Poplar

[Phillip Bogle]

Has anyone used poplar for face frames or other cabinet work. We just got some in at the lumber yard and out here we seldom get anything other than fir, cedar, hemlock and occasionally oak. In short I know nothing of the properties.

I went to the "big city" Portland (Oregon) last month and made my annual perusal of Home Depot. H D had some pine lumber from South America I do not remember the name. No knots and looked nice. Anyone had experience with this?

Odd. I live on the North Oregon Coast in the heart of logging country and can't buy decent woodworking lumber.

[Michael Weber]

Poplar is great for any work that can be painted. In fact, a current ww magazine tells how to stain it to look like cherry. It's closed grain, cuts and machines well. It's odd about not having lumber sources where you are. My daughter lives in Eugene and there are a least 3 hardwood dealers there. Just across the river in Springfield there is a place that sells slabs and customized cuts of hardwood. Don't remember the name but it's right on the main drag out of Eugene. Interesting place. I believe I have seen adverts for other Oregon hardwood mills/dealers. Also, this in Portland as well http://www.urbanhardwoodrecovery.com/

[Phillip Bogle]

Michael:
It all depends on what you call hardwood. There is an abundance of Alder, then a little oak (mostly made into charcoal), Madrone, and the scattered few of Myrtlewood and maybe something else that is an accident more than a market.

Thanks for the Poplar tips. I asked advice from the sales clerk who obviously knew less than the boards he was selling.
BTW: what was the name of the WW Mag.?

[Frank Drew]

Phillip,

I agree with Michael that poplar is a very good paint-grade wood, and would also be fine as a secondary wood (drawer sides, furniture or cabinet interior parts, etc.).

I don't care at all for stained poplar, however; IMO it's one of the more boring-looking woods for that purpose. In other words, if you want cherry, get cherry, because poplar will never, ever look like the real thing.

[Sonny Edmonds]

I think Popular is better than being unpopular.
But I am getting old, and I don't care one way or the other what people think. :D

The popular I have worked with has been easy and nice to work.

(Sorry to make a lier out of you Frank.)

[Craig D Peltier]

I have heard on here that poplar shrinks more than using western maple for door frames for paint grade.
I have been using poplar for both for years with no issues. I also have two stained end tables in it and it looks real nice if stained very dark.

[Jim Becker]

Other than the cherry cabinetry that I've been making lately, MOST of my work, including face frames is using yellow poplar...and most of that is milled of our property. (I have another 1500 bd ft drying as we speak) I love to work with poplar and contrary to some folks' believe, it's not just "paint grade" or "secondary wood". Using water soluble dyes, I've made a lot of furniture that you would think is something much more expensive. The furniture industry uses a ton of it, too...probably one of the most frequently used species.

Please note that you need to be careful with the designation "poplar". Yellow Poplar/Tulip Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera, is a member of the magnolia family and what we generally talk about when we designate poplar as the material being used. It's not a "true" poplar...those are associated with the Aspen family and are a bit fuzzier and softer.