Question about ripping poplar

I am planning to make some frame and panel doors for a project at our church. The doors will be painted. The doors will be tall (85"). I haven't done much with poplar other than a cabinet and shelves that needed to be painted. If I rip the stiles at 2" wide and 85" long will it spring apart or together like cheap pine does?

Just to answer a possible question you might have in advance, each door will only be 17" wide but very high as I pointed out.

TIA.

Dick Snyder

Reply to
Dick Snyder
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Poplar itself is generally quite stable presuming it's been dried and not abused in storage. For such a long stile you probably ought to think about having more than one center rail--three panels instead of just two, iow...

Reply to
dpb

it spring apart or together like cheap pine does?

It may or may not.

Cut one or two, 1/2" wider, then trim to size, if needed. If there's no flex, during initial cutting, and you feel confident there won't be any flex, then cut the remainders to appropriate size.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

There's no way o answer that. It depends on the wood.

Reply to
woodchucker

"Cheap pine"! Clear pine is far from cheap.

Reply to
EXT

Dick Snyder wrote in news:dvWdnd-z2ruSuK3InZ2dnUU7- snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

Some poplar does seem to have a lot of stress in it, and twists when ripped. I don't know that there's any way you could identify a board that's likely to do so in advance.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Poplar tends to be a lot more stable than cheap pine. Also sold as "american white wood" - the grain is very fine and straight..

Reply to
clare

-------------------------------------------------------------- Reduce your vertical panel sizes by adding horizontal rails.

I'd shoot for something 30" max or even less for 3 even 4 panels.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

I often use poplar; in fact, I have 175 brd.ft. in my shop now waiting for me to surface and chop up.

I have never had any that wasn't stabile. Which does not mean it can't be, depends upon the particular board.

I hope you are going to have numerous rails in those doors.

Reply to
dadiOH

And "cheap pine" is far from "clear"

Reply to
clare

Maybe I can see the growth rings at the end of the board. It they are close together maybe I can predict that it will behave well.

Reply to
Dick Snyder

Making a prototype now (out of low quality pine I got at HD). Right now I am planning the upper and middle rail for 4" and the lower for 6". That is why I am doing the prototype. I may go for 4 rails. I will put in 4 hinges so it won't rack too much.

Reply to
Dick Snyder

With two panels I have 10 3/4" wide and about 35" high. Weird. If this doesn't work on my prototype I will add a fourth rail.

Reply to
Dick Snyder

For what it's worth, I started a thread a couple of months ago about the color of poplar and how it acted when ripping. I found that the darker the poplar was, the more it tended to bind on the splitter.

I eventually put the darkest (purplest) pieces aside and (carefully) ripped them without the splitter/guard installed.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Make your prototype out of this, it may surprise you:

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Used quite a bit of this select clear pine in a kitchen remodel the past few days, for built-in, paint grade cabinetry additions, in lieu of poplar, and in order to match the existing wood.

Having cut a bunch of it, was impressed with its stability and workability.

Regardless of the wood, when doing doors you make your money when you buy your stock, so be extra choosy. Stick with straight grain, and flat, straight as an arrow stock to start with.

Reply to
Swingman

There is the correct answer and that goes for any species of wood. Buy your wood from a reputable supplier and the chance decreases.

Reply to
Leon

Adding more rails does not shorten 85" long stiles. The stiles are just as likely to distort with or with out more than a top and bottom rail and multiple panels.

Reply to
Leon

snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca wrote in news:vgf0jat9romhstqsj45uegkaohusttun9g@

4ax.com:

Beware of using the term "white wood". Prior to the appearance of Home Depot and the other "big boxes", white wood was a common name for poplar (and it still is amoung some lumbermen). Home Depot et al have instead used "white wood" to refer to SPF (spruce/pine/fir) - in other words, "cheap pine".

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Poplar I have ripped did neither, that was about 100 BF. Now that does not mean anything really.

Reply to
Markem

That stuff is actually pretty darn good and not tough to get good pieces. As with any wood look at each piece, but it typically is as good as you get.

Reply to
Leon

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