Comments: Poplar is one of the most common utility hardwoods in the United States. The genus Populus comprises 35 species, including poplars, cottonwoods and aspens. and oak all fit into this category. Gidgee (Acacia cambagei) The third hardest wood it is a tree native to Australia, having very dark … Color/Appearance: Heartwood is light cream to yellowish brown, with occasional streaks of gray or green. It’s not always easy to see where the heartwood meets the sapwood, or outermost part, though the The higher the number, the harder the wood is.This should be used as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring. Woods with a higher rating are harder than woods with a lower rating. I’m an old guy, grew up in the Southeast U.S., and we ALWAYS built our outdoors gates (as in barn doors, cattle gates, etc.) In the case of poplar, it takes 540 pounds of force, so it’s given the rating 540 lbf or 540 Janka. Despite all the warnings about how it wouldn’t last It has been doing just fine for a couple of decades now. Learn more about our wood types on our wood page, or use the links below to read about specific types: Vermont Woods Studios provides hand-crafted wood furniture built from trees grown sustainably in North America. Fluorescence: A Secret Weapon in Wood Identification, Bow Woods (from a mathematical perspective), Brazilian Rosewood, East Indian, and Other Rosewoods, Genuine Lignum Vitae and Argentine Lignum Vitae, BOOK: WOOD! Sapwood is pale yellow to white, not always clearly demarcated from the heartwood. Poplar is an excellent option for artist canvas stretcher bars. We can pre-finish your moulding with a clear finish or you can choose one of Baird Brothers ten stain colors. an 8 ft diameter poplar would be awesome to see or a 6. Can this be used for walk in humidor shelves. This weekend, I picked up an amazing 2″ thick slab of Rainbow Poplar for my live-edge kitchen countertop! Many of the most common questions about it are answered in detail below. Poplar slides toward the lower end of the hardness scale with a rating of 540. Home Articles/FAQ's Hardwood Flooring 101: For Beginners Wood Charts: Density, Hardness, Stiffness and Strength Hardness Chart Hardness Chart Acacia 1,750 lbs Our chart is based on the Janka Hardness Scale which is the industry standard for gauging the ability of various wood species to resist denting and tolerate normal wear. For the standard poplar or yellow poplar tree, the lumber’s average hardness is typically 540 lb-ft. By contrast, the Eastern white pine is rated at 380 lbf, which is significantly lower or softer. The Janka Hardness Scale determines the hardness of a particular type of wood over another. I know for a fact that many of our unstained, unpainted, untreated gates lasted 40 or more years before becoming weak or failing, and were unapproached by insects when hung from Red Juniper (aka virginia juniper or Tennessee red cedar,… Read more », (This is a monthly update, and your email will be kept private.). When appearance matters, another wood is typically layered over the top. The hardest commercially available hardwood is hickory, and it is five times harder than aspen, one of … Grain patterns also indicate the wood's hardness. Some enormous tulip-poplars are more than 20 feet in circumference and stand 100 feet tall. Common Name(s): Poplar, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar, Tree Size: 130-160 ft (40-50 m) tall, 6-8 ft (1.8-2.5 m) trunk diameter, Average Dried Weight: 29 lbs/ft3 (455 kg/m3), Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .40, .46, Modulus of Rupture: 10,100 lbf/in2 (69.7 MPa), Elastic Modulus: 1,580,000 lbf/in2 (10.90 GPa), Crushing Strength: 5,540 lbf/in2 (38.2 MPa), Shrinkage: Radial: 4.6%, Tangential: 8.2%, Volumetric: 12.7%, T/R Ratio: 1.8. Thoughts on using the poplar? A high Janka number is a good indicator that the wood species will make tough flooring, countertops or fine furniture. During a Janka hardness test, a metal ball the size of a BB is pressed into the wood until its embedded halfway. That was 30 years ago and has not given any structural problems to date. The smell was almost foul, sort of like cat dung. In these cases, it’s the white poplar, not the yellow. may also be referred to as populus alba, abele, silver poplar, or silverleaf poplar. It has also historically been used to create dinnerware, coffins, toys, carvings, crates, pallets, and frames for upholstered furniture. Used trusses for roof. Identifying and Using Hundreds of Woods