. In factm
>> this past weekend I went out to see Gilmer's here in
>> Portland. They have some beauticul stuff there but it's
>> all unfinished.
>
> It doesn't take that much, you need:
>
> TS
> jointer
> planer
You may not think that's much equipement but the BOSS
disagrees!
Mike McDonald
mik...@mikemac.com
Robin J. Maxwell
Mike Mcdonald wrote:
>
> You may not think that's much equipement but the BOSS
> disagrees!
>
Well I hear that.
I figured you already had a TS so really you only need the planer and
jointer which you could get for about $700. You need a jointer even for
s4s. That leaves the planer for $300 which will pay for itself in
reduced stock prices. So it will PAY to have these things.
Worked for me anyway ;-)
bgdesign
I don't know about the planer being a need. The hardwood mill where I
buy the red oak at $1.54 per board foot will plane to your favorite
thickness, both sides, for $.10 per board foot. You should maybe check
around to see if your local area has such a mill which is so
accommodating. I'd have to plane 3,000 board feet before the planer
would pay for itself, with those prices!!
As for red oak being a utility wood (original topic of this post), I get
10-foot long industrial-grade oak, approx. 3/4-7/8" thick rough-cut, for
$2.10 per board (that's $.21 per lineal foot). I bring it in the
basement to dry, totally uncontrolled conditions. This is REAL utility
wood. The type you make pallets from. I get useable project wood from
this by planing with a hand planer then throwing out the knotty or
cracked or checked parts, and using the rest. Still lots of useful wood
at $.21/foot.
Robin J. Maxwell
bgdesign wrote:
>
>
> I don't know about the planer being a need. The hardwood mill where I
> buy the red oak at $1.54 per board foot will plane to your favorite
> thickness, both sides, for $.10 per board foot. You should maybe check
> around to see if your local area has such a mill which is so
> accommodating. I'd have to plane 3,000 board feet before the planer
> would pay for itself, with those prices!!
You are fortunate to live near a mill. I don't so it is not an option.
Even so, it seems you give up quite a bit of control by having them
plane it. I often plane to the maximum thickness I can for a given
situation. I also resaw and plane to thickness for thin material (1/2"
or less). You wouldn't do this if you had to go to a mill every time.
> I bring it in the basement to dry, totally uncontrolled conditions. This is REAL utility
> wood. The type you make pallets from. I get useable project wood from
> this by planing with a hand planer then throwing out the knotty or
> cracked or checked parts, and using the rest. Still lots of useful wood
> at $.21/foot.
Well your secret comes out, you use a hand plane. That is always an
option and I for one respect anyone willing to hand plane rough stock to
thickness. I prefer to speed things up a bit for that part of the
process.
apple20145...@gmail.com
> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
> Is it as hard as red oak?
> Any comments appreciated.
> --
> Nathan Gutman
> Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
near lebanon,pa area
apple...@yahoo.com
no pine
Rick the antique guy
> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
> Is it as hard as red oak?
> Any comments appreciated.
> --
> Nathan Gutman
> Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
Bastard sawn Poplar is very attractive in grain charecter, if you can find some. Most of it is Plain sawn or Quarter sawn
The wood is wery stable and reasonably hard as mentioned. If it's not stacked and dried properly it tends to curve as other wood types also will.
A wood we have around New england that is overlooked is Hemlock
It is reasonably harder than Pine,Fir,Spruce and Cedars.It's downfall is when it gets wet it warps and twists. So clapboards are out of the question
Southern yellow pine when dry and aged is very hard. Try and get a finish nail into this stuff and it may bend on You.
Woods all have their plusses and minuses.
Unfortunately we do not get to see a lot of great types go to the commercial mills , like Ash, Butternut Sycamore, and Basswood and many others.
Although there are a lot of custom sawyers out there who can provide them or at least saw the logs You can deliver.
rick B.
DerbyDad03
> On Friday, January 23, 1998 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Nathan Gutman wrote:
> > Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> > then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
> > Is it as hard as red oak?
> > Any comments appreciated.
