Poplar

Poplar’s good, free poplar is better. Black poplar has nice character, white polar I like to paint. Yes it can be furniture, a number of cabinets are starting to show up made from it too.

-- You know.... I think that old wood needs to be furniture.

Can’t complain about free wood! It covers well with paint. I have used it a lot for dressers internal pieces.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.

Popular is very popular as a background wood in cabinets.

You use your premium woods and the wood that is not seen can be popular.

But it’s a nice wood.

Heres a popular table I made.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

I like working with poplar for some end tables night stands or what ever you can think of ….for finish I would paint it..Lately I have been working with red oak and this stuff seems to be like tough as nails ….lol I picked up another bundle from my guy and he said this stuff was like 2 years old and the otherI was cutting had been sitting for 20 years. It seemed to dull my planner knives..

-- christoper Blanchard, Michigan

It’s funny you should ask, I came across a modest amount of free poplar myself recently. I’m liking it a lot except for sanding. It seems to scoff at sanding with the grain, nothing comes off! So I tried cross grain and, while I got some results, I also got scratching, which is a bear to get out…Maybe that’s why it’s generally used for secondary wood or is painted? Other than that, the patina on the stuff, if you CAN get it well sanded, is a real nice kind of gentle green, very pretty…
Around these parts it seems like you can get any type of wood you want (as long as you want Oak, Maple or Pine) so it’s been kinda fun working something new. Made this out of it so far with another soon to follow…http://lumberjocks.com/projects/19370

-- Mike in Manchester, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.

Poplar is a nice wood to work with. It tends to blotch when stained so you have to treat it similar to pine but it mills up well. The only real “problem” with it is that some of the wood will take on a greenish cast when stained but this will fade to a nice brown with time.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

I recently made some speaker stands for a friend, and I liked they way it worked up. I painted them so did not have stain issues. I’d use it again.

-- Powered by Smith & Wilson~~~

It’s got it’s uses…Making chairs ain’t one of them, unless you’re interested in making some “walmart grade”, throw away chairs. Paints well, and it good for learning or secondary wood on case goods. That’s my “free” opinion.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Like the table Karson.

As I said I made a toolbox out of poplar it stained okay when I wiped it.

Did not have real problems sanding as Littlecope had. And the toolbox is 2 years old and still held up well.

It just kind of sits there I still like the idea of a chair. First to make me a Morris chair and to use the free wood to do so.

I have seen some old poplar stuff and I like the contrast in colors, when the green browns.

I guess I will attempt it and see how it goes. I am working on a design in my head and on paper for the chair, I wanted carved panels intead of posts or slats in the sides. And maybe carved feet and arm rests.

-- Measure once cut twice....oh wait....ooops.

I like it as well

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

I’ve had problems sanding poplar too. It got fuzzy when sanded with 220 so I gave up and only sanded to 150 grit. Not as smooth as I would have liked, but it wasn’t fuzzy anymore. I actually like the slightly green tint on some of the boards. Both of these curling iron/hair dryer holders were made from poplar.
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/17006

-- Dale Manning, Carthage, NY

My most resent blog I’m making a pie crust table from poplar It is mostly thought of as a paint grade wood but it can be finished to look like almost any wood.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I too like Poplar…

I made Face Frame out of Poplar:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/19558

I think I could use Trans-Tint and make it look like any wood I wanted. IMHO

-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"

I agree with everyone…poplar is a nice wood. Its very stable. I use it for cabinet backs and bottoms. I also use it for shop jigs etc. It would work good for many other projects too. Like a1Jim said, it takes stain well.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

We use tons of Poplar—literally. Mostly for paint grade. I think it works well. I really like the price you payed. I never find those deals. It does stain well as others have said. I usually don’t as I prefer other woods for that.

-- Kent Shepherd * The goal is-----More Tools!

Most of my house projects are made from poplar, as it is cheap and easy to work with. My wife prefers the painted look to most natural and/or stained projects, so I don’t waste money on expensive wood just to cover it up.

I too have found that when brought through the sanding process, I have a hard time when reaching 220 grit. Recently I have stopped wasting my time trying to sand any further, and have bought better oil based enamel paints. The better (thicker) oil based paints do a great job of coating the surface and some-what self-leveling. After that you would never be able to tell it was only sanded to 150 grit.

-- Derrek L.

I use poplar and like the way it builds up. I have not stained it but using a poly it produces a super smooth finish. I look for poplar that has color and grain to it and like the way it looks with the clear finish.

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

Love it. Exellent for moldings and paint grade projects. Not good for things that take a beating.

I find a sharp thickness planer can leave a good surface (on yellow poplar) to be finish sanded with a random orbit sander. I use a spray finish system that has dye stains available, and can make the poplar look like any wood I want it to look like. And since poplar is not expensive, if I make a mistake, I just do it over.
Unfortunately, no matter how good it looks, you can’t SAY it is something it is not, i.e. walnut, mahogany, etc.
Great for mantels, shadow boxes, cabinet face frames, even mock ups.
Have a great time with your free wood.

-- Keith, NW Alabama