Worldwide, POSTER: Worldwide Woods: Ranked by Hardness. SHOP. Hmmm. Poplar wood has a straight and uniform grain. The Janka test measures the necessary force to embed a .44″ diameter steel ball halfway into a piece of wood. And this includes exposure to high humidity. How long does the tree take to grow? The specific gravity of poplar woods ranges from 0.31 to 0.43. You might very well get the results you want with an epoxy by itself. Also white oak stains beautifully. It simply means the wood comes from a dicot tree, such as a broadleaf variety. By contrast, red oak comes in at a powerful 1290 lb-ft on the Janka scale. https://www.fs.usda.gov › …PDF Western white pine gains a bit on the hardness scale, coming in at 420 lbf, but that is still a lot less than poplar. cottonwood - balsam poplar: Populus balsamifera: 1.3: 300: cottonwood, black: Populus … This was 90% of the wood we would use when trimming a house (baseboards,casings, door jambs). Can you use poplar for tread boards on a staircase. It also stains quite well with wiping type stains and in appearance with the dark “cherry” stains it is a very good substitute for cherry at one third the price. that have strong smells when green, but these odors are almost entirely absent in the dried wood. Actually, It’s likely to be rainbow poplar because the the colors that are revealed when it’s sanded and polished have a wide range. Poplar wood is typically a white or creamy yellow hue, though it can be brownish or appear with mineral streaks of various colors in it, referred to as “rainbow poplar.” Although it is used more for It is too soft. I used a lot of poplar both stained and painted. It will be about 3’ off the ground. Due to its low density, Poplar can sometimes leave fuzzy surfaces and edges: especially during shaping or sanding. I used to do the millwork for a lot of homes both supplying and finishing the millwork. Poplar woods are soft and white, with uniform texture and straight grain. There’s also “natural” color stain that seems to work pretty close to linseed oil in terms of coloration too. The resilience of wood is typically measured with something known as a Janka scale. Generally speaking, softwoods tend to be softer than their hardwood counterparts. Epoxy ‘wets’ the wood and really makes it pop. It also indicates the effort required to either nail or saw the particular wood species. It is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. It is not uncommon to get different densities of poplar some being heavy/hard, while some are light and soft. The test measures the force required to push a steel ball with a diameter of 11.28 millimeters (0.444 inches) into the wood to a depth of half the ball’s diameter. A poplar will take about fifty years to grow to maturity. The amount of force required to make this happen is recorded. Larger force - harder wood. We would require to evaluate the hardness of wood, as wood is used in various uses such as furnitures and other industrial uses. The original room of the house (ring dated to 1675) has poplar floors, confirmed by the flooring guy who refinished them a couple of years ago. The diameter was chosen to produce a circle with an area of 100 square millimeters. which comes from the Liriodendron tulipifera, or the tuliptree. Poplar is an example of a tree that is technically a hardwood but had density and hardness that is more typical of a softwood. Sanding to finer grits of sandpaper may be necessary to obtain a smooth surface. The Janka Test was developed as a variation of the Brinell hardness test. There is a scale that rates the hardness of woods called the Janka Hardness Scale. There is a hardness scale called the Janka Hardwood Scale which tests the impact resistance of woods and is used primarily by flooring companies to demonstrate the durability of their flooring. Try a sample and see how it looks! As for looks, painted red as I mentioned, people have often stopped and complimented me on my beautiful barn, and all it cost me was a little bit at the local sawmill.to cut it into planks. Can this wood be used to build stringed instruments? Low natural luster. A picture of the tree would be nice. This wood density chart gives you the wood density for woods of all types of trees. Wood Charts: Density, Hardness, Stiffness and Strength Here you'll find charts that break down the wood types by density, hardness, stiffness and strength. Poplar trees are fast-growing and have been known to reach 120-feet tall, with trunk diameters of up to 5 