I have a little project upcoming that will want some nice stained wood bits. I don't need to match any existing wood bits, just need to get a dark, rich-looking, slightly reddish finish on a few drawer faces. My local HD stocks poplar and maple. Poplar is less-expensive.
About the only thing poplar is good for is staining or painting. It has a greenish tinge sometimes, I think from mineral inclusions, which can affect the final color. If you start off with even colored wood it's pretty much a blank canvas.
I used to make a lot of things out of stained poplar because I didn't know anything else was available locally. Once I tried real walnut, I haven't stained anything since. Everything is either walnut, or something that looks good complimenting walnut. At least I'm a man who knows what he likes. :)
If you look here:
I wish I had pictures of my most recent stuff, but I don't have a working scanner or a digital camera anymore. I've come a long way since that first piece of walnut, and my introduction to shellac.
In my experience, both poplar and maple will blotch unless you first put a sealer on the wood.
"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
I've heard it is good, I've hear it is no good. Why not buy a small pice to see if it does what you want in the end.
Better yet, look for hardwood at a hardwood dealer and you may save money in the end. HD is not a good place for buying wood.
One cool thing I have done with poplar is once you've got it ready to be finished, but before you stain it, leave it out in the sun for a couple hours -- longer if you have a nice day. It is very photosensitive, and the greenishness will turn a nice warm tan, almost like cherry. Then finish it.
I never thought of poplar as a very desirable wood for staining, at least until recently. My son, a construction superentendent, just finished an office mall and the architect called for dark cherry red stained poplar for a confrence room door, base and chair rail trim. My son balked but the architect told him to have the finisher do it to specs and it looks great!
Generally, isn't this type of finishing done with spray equipment, though? I think that most of this is done with some kind of tinted lacquer, and the color does not come so much from the wood being dyed or pigmented as from the topcoat. Therefore, uneven absorption is not nearly as much of an issue as applying an even coat. with the HVLP sprayer.
I'm building a large built-in bookcase pout of birch and poplar right now, and I am seriously thinking of hiring a pro to come in and do this type of finish so that I don't screw the whole thing up by blotching it.
If you have any input for me (before I spend $1200 on the pro) it would be greatly appreciated.
Jeff
I did a project using poplar a while back and it turned fine. I used minwax gel stain (mahogany I think), and then finished with shellac. I was going for a lighter color than you, but I'm sure it would work with any color. I didn't have any problems with blotching.
The front is made out poplar, and the sides are birch ply...
Poplar is considered a "secondary" wood and typically used for interior furniture pieces where the wood is not obvious. HD is the wrong place to buy hardwoods. If you want a reddish appearance, consider hard maple, cherry or red oak For a few more dollars mahogany has a beautiful rich red color.
My brother is a finish carpenter. He commented recently that he rarely uses cherry anymore for a library, but instead uses poplar. Wipes it with Denatured alchohol first. I forget his exact words, but it does something to the pores so that all the peices take the stan in the same manner, for consitancy of the finish. Perhaps someone else could comment on this further.
Dave
Wow. Is the job sold at a much lower price than cherry?
At least he could use birch or maple. Poplar isn't all that durable.
Barry
First project I ever made was Poplar. It worked easily enough, but I remember being disappointed with the appearance - too bland. Until I put the stain on it... Livened it up really nicely. I just went & looked at it again - still looks good to me.
YMMV, Henry
I've used water base stain with poplar without any appreciable blotchiness. Haven't done a lot of it so I'm no expert but my limited experience came out fine.
bob g.
jeff wrote:
Actually, I kinda' like the greenish part. I'm using some for a multi-shelf magazine rack in progress and the green (sapwood?) across the top contrasts nicely with the white (heartwood?) of the rest. I even got some water-based poly (which I hate) to see how it will look without ambering.
I have heard that the gree will eventually turn brown under light, but that should still look good.
He's a finish carpenter. For trim, and wall covering, no one's going to walk on it. I have poplar in some places in my home. Door openings and other trim. It holds up fine and carefully chosen pieces have some nice grain patterns.
HD does not sell any in expensive wood.... ! But I use Poplar more then I like because the projects I am making (for my wife) have to sell at a price point so darn low that I there is no way to use even expensive lumber like number 2 common pine.... lol...
But if you put on a sealer...then use a gel stain you should be able to have it look pretty good... I am in the process right now of trying to mix my own dyes then spraying the finish... NOT having much luck yet with this but I have only been playing for a few days...
I use Bartlets stain most of the time...just never got good resuylts using minwax products....
Bob Griffiths
"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com:
Poplar blotches like crazy if you use a pigment stain (aka Minwax, etc.). It's best to use a dye based stain.
If you must use a pigment stain (we had to so we could match the door moulding w/ some other ancient door mouldings), do this:
- use a wood sealer
- sand
- use spray on polyurethane in a can
- sand
- put the pigment stain on (which now sits on the surface)
- use spray on polyurethane in a can
- sand
- use helmsman poly for a few more coats w/ sanding after each coat
This lets the pigment sit on the surface of the poplar (yeah, I know, major hack)-: If you've never used poplar, try some first. And use dye based stain if you can (even if it fades in sunlight)...
Poplar is also pretty soft, so it's prone to denting. Cuts very well though.
ken
Ken Yee wrote in news:Xns95BD9C5AD21DDkenkyeeyahoocomSPAMG@216.251.47.166:
Sorry...first step should be to shellac it, not poly.
ken
Cox West responds:
I don't think I'd care for it. If I were going to sub for cherry, alder makes a better choice. I think of poplar baseboards, door trim and chair rail and I think ot bumps and dents. Window trim, fine, crown molding fine. Elsewhere, not so fine.
Charlie Self "Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain
It's possible to buy S2S poplar in most areas for under 2 bucks a BF. How much is HD getting for their S4S? Enough to float a loan for a hand plane? It planes easily.
Charlie Self "Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain
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