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Poplar is a good wood for modeling.  It is a little a little harder than bass and is easy to work with.  It will take stains and can made to resemble scale oak.

David B

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To stain poplar with a very dark color like ebony would be OK (try it) because the natural color of poplar can vary from light to almost green. It is easy to cut, pretty stable and I use it a lot for furniture projects that are going to be painted (but not for those that are stained). Besides it is easily available in the US by way of Home Depot (no commercial intended).

 

Pardon the background of the picture below, but the wood frame is part of a hallway cabinet that I am making for a friend and I just wanted to make sure part of my Conny was in the picture. I am sure you will agree that the color change in poplar is rather dramatic. This one will be painted white.
 

post-246-0-12294900-1362015507.jpg

Jay

 

Current build Cross Section USS Constitution  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10120-cross-section-forward-area-of-the-uss-constitution/

Finished USS Constitution:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/103-uss-constitution-by-modeler12/

 

'A picture is worth a  . . . . .'      More is better . . . .

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Sinan,

 

My Spray (see signature) is almost all poplar.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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Sinan,

   Poplar is very versital for model building, it also turns well.....my smasher barrel is poplar.....

post-1053-0-94008400-1362075207.jpg

Thank You all...

 

Mario

 

 

:piratetongueor4:  :piratetongueor4:

"Each of us is a mixture of some good and some not so good qualities. In considering one's fellow man it's important to remember the good things ... We should refrain from making judgments just because a fella happens to be a dirty, rotten SOB(biscuit) ;) "

 

 

 

My Builds....

 

BETTEAU WAR OF 1812     BOUNTY LAUNCH(bashed)    CHESAPEAKE BAY FLATTIE

 

THE SEA of GALILEE BOAT   VICTORIAN STEAM LAUNCH(bashed)    HOWARD CHAPELLE's CRABBING SKIFF

 

LADY KATHRINE 1812 SCHOONER

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Sinan,

 

My Spray (see signature) is almost all poplar.

 

Bob

I had a look at your Spray, Bob, and it looks great. 

I would like to add to my post and picture above that the color change in poplar does not effect the way it handles. In fact, for projects such as model ships, it is easy enough to select the parts of a board that work for you. It does mean that you have to cut your own lumber.

At my Home Depot the poplar is right next to oak and some maple. I would suggest you buy a piece and see what you can do with it.

 

To find out more here is another web site http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/poplar.htm

It mentioned that the green coloring is because of mineral absorption. That would probably mean that the color changes are more of a visual than working variation.

Edited by Modeler12

Jay

 

Current build Cross Section USS Constitution  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10120-cross-section-forward-area-of-the-uss-constitution/

Finished USS Constitution:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/103-uss-constitution-by-modeler12/

 

'A picture is worth a  . . . . .'      More is better . . . .

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I have a lot of Poplar on my property and I have used some inside and outside the house we built It dries quite well and small diameter material dries quite fast with little to no checking. I carved this little boat for my grandson out of some poplar that we cut down where the house now stands

 

post-202-0-54739200-1362111651_thumb.jpg

 

I will cut some planks and do some tests.

 

we also use it as firewood to keep warm, in out cold winters.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Thank You Jay, Bob, Mario, Michael for Your reply.

Bob, your build of the Spray is beautiful I know it from the older forum of MSW and I didn't know that is made of poplar, so you can say that is bending well?

Mario, I didn't know that poplar will turn that good and I your smasher is just awesome.

Jay, I have 2 planks 10mm tick by 10cm wide poplar and is pretty consistent in color all white. Maybe I have the right part :P . I'm not sure about the bending quality, I will have to test it.

Michael, yes I will have to cut some planks to test the bending of poplar. And lot of people use pear for firewood and I think that is just sad, poplar is not that rare and is ok to use it, I think.