> > --
> > Nathan Gutman
> > Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
>
> I love poplar and You do have to handpick your colors and Grains for your own taste and preference.
> Bastard sawn Poplar is very attractive in grain charecter, if you can find some. Most of it is Plain sawn or Quarter sawn
> A wood we have around New england that is overlooked is Hemlock
> It is reasonably harder than Pine,Fir,Spruce and Cedars.It's downfall is when it gets wet it warps and twists. So clapboards are out of the question
> Southern yellow pine when dry and aged is very hard. Try and get a finish nail into this stuff and it may bend on You.
>
> Woods all have their plusses and minuses.
> Unfortunately we do not get to see a lot of great types go to the commercial mills , like Ash, Butternut Sycamore, and Basswood and many others.
> Although there are a lot of custom sawyers out there who can provide them or at least saw the logs You can deliver.
> rick B.
listening, but I doubt the OP still is. ;-)
BTW, a local lumberyard carries finger jointed poplar. Anything up to 6" widths is actually
finger jointed. 8" and up is edge glued using various widths, lengths and grain patterns. It's
much cheaper than clear poplar.
I used it for some cabinet face frames and Shaker style doors that were painted. Flat, straight
and as you know, paints up real nice. You just have to be careful where you rip it. I ripped
one piece too close to a glue joint and then routed the groove for the door panel. That removed
the support under the glue joint and it split when I inserted the panel. Of course, I didn't notice
it until the door was assembled, so I had to devise a clamp system to reglue it. Poplar makes
good spring clamps too. ;-)
https://i.imgur.com/6X3Q1Fw.jpg
Scott Lurndal
>On Friday, January 23, 1998 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Nathan Gutman wrote:
>> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
>> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
>> Is it as hard as red oak?
>> Any comments appreciated.
>> --
>> Nathan Gutman
>> Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
>
> I love poplar and You do have to handpick your colors and Grains for your own taste and preference.
twenty years since he asked that question.
>Bastard sawn Poplar is very attractive in grain charecter,
only blame his/her parents....
Rick the antique guy
Old dogs certaily are hard to train and they forget all about the paper in the corner for that purpose.
Oh well! another day, another lesson, I will eventually invariably forget.
I have not noticed this finger jointed stuff at the lumberyard but I have seen it on the backside of veneered surfaces in some older production furniture; pretty sturdy stuff.
Now it's M.D.F. with a paper thin fake veneer.
Crap-O La. I refuse to repair it.
rick B.
Jack
> Oops! I did it again.
> Old dogs certaily are hard to train and they forget all about the paper in the corner for that purpose.
> Oh well! another day, another lesson, I will eventually invariably forget.
relevant. Replies are not just for one individual, they are for the
group. If your reply is on topic and interesting to a few people, then
it is fine.
About the only time I know a post is really old is when someone else
points it out. Your long heritage, experience and knowledge on
woodworking can only add value to the group.
--
Jack
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.
http://jbstein.com
Leon
> On 5/30/2018 10:47 AM, Rick the antique guy wrote:
>
>> Oops! I did it again.
>> Old dogs certaily are hard to train and they forget all about the
>> paper in the corner for that purpose.
>> Oh well! another day, another lesson, I will eventually invariably
>> forget.
>
> Replying to a 20 year old post doesn't hurt a thing if it is currently
> relevant. Replies are not just for one individual, they are for the
> group. If your reply is on topic and interesting to a few people, then
> it is fine.
>
> About the only time I know a post is really old is when someone else
> points it out. Your long heritage, experience and knowledge on
> woodworking can only add value to the group.
>
Colin Campbell
> On 5/30/2018 10:47 AM, Rick the antique guy wrote:
>
>> Oops! I did it again.
>> Old dogs certaily are hard to train and they forget all about the
>> paper in the corner for that purpose.
>> Oh well! another day, another lesson, I will eventually invariably
>> forget.
>
> Replying to a 20 year old post doesn't hurt a thing if it is currently
> relevant. Replies are not just for one individual, they are for the
> group. If your reply is on topic and interesting to a few people, then
> it is fine.