feet. in doors, but in these cases, it’s tucked away as a core. I work in a 325 yo building. When in doubt about the type of wood to select for your cabinetry, flooring, furniture or millwork project, refer to the Janka Rating System, which measures the relative hardness of woods. The smell was more prominent in the dark, green, and pink streaked pieces, and almost absent in the cream… Read more ». A common use of Janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring. That’s more than twice as hard as Osage orange (one of the hardest domestic woods) at 2,040 lbf and more than three times harder than red oak at 1,290 lbf. It’s important to explain that “hardwood” is not necessarily a term that refers to the strength of the wood. Also someone mention poplar siding, while Wehave no poplar trees around here we do have cottonwood and I grew up on a farm that had the trees and a sawmill. It is light, very strong, straight and resistant to warping, bending and bowing. Wood Hardness Chart Species (Alphabetical) Hardness Species (by Hardness) Hardness Afromosia 1560 Basswood 410 Amberwood 2200 Butternut 490 Amendoim 1360 Chestnut, Domestic 540 Angelique 1290 Douglass Fir 660 Aniegre 1110 Yellow Pine, Short Leaf 690 Ash, Domestic / White 1320 Sycamore, American 770 Ash, Victorian 1010 Yellow Pine, Long Leaf 870 SHOP. Can also be seen in mineral stained colors ranging from dark purple to red, green, or yellow, sometimes referred to as Rainbow Poplar. It’s most often considered ornamental, though it does get regular use for making things like paper, plywood, and chopsticks. I wouldn’t use it for the countertop but for the cabinet it’d be fine. Pricing/Availability: Among the most economical and inexpensive of all domestic hardwoods. For perspective, consider that Brazilian walnut is at the very top of the Janka scale, with a peak hardness of 3684. The Janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0.444" steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter. Yes it’s perfectly fine. Alder has a light brown color with subtle grain patterns that are straighter than other hardwoods, such as oak or ash. Inside a humidor for shelves. HOW WELL WOULD A PORCH SWING HOLD UP MADE OF POPLAR? They run the test by forcing a metal ball into the surface of a board with a machine to see how much force it takes to penetrate halfway into a board. “rainbow poplar,” and it’s wood with these characteristics which tend to get used more for their beauty, whereas traditional poplar is used more for utilitarian purposes. Fuzzing is caused by tension wood which is found in many or most hardwoods, but is indeed an issue with yellow pine and aspen. Has anyone ever seen one? The Janka hardness test measures the force required to embed a .444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in wood. Is this an acceptable material for a bathroom vanity that will be exposed to water and humidity? Rot Resistance: Heartwood is rated as being moderately durable to non-durable; susceptible to insect attack. There is an old saying about poplar: Though oak is strong and stout, keep me dry and I’ll last him out! They’re not at risk for endangerment. The scale ranges from about 70 being the rating for balsa wood (softest) to 5060 being the rating for Australian Buloke (hardest). Workability: Very easy to work in almost all regards,  one of Poplar’s only downsides is its softness. It would be helpful to determine the density (hardness) technically. Thickness the boards should be cut? Treat it like you would a softwood not a hardwood. The heartwood, or innermost part of the tree, is typically a light cream to yellowish brown, though it may even appear green. Don’t. Poplar ranks 540 on the low end of the scale. This is referred to as Rubberwood lumber is typically taken from rubber plantations where the trees are tapped for latex, and harvested at the end of their useful life cycle—typically after about thirty years. Poplar. In general, hardwood trees grow slowly and as a result are more hard and dense but this isnt always the case. would this or should this be used for a baby crib, ever? The yellow poplar prefers the eastern side of the US and Canada, though it will grow as far west as Texas. Red maple, for example, is used for gymnasium floors and butcher blocks and has a Janka rating of 950. It is a great tool for comparing densities of different species of wood. Moistened, the grain is STUNNING, sporting a “tiger-eye” chatoyancy with lots off little shiny “monkey faces”… but dried out, the chatoyancy is dulled a bit. eco-friendly choice for wood products. If the MC does not change, the wood will be perfectly stable. Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; small pores in no specific arrangement, numerous; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; tyloses occasionally present; growth rings distinct due to marginal parenchyma and noded rays; rays not visible without lens; parenchyma banded (marginal). I’m looking at it for the same purpose. The Janka scale is used to determine the relative hardness of particular domestic or exotic wood species. The scale used in the table is pounds-force. Because of poplar’s unusually light hue, it sometimes soaks up minerals from the ground. Seeds without a shell ie pinecone are softwoods.. pretty simple really, I have a section of Tulip Poplar I’ve been working from for over 3 months and so far haven’t had any problems with rot or insects. The Janka ratings for bigtooth aspen and quaking aspen are 420 and 350. So, although poplar is still a “hardwood,” it’s not as dense or resilient as something like black cherry, which comes in at 950 Janka. It’s used for pallets, crates, upholstered  furniture frames, paper (pulpwood), and plywood. Because poplar wood is rarely seen in furniture, it can be challenging to find reliable information on it. Lovely grain. It rots. out of poplar (aka Yellow Poplar). Native Americans used yellow poplar for canoes. Is this normal? I do have access to several poplar trees and a mill. I would love to use black locust for the decking but don’t have the money for that now. 4/4 Shipped from NY: $ Shipped from FL: $ maple range from over 1,000 Janka through 1,450 Janka. CALL. We support Vermont I prefer it over pine. When burned, green, it smells like burning Styrofoam. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. FYI: I receive a commission on sales generated through links to Amazon, eBay, etc. Every building on the place except… Read more ». For wood hardness is a measure of resistance to dent and wear. Yes, the “odor” section indicates any scent only when the wood is fully dried. ... Poplar Lumber janka hardness: 300 For more info on the janka hardness scale CLICK HERE. The Janka Test is a measure of the hardness of wood. White oak would be a much better choice. craftspeople, American economies, and preserving wildlife habitat. Wouldn’t use the stuff for anything but cabinetry & furniture. It may also be used as a veneer, in plywood, and utilitarian purposes Are Rosewoods (and Bubinga) really banned by CITES? I’m open to ideas that highlight the natural grain, not hide it! It is an excellent wood to paint. Each wood species is listed in alphabetical order on each chart with its corresponding related number next to each species. I need to make furniture which is going to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Can I cut and use it for 2×6 and 2×4 board to build with. The following ratings are taken from The Janka Hardness Scale. I’m building a 14×40 deck. I built a 28×40 barn using poplar 2x4x10′ studs. Control MC with either poplar. Much less use those measurements to describe a poplar in general. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information. How come it becomes hardwood now??? Though the wood is commonly referred to simply as “Poplar,” it is technically not in the Populus genus itself, (the genus also includes many species of Cottonwood and Aspen), but is instead in the Liriodendron genus, which is Latin for “lily tree.” The flowers of this tree look similar to tulips, hence the common alternate name: Tulip Poplar. On a hardness scale, alder ranks just above pine and poplar. Scans/Pictures: A special thanks to Steve Earis for providing the veneer sample (burl) and turned photo of this wood species. White and yellow poplar are hardwoods, but they are among the softest of the hardwoods. Poplar wood milled to your specs. On the Janka hardness scale -- a scale that ranks wood for hardness, hickory is the hardest of all domestic hardwoods, ranking at 1,820. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Poplar, Cottonwood, and Aspen: What’s What? If you require a hardwood species not listed please contact us for availability, or for any further assistance please call us at 1-800-732-1697 or email. (it’s more likely to be used for drawers than cabinet fronts or for match sticks than tables), it does occasionally make an appearance in some artisan furniture. During a Janka hardness test, a metal ball the size of a BB is pressed into the wood until its embedded halfway. Hardness of alder is 590 pounds, aspen 350, hard maple 1450, soft maple red 950, soft maple silver 700, and yp 540. Janka wood hardness scale - The Janka rating is a measure of the amount of force it takes to push a .444" diameter steel ball half way into a piece of wood. It is a hardwood, how ever it isnt a particularly “hard wood.” The distinction between and softwood is related to how the species produces seeds. Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Poplar has been reported as an irritant; usually most common reactions simply include eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, as well as asthma-like symptoms. A walk through Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is a journey back in time through a magnificent forest with towering trees as old as 450 years. There is a genus referred to as “populus,” which contains more than two dozen species of flowering plants, including aspen and true poplar trees. Generally acknowledged as the hardest wood, lignum vitae (Guaiacum sanctum and Guaiacum officinale) measures in at 4,500 pounds-force (lbf) on the Janka scale. Not really sure of the statements in this article being accurate. The amount of force required to make Tulip poplar most certainly DOES have a distinctive odor. it by its Miami-Illinois name “oonseentia,” while those outside the US may see it imported under the name “American tulipwood” today. It would not hold up well. Poplar should be affordably priced, especially in the Eastern United States where it naturally grows. The Janka hardness test (from the Austrian-born emigrant Gabriel Janka, 1864–1932) measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. The test measures the force required to push a steel ball with a diameter of 11.28 millimeters (0.444 inches) into the wood to a depth of half the ball’s diameter (the diameter was chosen to produce a circle with an area of 100 square millimeters). Copyright © 2008-2020 Eric Meier | All Rights Reserved. One or two seal coats, and how many flood coats? I use epoxy (Z-Poxy) as a grain filler and first coat on acoustic guitars, primarily because it enhances the color and chatoyance of the woods. Hard maple ranks 1,450, while red oak ranks 1,290. I primarily use poplar to build upholstered furniture. The old ‘man tales’ said that it would last forever, as long as you ‘kept it off the ground’. I do admit that there are a lot of woods (elm, box elder, etc.) For comparison, other hardwoods, including black walnut, ash, oak, and sugar Colors tend to darken upon exposure to light. The “poplar” name comes from Ancient Rome, as the trees were routinely planted in public spaces or near people; the “populus.” However, when Americans speak of poplar wood, they’re really speaking of wood I used poplar from my own land for the siding on my barn, painted red or course. 1-877-232-3915. I also have a different experience with yellow poplar. Woodworkers measure the hardness of a wood species by using the Janka hardness test. How long should it air dry before being put to use? sapwood is usually white to pale yellow. Or will it punch and shine naturally with a coat or two of clear epoxy? The Janka Hardness Values and Hardness Grades for some common Wood Species Softwood comes from gymnosperm trees, like cedar, fir, and pine. joyce kilmer memorial forest – Forest Service – USDA. I’ve made several pieces of jewelry from it and they’ve all turned out great. The scale was invented in 1906 by Gabriel Janka, an Austrian wood researcher, and standardized in 1927 by the American Society for Testing and Materials ().Depending on the room where the flooring will be installed, a certain level of hardness may make it a more desirable choice. I can guarantee the poplar we use has a very distinct smell when cross cut at high speed,as in a mitre saw. All conifers are softwood by cell structure. White poplar Poplar should be affordably priced, especially in the Eastern United States where it naturally grows. When this happens, all sorts of colors may streak through the wood, from blue to green, purple, red, and yellow. It has a perfume type smell when cut green. I wouldn’t just leave it up to the epoxy. We believe that where your furniture comes from, and how it's made are just as important as style, functionality and beauty. Lower branches tend to drop off naturally, so it is not unusual to find trees that are clear for 12-16′ above the root shoulder. This scale includes all of the different species of hardwood and rates them according to their hardness and durability against wear and indentations caused by heels of shoes or dropping items on the floor. Where it is flaked off, it looks like styrofoam underneath? Common Uses: Seldom used for its appearance, (except in the case of Rainbow Poplar), Poplar is a utility wood in nearly every sense. They rank fairly low, with a hardness of 540 pound-feet (lb-ft). It measures the force required to embed an 11.28 millimetres (0.444 in) diameter steel ball halfway into a sample of wood. