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(05-22-2018, 06:57 AM)Halfathumb Wrote: Working with hard maple & poplar. I have a challenge telling the difference.
maple = heavy, even sounds dense, white/pinkish tones (depending on your lighting)
poplar = much lighter, usually has slight greenish tone somewhere, again depending on your lighting.
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Western big leaf maple closer to poplar
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(05-23-2018, 01:24 PM)bandsaw Wrote: Western big leaf maple closer to poplar
None of my WBLM looks like poplar. It's curly grained. But then, I always thought poplar was that stuff that snows cotton everywhere.
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It's just you.
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(05-25-2018, 02:40 PM)Hey daddo Wrote: It's just you.
Yeah, what he said.
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(05-22-2018, 08:36 PM)wood2woodknot Wrote: So, are we talking about hard maple or soft maple? I don't know from soft maple, but I think I can differentiate hard maple from poplar.
hard maple is noting like poplar. Soft maple can have a lot of color, sometimes even green. And it is about the same density as poplar. Not all soft maple is figured. Lots of it used in the same kind of applications as poplar.
I have a piece of poplar that has been aging for a while, and it looks nice. My wood storage is not well-lit, and the other day I grabbed it thinking it was a light piece of walnut with a lot of sapwood. Quickly realized my mistake, but it is a good looking piece of wood. Pretty sure all the ugly soft maple I bought because it was cheap is still ugly.
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Sorry for not responding sooner, family issues. So I guess it's just me or I just have HM on my workbench now. I was working with poplar for drawers & mistakenly put the 2 species together. I'm screwed!
Thanks for all of your comments. It was certainly HM, I don't have soft maple on hand.
Jim
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(05-27-2018, 09:16 AM)Halfathumb Wrote: I was working with poplar for drawers & mistakenly put the 2 species together. I'm screwed!
Happens all the time. We have a turn-of-century sewing cabinet antique in oak with maple--maybe, poplar--secondary. The faces have a couple boo-boos using secondary wood.
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To me Soft Maple and Poplar are almost exactly alike in softness and texture and how they take finishes the same. Also I have seen Poplar with no green it in and some with a lot of green in it so sometimes it is hard to tell.
Last if I need a really whitish wood instead of Holly I love to use Aspen which is a lot softer but since I am only looking for contrast wood it is perfect.
Also it was soooo nice to meet you and hope you come back soon.
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
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