Sawing ?

[Bruno of NH]

I getting some poplar logs .
What sould I cut it into ?
Jim/Bruno

[loggah]

Jim,We used to use it for logging road bridge decking,temporary bridges in the national forest,was cut 3" thick. Poplar dries hard and a lot of places they use it for finish boards,nice little green tint to the wood,good sound clear poplar makes nice lumber ,it just wont last really long to the weather. Don

[Magicman]

Most of the Tulip Poplar that I saw will go as building B&B siding.  If selling or using, I would be hesitant to saw logs without knowing what it would be used for.

[loggah]

Lynn, The poplar we got up here is a whole different animal then your Tulip poplar, you guys down south got the good trees !!! ;D In one of my old logging books Tumult in the mountains railroad logging in Virginia in the early 1900's the tulip poplar is the size of redwoods !!!!!! ;D ;D ;D Don

[4x4American]

Thought I read somewhere that yellow poplar (tulip) wasn't actually considered a poplar.

[WV Sawmiller]

Bruno,

   I get asked this questions all the time and my standard reply is  "What do you need?"

   Can you wait till you have a customer for your lumber or have a specific need of your own for it? I don't normally sell lumber so if I do I normally have the customer's cut list in hand first.

    Like many others here when you say Poplar I think of tulip poplar. What are you actually cutting?

[Celeriac]

Thought I read somewhere that yellow poplar (tulip) wasn't actually considered a poplar.

Yes, it's actually part of the magnolia family.

Around here I think it mostly goes for siding, and painted indoor trim. My understanding is that it can be stained to imitate cherry as well, providing the board doesn't have the greenish tint that is common.

[47sawdust]

Jim,
The poplar we have here in Vt./N.H. can be a challenge.I've sawed some that was easy sawing and some that would look like a banana by the time you finished your cut.It also requires  being well stickered and covered.The old timers here would say nail it up fresh off the saw.There are a couple types here as well,perhaps do a search of some old threads,I believe Gene Wengert has shared his wealth of knowledge on this subject.
Mick

[ScottInCabot]

If you are referring to 'White Poplar'{populous alba}....I would drag it back into the woods, unless you just want to make some sawdust.  My dad wouldn't even burn the stuff, it's that bad.


I cut a 4' chunk I brought back from Maine to see if I could use it on a 723 RingMaster lathe.  I rotted while drying in my shed during the summer.



ScottinCabot

[4x4American]

I have sawed white poplar for a customer here into timbers then cut in half at an angle to make truck ramps.  They specifically asked for popple because it isn't too heavy, wont split like pine will after time in a truck repair shop, and it's strong enough for what needs to be done.  I have heard that after its dry it is hard to nail.  I have some boards left over from that job still.  The wood is vey white.  In tree form it has a thick furrowed bark that is kinda a light gray color and as you look up the tree it starts to look like aspen.   The reason no one burns it is because it burns real hot and dies out shortly then leaves no coals.  It can be good for cooking on your woodstove as you can get the stove hot fast.  It's also good for warming up a cold house.  The ash left over is pretty much like if you burned dry paper.