>
> About the only time I know a post is really old is when someone else
> points it out. Your long heritage, experience and knowledge on
> woodworking can only add value to the group.
Colin
CPM Systems
https://sites.google.com/view/furnituremanufacturers/
Bob Davis
> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
> Is it as hard as red oak?
> Any comments appreciated.
> --
> Nathan Gutman
> Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
k...@notreal.com
think. It'll take stain lot better (what won't). I think it's
infinitely better than pine but I think red oak would be better, price
not a consideration. Poplar isn't a pretty wood, IMO. I wouldn't use
it where it would be seen. Red oak would be a better choice there, but
it looks a little 80's. Who knows, the 20's may be the new '80s.
DerbyDad03
look nice and hold up very well. SWMBO loves the big ones
I put in the base cabinets for the pots, pans and plastic storage
containers. We're getting to old to crawl around on the floor.
These are 2 that I made for my daughter's little kitchen. I found
some spare cabinet doors in the basement and used them as
drawers fronts. They don't match the original drawers fronts,
but they match the cabinets doors, just turned sideways. The
cabinets have been discontinued so I couldn't get new drawers
fronts. She's happy and that's all that counts. She specifically
forbade me from making new ones. "There's more important
things to do around here!" ;-)
https://i.imgur.com/GHOKTJP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UdUTTvo.jpg
DerbyDad03
Poplar takes paint very well and is much harder than pine.
I made this bench from poplar. My daughter painted it pink. I cringed,
but the second I delivered it, it became hers to do with as she pleases.
It's about 5' long. Very sturdy.
https://i.imgur.com/Ju4XAWW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lKWXiTy.jpg
k...@notreal.com
<teama...@eznet.net> wrote:
>On Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 12:01:33 PM UTC-5, k...@notreal.com wrote:
>> On Wed, 5 Jan 2022 05:05:15 -0800 (PST), Bob Davis
>> <wrober...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >On Friday, January 23, 1998 at 2:00:00 AM UTC-6, Nathan Gutman wrote:
>> >> Has anyone used poplar boards for anything? Is it stronger
>> >> then pine? Harder/easier to cut?
>> >> Is it as hard as red oak?
>> >> Any comments appreciated.
>> >> --
>> >> Nathan Gutman
>> >> Knowledge may be wonderful but there is bliss in ignorance.
>> >
>> >I built 24 drawer boxes with poplar two years ago for my kitchen. I am still pleased with the result. I put stained oak drawer fronts on them, so the poplar is really more utility than appearance for my application.
>> Isn't "white wood", poplar? It's harder than pine and more stable, I
>> think. It'll take stain lot better (what won't). I think it's
>> infinitely better than pine but I think red oak would be better, price
>> not a consideration. Poplar isn't a pretty wood, IMO. I wouldn't use
>> it where it would be seen. Red oak would be a better choice there, but
>> it looks a little 80's. Who knows, the 20's may be the new '80s.
>
>Poplar is great for cabinets and bookcases that are going to be painted.
>Poplar takes paint very well and is much harder than pine.
>
hard would be good. Cherry is nice if it's painted red.
>I made this bench from poplar. My daughter painted it pink. I cringed,
>but the second I delivered it, it became hers to do with as she pleases.
>
>It's about 5' long. Very sturdy.
>
>https://i.imgur.com/Ju4XAWW.jpg
>
>https://i.imgur.com/lKWXiTy.jpg
DerbyDad03
worked and, did I mention affordable?
Poplar veneer plywood is cheaper than birch.
> >I made this bench from poplar. My daughter painted it pink. I cringed,
> >but the second I delivered it, it became hers to do with as she pleases.
> >
> >It's about 5' long. Very sturdy.
> >
> >https://i.imgur.com/Ju4XAWW.jpg
> >
> >https://i.imgur.com/lKWXiTy.jpg
> That's nicer looking poplar than I've seen. Very nice.
Fun project.
k...@notreal.com
just as well be painted. Cherry is a beautiful wood, as is. No need
to do too much more to it.
>Poplar veneer plywood is cheaper than birch.
>
selling at JD.