Is Poplar A Good Hardwood

Poplar comes from a dicot which makes it a hardwood.

Is poplar a good hardwood.

Staining poplar wood is another matter entirely. Poplar is an example of a tree that is technically a hardwood but had density and hardness that is more typical of a softwood. In its native form poplar tends to take stain in a very blotchy manner. Poplar tulip poplar yellow poplar tulipwood white poplar liriodendron tulipifera.

It has a medium steam bending classification. In general hardwood trees grow slowly and as a result are more hard and dense but this isnt always the case. A high janka number is a good indicator that the wood species will make tough flooring countertops or fine furniture. Poplar can be a good choice for drawers where it won t be seen because it is stable and inexpensive.

And with good reason. Poplar slides toward the lower end of the hardness scale with a rating of 540. Poplar wood has been a common utility hardwood in the united states for generations. Poplar is a hardwood but it isn t a hard wood.

Poplar is a hardwood tree that produces soft wood when compared to other hardwood trees. The distinction between and softwood is related to how the species produces seeds. How dense hard is poplar wood. Poplar woods are unsuitable for projects requiring hardwood.

Poplar is a medium density wood with low bending shock resistance stiffness and compression values. The most common species in the united states yellow poplar liriodendron tulipifera is found throughout the northeast as well as in canada and. The resilience of wood is typically measured with something known as a janka scale. It is soft and lightweight but very strong with a fine even texture.

Because poplar is not the most beautiful wood it s rarely used in fine furniture and if it is it s almost always painted. Blue ash has the highest janka rating at 2 030 with a specific gravity of 0 58. Poplar is white with some green or brown streaks in the heartwood. The hardness of poplar is about on par with that of pine or cedar but the cellular structure gives it a much finer grain and more pleasing appearance than the more coarsely grained softwoods.

Sugar maple black maple sweet birch yellow birch and white ash are all strong hardwoods. During a janka hardness test a metal ball the size of a bb is pressed into the wood until its embedded halfway. The amount of force required to make this happen is recorded.