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Poplar wood comes from Liriodendron tulipifera L., also known as the tuliptree or yellow poplar. Poplar does not have large pores, so those black lines on the side of the wood are either fake, or from a different species of wood with larger pores. Other names it goes by include the American tulip tree, tulipwood, tulip tree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellow poplar. Poplar trees grow incredibly fast, which is why they’re often planted in public spaces, for shade trees, and for cultivation. It will also indicate the ease of nailing, drilling or sawing a particular species of wood during the installation process, with the harder woods being harder to work with and the softer woods … QUESTION (or two): How do you suggest I pretreat or prestain the wood to make the rainbow chatoyancy PUNCH best? Baird Brothers premium hardwood Poplar wainscote can be used for an under the chair rail or floor-to-ceiling application. Hardness Ratings Of Our Wood Choices. The definition of a hardwood or softwood is in the structure not whether if is soft or hard to work. Grain/Texture: Poplar typically has a straight, uniform grain, with a medium texture. Wood Hardness Scale. Because they grow back fast and can be sustainably harvested with relative ease, they’re an Maple, walnut, ash, cherry, Not extremely unpleasant, sort of a spices smell. That looks very suspicious. Read our Covid page for updates. A measure of the hardness of wood, produced by a variation on the Brinell hardness test. We specialize in exotic & domestic hardwoods. It is a measurement of the amount of force needed to embed a .444" steel ball into wood to half the ball's diameter. I’ve always thought the poplar was soft wood. At that point, the trunk will be about 2′ in diameter. Sustainably harvested North American wood, Solid Wood Bedroom Sets: 5 Tips for Finding the Best Quality & Value, Wrought N Wood: Vermont Covered Bridge to Reclaimed Wood Bench, White to light cream and brown, sometimes with mineral stains, Toys, carvings, plywood, crates, pallets, furniture frames. Native Americans might also know Poplar comes from a dicot, which makes it a hardwood. Balsa wood is a hardwood by cell structure but is a very soft wood, it has to due with the seeds.. seeds incased in a shell ie. The Janka test measures the force (N, lb f) required to embed an 11.28 mm steel ball into the wood half the ball's diameter. fruit or like an maple seed are hardwoods. This would happen more when there was heat generated by friction and a slight saw burn. They are 18″+ planks and look amazing. These colors will darken or become yellower with age. this happen is recorded. I have some furniture that says is made of poplar solid wood and the paint is chipping off easily. Wood Hardness Chart – Bigger, Better, More Woods July 3, 2015 June 30, 2015 by Best Bass Gear With our last wood hardness chart, several noted that there were certain woods missing that should be in the list, so we’ve expanded the list to 224 different species. I like to use boiled linseed oil for it’s simplicity for this purpose, but there’s a lot of ways to do it. THIS WOULD HANG FROM A FRAME NOT UNDER A ROOF. It is a bit softer than other hardwoods I’ve worked with, but I’ve found that it actually makes getting particular detail and shape easier especially when using high grit sanding… Read more ». Our showroom is currently closed due to Covid-19. In the case of poplar, it takes 540 pounds of force, so it’s given the rating 540 lbf or 540 Janka. Poplar veneer is also used for a variety of applications: either dyed in various colors, or on hidden undersides of veneered panels to counteract the pull of the glue on an exposed side that has been veneered with another, more decorative wood species. i would like to know if it can withstand extreme humidity fluctuations . Poplar might be on the soft side, but it’s definitely not as soft as styrofoam!