Poplar/Sycamore

[Jim Baker]

Two of my local sawmills have suggested sycamore as an acceptable substitute for poplar for painted projects. Does anyone have experience with it?

[Eric Apple - Central IN]

The QS is really neat stuff. It looks somewhat close to lacewood in a different color. I wouldn't want to paint any quarter sawn material. I've used this in small amounts, and it machined well for me. Oddly - around here, the mill would be incorrect. The poplar is less then $1 bf and I use it because it's less expensive then pine, sycamore when you can find it goes for many times more.

Also poplar is available grade stamped (as is pine) and therefore can pass building inspection when used for structural support.

I'd buy up a bunch at poplar prices. The grain is more open then poplar, so it might look a little different then painted poplar.

Check out this link:

http://inky.library.yale.edu/hough/pages/images/z4393748.jpg

[Jim Becker]

Sycamore that is not quarter sawn might be somewhat unstable, from what I've heard. And if you buy it quartersawn...it's not inexpensive and too beautiful to cover with paint!

Poplar is generally very inexpensive around here. If I didn't have a hugh pile of it from my own property, I could buy it locally for between $.50 and $2.50 bf, depending on the source and drying method. Since I have absolutely no problem using air-dried material, my purchase would be at the low end of that price range.

[Tom Gattiker]

I thought sycamore was more of wood for, say panels, accents, boxes and such. Not really a poplar substitute because not as stable. But that's just what I have always been told.
We have some HUGE sycamore trees around here (sw ohio).