Mackle Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 hey guys. My uncle gave me some boards from a tree he cut down a few months back. He claims it's Poplar but it doesn't look like it to me. Can anybody help me here? I'm posting a few photos of the boards and a piece I made from one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Sure looks like poplar to me and I use plenty of it . It can be creamy tan, light green, dark green, brown and even purple/black. That's why we use it for paint grade work. Yours is just kinda variegated . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackle Posted June 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Oh ok, thanks. I've never used poplar before and the descriptions I found online made it sound like it looked more like pine. Do you think it would be good to make a bench out of? I really like the color Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 The boards look like poplar but the piece you made looks more like sycamore to me. That tiny medullary ray fleck isn't something you see in poplar very much but I guess anything is possible. Poplar is not a good choice for a workbench because it's so soft, but that doesn't mean you can't make a bench out of it. Just don't expect it to last a lifetime. BTW, all those greens and purples will turn to brown eventually. If you like the look of poplar then you're in luck, because it's about as cheap as lumber gets aside from 2x4s from Home Depot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Is this what you mean Eric? I see it in poplar like this all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 could be sycamore. the coloration is similar. like Eric said the edge grain / quartersawn face grain of sycamore has more prominent ray fleck. you do see some in poplar but it can be almost microscopic. The bark doesn't look like sycamore, it has a distinct, fine, "painted on" looking bark. That bark looks more coarse to me, but it is a small sample. Both trees are prominent in northern ohio. The piece you turned also reminds me of Elm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 image.jpgimage.jpg Is this what you mean Eric? I see it in poplar like this all the time. Yeah. All woods have medullary rays so it's not out of the question...I just haven't seen it in poplar much. But I hardly ever work with poplar so that's probably just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Yeah. All woods have medullary rays so it's not out of the question...I just haven't seen it in poplar much. But I hardly ever work with poplar so that's probably just me. You mean besides painting it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Poplar is often used as a secondary wood in furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 A paint grade bench for seating indoors ? YES , a workbench to last for years , not so much.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 The piece in the last pic is almost certainly cherry and in any case it is definitely not poplar.. Is it the same as the wood in the rest of the pic? I'm dubious about that. The first pic looks exactly like poplar and the turned piece looks like sycamore (maybe) I think what your uncle had was a poplar-cherry tree growing out of a sycamore stump. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackle Posted June 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Yes I meant a indoor sitting bench.I also thought I would be able to make some cutting boards or spoons. Yes all of the photos are wood from the same tree. The lighting in my shop isn't great so the photos don't do justice to the color. When finished so would has a warm reddish brown hue to it. Everything I found online says Poplar is kind of like pine and all of the photos make it look like it too. I'm fairly certain its a hardwood. I can barely scratch it with a fingernail. Btw this would was harvested from Northern WV if that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 If you can barely scratch it with a fingernail I would hesitate to call it poplar. Poplar and pine are alike only in they're both soft, otherwise they're nothing alike except they're both lighter colored woods. BTW...hardwood and softwood have nothing to do with the hardness of the wood. Deciduous trees are hardwoods and coniferous trees are softwoods. Balsa is a hardwood...which is about as hard as warm butter. And yew is a softwood but certain species of yew are harder than walnut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 can you sand the end much cleaner and get a close-up?. Some sense of the pore structure or lack of pores would be a good clue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Yeah. All woods have medullary rays so it's not out of the question...I just haven't seen it in poplar much. But I hardly ever work with poplar so that's probably just me. such a wood snob... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackle Posted June 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Does this help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Does this help? Yes, it definitely rules out poplar. Rays are MUCH to strong for poplar. In poplar you can just barely make them out with a 10X loupe; you'll never seen them with the naked eye. This looks like cherry but I can't see the end grain details quite well enough to be sure. As I said before, the last pic in your first set looks exactly like cherry, but the first pic does not at all. Can you send me a small sample for processing? If not, then I suggest you check out the end grain pics of poplar and those of cherry on my site. You'll see right away what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 Mackle, did you ever get any farther w/ an ID on this? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackle Posted July 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 i took a few boards to my local hardwood dealer who seemed confident its cherry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSC Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 this is an enigma at first glance i thought persimmon then more confident on poplar until i saw the bark which seemed oakish. After mention of cherry I do see the heartwood vs Sapwood is cherryish and the tanning is correct maybe a birch... hybrid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob493 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 definitely not poplar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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