Mineral Stained Poplar

Kat Burright wrote:
> I was hoping someone could help me fill in some gaps on mineral stained
> poplar. ...wonder if it's scarce. ...[and] find hardly any listed for sale online except as precut blocks for turning bowls or fishing lures. Any clues? Thanks.

George gave good response, I'll simply note it is relatively common in
the sense that it isn't _that_ rare, but certainly only a small
fraction of the actual timber has really distinctive, attractive
coloration. It is not, however, considered either a defect or a
feature that is graded either for or against in sawn lumber, so you
will not find it listed as such except for specialty items as you have
already discovered. George also noted that as a wood, poplar is quite
soft and "stringy" so it is rarely used as the dominant wood for
furniture, but rather since it is quite stable and also comparatively
inexpensive, is normally a structural component. It has also become
quite prevelant as an interior trim material owing to its white color
and lack of grain (combined w/ the relative high cost and difficulty in
obtaining clear white pine) for woodwork to be painted . There, of
course, the color is a detriment and will be culled.

Also, much of the really striking color will, as is so often the case,
fade over time, particularly from UV exposure.

EXT wrote:
> Which species are you looking at. Poplar, such as grey poplar, aspen poplar
> and other types of poplar are usually very white, stringy and soft.
> Tulip-Poplar a different tree often sold as whitewood, poplar, paintgrade
> and other names is a little browner often with green streaks along with
> other colors. The wood is harder than the other Poplars, is relatively
> stable, and readily accepts paint. Frequently the colors in the wood will
> age in the sun down to a dark brown.

I've been wondering about the species myself. Since tulip is supposed
to actually be in the magnolia family and not poplar, it makes me
wonder just what else I have.

Like I said before, I always thought poplar was boring, being plain
white. But recently I've found all sorts of interesting grain patterns
and colors, in such a variety that it makes me wonder if there's
something else mixed in. The local lumber store has some pretty lousy
poplar boards that are vomit green, white, and white with vomit green.
Home Depot and Lowe's seem to have the best variety and quality, with
everything from plain old white to weird LSD patterns (I should take
pictures).

I discovered while staining some drawers that poplar took the stain
really well. I had to substitute a couple pieces of poplar since I was
out of pine and couldn't find any more that matched. The stain wasn't
quite as warm as it was on the pine, but the poplar was much nicer
staining. It soaked it up readily and didn't run all over the place.

Is there a transparent/translucent UV finish/sealer that I could use to
keep the colors from fading? I'm sure putting it in a dark room would
be best, but I'm hoping to keep the colors as long as possible.

-k

Kat Burright wrote:
> EXT wrote:
> > Which species are you looking at. Poplar, such as grey poplar, aspen poplar
> > and other types of poplar are usually very white, stringy and soft.
> > Tulip-Poplar a different tree often sold as whitewood, poplar, paintgrade
> > and other names is a little browner often with green streaks along with
> > other colors. The wood is harder than the other Poplars, is relatively
> > stable, and readily accepts paint. Frequently the colors in the wood will
> > age in the sun down to a dark brown.
>
> I've been wondering about the species myself. Since tulip is supposed
> to actually be in the magnolia family and not poplar, it makes me
> wonder just what else I have.

The wood of the North American tuliptree is called 'poplar'
or sometimes 'yellow poplar' it is a different tree from the
trees called 'poplar'. I _think_ some hardwood lumber association
or other allows wood from both (true) poplar and aspen to be
sold as 'aspen'

Those mineral stains you describe are commonly found in the wood
of the tuliptree--that wood being called 'poplar'. My understanding
is that all of the colors purple, green etc) will fade to various
shades
of tan. But there may be chemicals that will reat with the mineral
stains to produce 'intersting' effects--just a guess.

Want more confusion? Tulipwood is the wood from the South American
Tuliptree which is nothing like the North American, not even the same
genus.

There are also woods from Burma and Australia called tulipwood.

--

FF

[email protected] wrote:
> Want more confusion? Tulipwood is the wood from the South American
> Tuliptree which is nothing like the North American, not even the same
> genus.
>
> There are also woods from Burma and Australia called tulipwood.

