Poplar?

[gebada]

I currently have a number (10 - 15) of large poplar trees blown down from a few significant wind storms. Most of the wood is still 2-4 feet of the ground as the trees blew over including the roots. I have plenty of hardwood for firewood and have thus never wasted my time with poplar. Any thoughts on uses or should I cut it down and let mother nature take over? I will likely offer much of it to friends/neighbors, but I wanted to see if anyone had additional thoughts. Thanks much. Greg

 

[Crofter]

If you have been burning maple or oak you wont be too thrilled with poplar. It makes a large volume of ash and leaves no coals. Gofor wood. Put it in and go fer more. Unless you split it and dry in a shed or well aired covered piles it tends to go punky instead of drying. I use some up just because I dont like to see it wasted, but you have to go through allmost the same motions to do a cord of it and for less than half the heat. I'd say if your neighbous would appreciate it give it away.

Frank

 

[Kevin]

If it isn't wind stressed it will make good lumber rather than waste it.

 

[Grateful11]

I'm with you Crofter. I hate to see it go to waste. I does make a lot of ashes but it could be used for those times when it's not really all that cold or during the time when someone is home and doesn't mind feeding it every couple of hours. I've got a big Poplar to bring down and I'm debating about getting it cut up at the sawmill down the road for some woodworking projects. I've been burning nothing but Red Oak for the last 2 months and I think I've removed ashes twice. It burns to nothing. I don't burn on a grate, I use the firedogs that came with my Buck Stove. The ashes have been in there so long that they have solidified. I'm not sure what process makes them solidify, high heat maybe? I've been burning 24/7 for about 2 months. Sweet Gum is another one that builds up alot of ashes and only gives mediocre heat and the smoke also stinks.
Grateful

 

[WOLF_RIVER_MIKE]

Carve it. Sell a 3 or 4 ft carving for more than a cord costs.

 

[oakman]

poplar is good for woodworking where appearance isn't critical. it can have a lot of color variation in it. greens to dark browns. that said, it machines very nicely, and is about medium in stability. i use it for cabinet drawers and such if they don't care about having a maple drawer. makes great trim if you paint it, although i get quite alot that is nice and clear and light in color. it does gag ya though, when cutting or machining. and it stinks when burned.

 

[Robert]

My father-in-law cut and milled some poplar from his property and paneled a room with it in his new house. It looks really good, a lot better than you would think. I didn't see the wood before it dried but there are no greens in it now, just light tan to dark brown. I use store bought poplar for painted trim, cabinets, shelves, etc.
Would love to mill some though, too bad I'm not near you. I bet you could find somebody with a WoodMizer that would like to have it. If you call WoodMizer they will tell you if there is anyone in your area with a mill.

 

[Tony Snyder]

Like Oakman says it is used a lot for the non visible parts of furniture, like drawers, frame bracing, and frames of upolstered furniture.

Doesn't make very good firewood, even worse than soft maple.

 

[Whistler]

as a last resort , you can cut, split , cure and next year mix it with not quite so dry red oak and you will be surprised how well the 2 compliment each other . Or , use it for 'tuning /testing logs' and when you are done with the wafers , spread them out in the woods and come time to get worms in the spring/summer , just flop them over and ,,,,,,,wella Jon

 

[earache]

A buddy of mine just finished building his house, and used poplar for the interior paneling on his ceilings. Very bright, beautiful flaming, and much more character than pine. Or, you could call up a half-dozen buddies, have them bring saws, you supply the beer, and have a huge bonfire. Would keep you warm with the temps outside.

 

[eyolf]

It seems like there may be some confusion over which "poplar" you're referring to. Depending on where in Michigan you are, you may have one or both of two very different groups of trees;

The aspens, or "popples", include bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen, Balsam polar or balm o'gilead, silver poplar, and the cottonwoods. the wood is soft, but hard to season, and doesn't machine cleanly.

In the other group are tulip poplar and some of the other magnolias; sometimes known as whitewood, or yellow poplar. This makes pretty fair lumber as it seasons well and machines easily.

Niether is spectacular as firewood, but I use a lot of aspen in my workshop. Dry, it leaves no deposits in the chimney, and coals burn up fast, so I don't worry about burning the place down when I go in for the night.

 

[Climbing mike]

Id check on selling it for lumber. Here in NC I sell tulip popular for between $100 for grade 4 and $500 for verneer. ( per 1000 bd ft). I agree it doesn't make real good firewood, but it will still keep you warm.

 

[GeorgeWLogger]

I agree with Whistler!!! I also mix it with Oak that is not seasoned enough. It help keep the fire up and the oak burning hotter to create more heat. To burn it alone its like thowing matches in the fire. Although it does split easy.

 

[buckwheat]

Poplar is good for starting a wood fire, and for "day wood." Even if I'm burning mostly oak, I'll occassionally throw in a piece of poplar just to get the flames up.
You are right about the ashes though.
We have a lot of poplar in our region, and every time the logging guys take out one oak, they knock down five poplars to get to it and let them lay.