Greetings, Sinan :pirate41:

Build log:TRITON POB 1:72

 

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I was talking about  using poplar in my frames on my 1:24 HMS Triton and still thinking about it. After reading the above I'm now going to use it to make most of my frames. I think that I will use a mix of sweetgum / redgum and poplar on the frames that I'll keep the planking and decking off from. Might have nice color contrast.

Thanks for helping me choose one of the woods.

 

Later 42rocker

Current Build -- Finishing a 1:1 House that I've been building for a while

Current Build -- Triton Cross Section

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Sinan, I had to look up where Kriva Palanka is located in Macedonia. I found it but now I am curious why you are building ship models when  you are a long way from the oceans. Do you have poplar trees in your part of the world?

Jay

 

Current build Cross Section USS Constitution  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10120-cross-section-forward-area-of-the-uss-constitution/

Finished USS Constitution:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/103-uss-constitution-by-modeler12/

 

'A picture is worth a  . . . . .'      More is better . . . .

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I was talking about  using poplar in my frames on my 1:24 HMS Triton and still thinking about it. After reading the above I'm now going to use it to make most of my frames. I think that I will use a mix of sweetgum / redgum and poplar on the frames that I'll keep the planking and decking off from. Might have nice color contrast.

Thanks for helping me choose one of the woods.

 

Later 42rocker

I have not personally made a plank on frame model yet. But I think poplar would be a great wood to use for frames. Like I said earlier it machines and sands well, is a bit soft compared with other 'hard woods' but for frames a good choice.

Jay

 

Current build Cross Section USS Constitution  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10120-cross-section-forward-area-of-the-uss-constitution/

Finished USS Constitution:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/103-uss-constitution-by-modeler12/

 

'A picture is worth a  . . . . .'      More is better . . . .

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Jay, If there is a rules for making model ships according to location I will stop building them instantly :huh:. I have this I can proudly say LOVE to this hobby, maybe from the past life. And the sea is not that far if You think about it, I've been to Croatia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria Monte Negro and they all have sea border.

Yes I have a lot a poplar trees in my city.

Greetings, Sinan :pirate41:

Build log:TRITON POB 1:72

 

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Sinan, the Poplar here grows like a weed, in ten years a poplar will grow 15 to to twenty feet, My 20 acres are a mix of Poplar, Birch and Spruce. We are on the edge of the Boreal Forest. I always leave some of the fallen trees for the birds insects and the rest of the natural world for their use.

 

Michael

Edited by michael mott

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

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Jay, If there is a rules for making model ships according to location I will stop building them instantly :huh:. I have this I can proudly say LOVE to this hobby, maybe from the past life. And the sea is not that far if You think about it, I've been to Croatia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria Monte Negro and they all have sea border.

Yes I have a lot a poplar trees in my city.

Sinan, of course you shouldn't stop making models because of my comment. If had the powers to persuade people that way I would be a preacher.Indeed the sea is not all that far from your city when I compare that with Utah and other places much further from the seas.

 

You mentioned Monte Negro which reminded me of our trip there last year. We were in Kotor and loved the little excursion we took to the church on the rock (the little island in the middle of this beautiful fjord). I know this is not part of the topic but I couldn't help myself.

post-246-0-02762500-1362269354.jpg

Jay

 

Current build Cross Section USS Constitution  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10120-cross-section-forward-area-of-the-uss-constitution/

Finished USS Constitution:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/103-uss-constitution-by-modeler12/

 

'A picture is worth a  . . . . .'      More is better . . . .

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  • 4 weeks later...

Michael said - I always leave some of the fallen trees for the birds insects and the rest of the natural world for their use.

 

Dont forget mushrooms! Here in the midwest morel mushrooms are plentiful in the spring and they love old tree falls where the soil is basic. They seem to like rotting Elm and Oak the best around here. I cant wait morel season is coming soon. :dancetl6:

 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=morel+mushrooms&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=0jBbUefXHsXH4AOayoCgDw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1165&bih=823

Edited by themadchemist
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Ah, yes, the lovely morel mushroom.  I used to live in central Indiana.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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