One of these days I'm going to make something out of completely the
wrong wood just to spite the tree-naming industry.

I'm actually thinking of posting pictures of the different types grain
I found so far. My next plan is to sacrifice one of the rainbow boards
for testing with various types of finishes and see how it all turns out.

Henry St.Pierre wrote:
> [email protected] wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
> >
> > Kat Burright wrote:
> >> EXT wrote:
> >> > Which species are you looking at. Poplar, such as grey poplar,
> >> > aspen poplar and other types of poplar are usually very white,
> >> > stringy and soft. Tulip-Poplar a different tree often sold as
> >> > whitewood, poplar, paintgrade and other names is a little browner
> >> > often with green streaks along with other colors. The wood is
> >> > harder than the other Poplars, is relatively stable, and readily
> >> > accepts paint. Frequently the colors in the wood will age in the
> >> > sun down to a dark brown.
> >>
> >> I've been wondering about the species myself. Since tulip is supposed
> >> to actually be in the magnolia family and not poplar, it makes me
> >> wonder just what else I have.
> >
> > The wood of the North American tuliptree is called 'poplar'
> > or sometimes 'yellow poplar' it is a different tree from the
> > trees called 'poplar'. I _think_ some hardwood lumber association
> > or other allows wood from both (true) poplar and aspen to be
> > sold as 'aspen'
> >
> > Those mineral stains you describe are commonly found in the wood
> > of the tuliptree--that wood being called 'poplar'. My understanding
> > is that all of the colors purple, green etc) will fade to various
> > shades
> > of tan. But there may be chemicals that will reat with the mineral
> > stains to produce 'intersting' effects--just a guess.
> >
> > Want more confusion? Tulipwood is the wood from the South American
> > Tuliptree which is nothing like the North American, not even the same
> > genus.
> >
> > There are also woods from Burma and Australia called tulipwood.
> >
>
> I'm not sure what true poplar is.

By 'true' poplar I mean species in the genus Populus which
also have 'poplar' as part of their common name. Aspens and
cottonwoods are in the same genus.

The tuliptree (I never heard it called a tulip poplar until I moved
out east) is in the genus Liriodendron, along with magnolia.
The magnolia wood I have seen did look a lot like poplar
( the wood from teh tuliptree) but boy did it stink! It smelled
like sewage. Maybe that particular tree was growing over a
septic system leach bed. Not a good wood for salad bowls...

> I buy poplar at mills that is quite
> different than the wood we call 'poplar' here in the catskills. Poplar
> (here in the catskills) is probably best used for pulp. It burns for crap
> and doesn't have any stuctural integrity that I can determine. It reminds
> me of Lombardy Poplar (doesn't look like one) in the way the thing grows
> and the shitty lumber it produces (if anyone would slice it). Its only
> saving grace is that it rots quickly.
>

Sounds like what I'd call 'true' poplar.

--

FF

Which species are you looking at. Poplar, such as grey poplar, aspen poplar
and other types of poplar are usually very white, stringy and soft.
Tulip-Poplar a different tree often sold as whitewood, poplar, paintgrade
and other names is a little browner often with green streaks along with
other colors. The wood is harder than the other Poplars, is relatively
stable, and readily accepts paint. Frequently the colors in the wood will
age in the sun down to a dark brown.


"dpb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Kat Burright wrote:
>> I was hoping someone could help me fill in some gaps on mineral stained
>> poplar. ...wonder if it's scarce. ...[and] find hardly any listed for
>> sale online except as precut blocks for turning bowls or fishing lures.
>> Any clues? Thanks.
>
> George gave good response, I'll simply note it is relatively common in
> the sense that it isn't _that_ rare, but certainly only a small
> fraction of the actual timber has really distinctive, attractive
> coloration. It is not, however, considered either a defect or a
> feature that is graded either for or against in sawn lumber, so you
> will not find it listed as such except for specialty items as you have
> already discovered. George also noted that as a wood, poplar is quite
> soft and "stringy" so it is rarely used as the dominant wood for
> furniture, but rather since it is quite stable and also comparatively
> inexpensive, is normally a structural component. It has also become
> quite prevelant as an interior trim material owing to its white color
> and lack of grain (combined w/ the relative high cost and difficulty in
> obtaining clear white pine) for woodwork to be painted . There, of
> course, the color is a detriment and will be culled.
>
> Also, much of the really striking color will, as is so often the case,
> fade over time, particularly from UV exposure.
>

