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Hybrid Poplar worthless - petertay15 - 05-08-2019
Last summer we cut a large hybrid poplar. I suspected the wood was of no value, but the 30-inch diameter bole was so clear and straight, we milled it into 8/4 boards. Of course it is still wet, but I just tried working with it. The table saw, the thickness planer, the jointer, and even a hand plane, none of them will leave a clean surface. Chips, nicks, splinters. Guess I’ll take the load to the burn pile. —Peter
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - Bob Vaughan - 05-08-2019
I've not heard of a hybrid poplar (but there's lots of tree species I've not heard of). What features was it supposed to have over a regular poplar (yellow poplar, I'm guessing)?
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - EdL - 05-08-2019
They are a giant weed....very fast growing.
Ed
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - Phil Thien - 05-08-2019
Well could you use it for distressed-finished projects?
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - Stwood_ - 05-09-2019
Grain is similar to a willow most likely. Willow doesn't work well, especially if it isn't completely dry
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - ianab - 05-09-2019
Hybrid poplar is various trees of the "populus" genus. What the rest of the world calls "Poplar". The US versions are Cottonwood and Aspen. What is called Yellow Poplar (or just Poplar) in the US is a Magnolia, and a totally different tree. So it's going to work more like Cottonwood at best. Soft and stringy. Usually gets used for pulp or making pallets, because it's cheap and no one cares how smooth it comes out.
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - MichaelMouse - 05-09-2019
(05-09-2019, 02:59 AM)ianab Wrote: Hybrid poplar is various trees of the "populus" genus. What the rest of the world calls "Poplar". The US versions are Cottonwood and Aspen. What is called Yellow Poplar (or just Poplar) in the US is a Magnolia, and a totally different tree. So it's going to work more like Cottonwood at best. Soft and stringy. Usually gets used for pulp or making pallets, because it's cheap and no one cares how smooth it comes out.
US is also referred to as "tulip" or "tulip-poplar." What you have is "popple,", one, or two, as it's a hybrid, species of the Populus genus. It features interlocked grain, which suited it marvelously for the bottoms of wagons and stone boats, where you could throw anything on it for a dent, not a split. Favored by the Finns as sauna seats, because it won't send splinters in your butt, and seems cooler to the skin than other woods in the heat.
You can use it anywhere - insides and underneath - a smooth surface is not required, as well. Smoothest when worked low-angle, and as above, when cured.
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - petertay15 - 05-09-2019
OP here. We planted hybrid poplars when we moved to a fairly barren country property. They were provided free by the county. They grow ten feet a year, up to 100 feet. The sprig we stuck in the ground was the size of a pencil, two years later it really was 20 feet tall. We understood they are used for pulpwood, but they are wonderful shade trees. Wide crown with 5-inch leaves that flutter in the wind. The leaves are so thick they smother the lawn if not raked up. The wood is white with tight smooth grain. But worthless for furniture. Peter
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - Bill Wilson - 05-09-2019
(05-09-2019, 02:59 AM)ianab Wrote: Hybrid poplar is various trees of the "populus" genus. What the rest of the world calls "Poplar". The US versions are Cottonwood and Aspen. What is called Yellow Poplar (or just Poplar) in the US is a Magnolia, and a totally different tree. So it's going to work more like Cottonwood at best. Soft and stringy. Usually gets used for pulp or making pallets, because it's cheap and no one cares how smooth it comes out.
Many years ago my FIL sawed down several large trees on his farm. They were nice and straight and clear, so thinking they were poplar, he took them to the local saw mill to have them cut into boards. The sawyer told him they were "Quaking Aspen" and worthless as lumber. They may have been cotton wood. I really don't know.
Anyway, he hauled them over to my place for me to cut up and use as firewood. I thought I was getting something until I started splitting it (by hand). It was so tough and stringy, it wouldn't break apart, even though the logs were so straight & clear. I fought with it for some time, not wanting it to go to waste and finally managed to get it all split. A couple years later it came time to start burning it. I noticed that when I picked a piece up, it hardly weighed anything, compared to the maple, red oak and cherry that I typically burn. I threw some of it in the furnace and soon discovered that it burned as fast as paper and generated little heat. I told my FIL that I got more heat from splitting that wood than I did from burning it. Someone called it a giant weed and that's exactly what it is.
RE: Hybrid Poplar worthless - Edwin Hackleman - 05-09-2019
(05-08-2019, 07:50 PM)petertay15 Wrote: Last summer we cut a large hybrid poplar. I suspected the wood was of no value, but the 30-inch diameter bole was so clear and straight, we milled it into 8/4 boards. Of course it is still wet, but I just tried working with it. The table saw, the thickness planer, the jointer, and even a hand plane, none of them will leave a clean surface. Chips, nicks, splinters. Guess I’ll take the load to the burn pile. —Peter
Cottonwood is actually better, if that's any comfort. I cut poplar for campfire wood and kindling. I suppose you could use it to make pallets.