Poplar wood has a 0.42 specific gravity, a bit higher and stronger than any softwood and some hardwoods. Thus, we can say that it is pretty strong. Its compressive strength is 5,540 psi, while its bending strength is 10,100 psi. Moreover, its stiffness is 1.58Mpsi while its Janka Hardness rating is 540 lbf.
Gauging from the abovementioned properties of Poplar wood, it is easy to say that it is a strong wood. Nevertheless, don’t expect the Poplar wood to be as durable as the Teak and other solid hardwoods.
One question frequently asked about Poplar wood is whether it is hardwood or softwood. Poplar wood is a hardwood. It is strong and has higher density and compressive and bending strengths than many wood types. For this reason, it is an excellent option for making furniture, cabinets, picture frames, and many other woodworking projects. Moreover, as a hardwood, it is stronger than all softwoods but is less robust than many hardwoods.
Characteristics of Poplar Wood
Poplar wood comes from the Poplar tree, a deciduous tree, meaning it is hardwood. Deciduous trees, of course, lose their leaves during winter. It is a short-lived tree of the genus Populus, belonging to the Willow Family. It is native to the northern temperate zone. There are around 35 species in the genus Populus, including Cottonwoods, Aspen, and Poplars.
Poplar wood is white and soft, characterized by straight grain and uniform texture. It has 0.31 to 0.41 specific gravity and a Janka Hardness rating of 420 lbf for Bigtooth Aspen and 350 lbf for Quaking Aspen. Poplar wood, however, is derived from the Tulip Poplar.
Poplar Wood has a creamy yellow to light brown heartwood. Its sapwood is slightly paler and might not be different from the heartwood. It is lightweight, and you can work it quickly. Thus, it is an excellent choice for furniture components (interior) like drawer sides and web frames.
Advantages of Using Poplar Wood
If you intend to use Poplar wood, it is not enough to know the properties and characteristics of this wood. It will also help if you familiarize yourself with the following advantages of its use:
It Is Very Much Available
Poplar wood is widely available in the United States. You can readily buy it from big box stores if you want to use it for your weekend project. Thus, you will have no problem sourcing this wood for your projects.
It Is Workable
Regarding workability, Poplar wood is fun to handle. It is soft with straight grain, making it easy to cut and plane. Cutting joinery on poplar wood is easy and enjoyable.
Sustainable
The use of Poplar will not harm the environment much, for its use is sustainable. It is fast growing, and thus, it can be farmed with ease and replenished. It is a renewable type of wood.
It Is Affordable
Poplar wood is not expensive. It is the least costly hardwood you can purchase. Moreover, it is an excellent choice for newbie woodworkers and expert woodworkers. Thus, you will not break the bank when purchasing this wood.
Disadvantages of Using Poplar Wood
Aside from knowing the pros of using poplar wood, it will be best to be cognizant likewise of the downsides of its use to ensure you are making the right choice of wood if you opt for Poplar wood:
Its Color Fades
Poplar wood initially sports beautiful purple and green shades when you start cutting and using it. However, within several months, its color turns into medium brown, which might disappoint you.
Durability
Since it is a hardwood, you might conclude that it is like other hardwoods that are durable and strong. Yet, Poplar wood, despite being a hardwood, is susceptible to scratches and dents. Thus, it is not best for use in high-wear locations and applications.
Is Poplar Wood Suitable for Furniture Making?
Although Poplar wood is softer than other hardwoods, it is still a good choice for making furniture, for it exhibits excellent dimensional stability. But the primary factor that makes Poplar wood ideal for furniture making is its workability.
It has a high level of workability. You can cut, plane, lather, or route it easily. Besides, it is easy to carve, which is one ideal trait woodworkers look for in wood. Nevertheless, it will be best to sharpen your tools when working with this wood to avoid tearing the wood with your cutting tools.
To prevent tearing up your wood, you must start slowly. Besides, it will help to drill slowly first when working with Poplar wood. It will be best if you also sand it with fine-grit sandpaper before transitioning to 400-grit sandpaper to achieve an excellent finish and smoothness.
What Are the Different Uses of Poplar Wood?
Gauging from the properties and characteristics of Poplar wood, you can surmise that it is not the most excellent wood for many applications, meaning it isn’t of high quality. Nevertheless, it can provide superior finishes due to its uniform texture and straight grain.
Among the hardwoods, it scores low in characteristics. Nevertheless, it has some softwood characteristics that make it easy to work with.
Woodworkers use Poplar wood for making furniture, but they confine its use to hidden frames. You can use it to build cabinet frames and dressers that get finished with more attractive wood. You can also use it for making wooden pallets shipping crates, and storage. It also gets utilized for utility items with strength and durability requirements but less appearance requirements.
However, the abovementioned applications of Poplar wood don’t mean that you can use it for decorative purposes. As mentioned above, Poplar has around 35 species, and some species, specifically the Rainbow Poplar, carry various hues that endear it to woodturners.
Conclusion
One of the main distinctions used by Botanists and Horticulturists in categorizing woods as hardwood or softwood is whether the tree from which the wood comes sheds its leaves in the winter. Hardwoods, for example, shed their leaves in the Fall, while softwoods don’t. Besides, hardwoods grow slowly, while softwoods grow fast. Moreover, hardwoods have a higher density than softwoods.
The poplar tree is a hardwood because it sheds its leaves during winter. It has the characteristics of hardwoods but also retains some sterling features of softwoods. Knowing these characteristics, however, will let you decide whether this wood is ideal for use in your woodworking projects.