"Kat Burright" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I was hoping someone could help me fill in some gaps on mineral stained
> poplar. I've always thought of poplar as a pretty dull wood and would
> only use it if I ran out of pine. Recently, I've been digging through
> poplar at home improvement store and lumbar yards and discovered a
> bizarre array of varieties. I've seen some that mimic curly maple, oak,
> have bizarre grain patterns, and tonight I found some pinstripe grain
> pattern.

It's a puzzlement. true poplar is starting to make an appearance in some
places under its own names, and a handsome but strange wood it is. Real
soft though, and rather stringy.

As to mineral stains, they're the plaque in the arteries of the aging tree.
As the circulation slows, they get stronger. Hard maple has some dandy
pockets in it of Calcium Oxalate, the stuff of kidney stones.

Won't help you find the figure you want, but will help you figure things out
by searching and reading at http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/

"Henry St.Pierre" <[email protected]> wrote in message

> I'm not sure what true poplar is. I buy poplar at mills that is quite
> different than the wood we call 'poplar' here in the catskills. Poplar
> (here in the catskills) is probably best used for pulp. It burns for crap
> and doesn't have any stuctural integrity that I can determine. It reminds
> me of Lombardy Poplar (doesn't look like one) in the way the thing grows
> and the shitty lumber it produces (if anyone would slice it). Its only
> saving grace is that it rots quickly.

Generally assumed to be members of the genus Populus. Pretty easy.

Ranges from crappy, stinking P balsamifera which is an abomination through
soaring P tremuloides which has some shimmering glorious figure hereabout.
Locals call it "popple" rather than poplar, though I have to think the
Greeks and French, who called it the "tree of women's tongues" for the
endless motion of the leaves had it right.

Great pulp.

[email protected] wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
> Kat Burright wrote:
>> EXT wrote:
>> > Which species are you looking at. Poplar, such as grey poplar,
>> > aspen poplar and other types of poplar are usually very white,
>> > stringy and soft. Tulip-Poplar a different tree often sold as
>> > whitewood, poplar, paintgrade and other names is a little browner
>> > often with green streaks along with other colors. The wood is
>> > harder than the other Poplars, is relatively stable, and readily
>> > accepts paint. Frequently the colors in the wood will age in the
>> > sun down to a dark brown.
>>
>> I've been wondering about the species myself. Since tulip is supposed
>> to actually be in the magnolia family and not poplar, it makes me
>> wonder just what else I have.
>
> The wood of the North American tuliptree is called 'poplar'
> or sometimes 'yellow poplar' it is a different tree from the
> trees called 'poplar'. I _think_ some hardwood lumber association
> or other allows wood from both (true) poplar and aspen to be
> sold as 'aspen'
>
> Those mineral stains you describe are commonly found in the wood
> of the tuliptree--that wood being called 'poplar'. My understanding
> is that all of the colors purple, green etc) will fade to various
> shades
> of tan. But there may be chemicals that will reat with the mineral
> stains to produce 'intersting' effects--just a guess.
>
> Want more confusion? Tulipwood is the wood from the South American
> Tuliptree which is nothing like the North American, not even the same
> genus.
>
> There are also woods from Burma and Australia called tulipwood.
>

I'm not sure what true poplar is. I buy poplar at mills that is quite
different than the wood we call 'poplar' here in the catskills. Poplar
(here in the catskills) is probably best used for pulp. It burns for crap
and doesn't have any stuctural integrity that I can determine. It reminds
me of Lombardy Poplar (doesn't look like one) in the way the thing grows
and the shitty lumber it produces (if anyone would slice it). Its only
saving grace is that it rots quickly.
Hank