Brown Poplar?

[hockey1]

Has anyone ever heard of brown poplar? I was at the mill today and he showed three pieces about 14 inches wide and 16 feet long. The mill mistro swore to me that it was poplar. It had a mixed color of black walnut and mahogany with a poplar grain. I am just curious because I have never heard of it. Sorry no pictures.
Thanks

 

[bluchz]

I have seen Poplar logs get a brown heart after drying. I haven't seen the lumber that was sawed from them though.

 

[CrealBilly]

Yes - I've sawed a few poplar logs that had brown heartwood - I think it's caused by mineral streaking (growing on a certain kind of rock bed_ although I'm not 100% sure. Perhaps the prettiest mineral streak lumber, I've sawn was a red maple that came off a city sewer line in Raleigh.

 

[Sully]

Yes, we see that a lot in logs sawn at the farm that come off the edge of the swamp. And when you expose it to sunlight, the dark tones really darken up. It makes for some pretty lumber.

 

[hockey1]

Mineral streaking seems like a good explanation. I agree it is beautiful lumber. Which leads me to my next question. These boards have a uniform color across the whole piece. Can mineral streaking provide this consistent color?
Thanks again

 

[CrealBilly]

Mineral streaking seems like a good explanation. I agree it is beautiful lumber. Which leads me to my next question. These boards have a uniform color across the whole piece. Can mineral streaking provide this consistent color?
Thanks again

yeah the poplar I've sawn was very consistent in heart wood color. One thing you can do is break a splinter off the board and smell it. Green poplar has a faint smell of black pepper, walnut is well walnut smelling. The smell of walnut is pretty consistent green to dry but poplar has that black peppery smell when it still green.

 

[TBradley190]

Here's a pic of a mancave I done for my neighbor. The whole room was done in clearcoat poplar boards from one tree (I'm told) that was 30" at the base and the heart was so brown it was almost purple. The walls are shiplapped 10" and 12" and the cabinets are all heartwood to get a contrast. But you can see the heart is a nice brown.

Tim

View image in gallery​

 

[hockey1]

Thanks to all this has been good information. One day I too will have a mancave. My wife keeps resisting with the excuse of "have you seen your shop, that is your mancave." One day I will break her of this thought.

 

[merrill77]

I have a 10" wide poplar board that is as brown as walnut heartwood.

 

[Shamrock]

one note of caution with the brown poplar. It STINKS, i mean literally I had a piece and it smelled like (well like it grew next to a sewer line) :gar-La;.

Quite nice looking though

 

[mgberry]

Incredible work Tim! I hope to have a place like that up at the farm some day.

matt

 

[cskipper]

That's quite a man-cave. We'd have to build the extra space on the house to add a cave. I consider the shop to be LOML's - except for a fridge (don't encourage him) it has about the same amenities and lets him keep active too!