New member, what to do with poplar

[GreyGray]

Hi,

 

I've got some hybrid poplar logs lying around in the garden. About ten 10m lengths with an average width of 18inches (ish). They were fallen about 18months ago.

 

I'm wondering what I should do with it. Is it worth milling into planks for waney-edge siding (after treatment) or should I just save the work and use it as firewood?

 

It needs something doing with it - at the mo it's just sat absorbing water.

 

Any ideas welcome.

Thanks,

GG

[Steve Bullman]

firewood, and get it in the dry first obviously!

[peatff]

Poplar is good at absorbing water and turning into mush and the bark peels off it as well so it gets to absorb water even quicker.

[Fredward]

Probably not cost effective to mill and treat poplar but it can be nice for indoor use. Probably just firewood in this situation!

 

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[agg221]

Poplar does make excellent sidings for sheds if treated. It is stable, easy to nail without splitting and generally has few knots. The same properties which make it naturally low durability and take up water easily are actually an advantage in that the preservative soaks in really well. I know of a fairly large barn which is all clad in poplar, well soused in something oily (probably best not asked what) about 15yrs ago which shows no sign of degrading yet, and a quick re-coat is all it will need from time to time.

 

The question is, do you need a load of siding? If so, it would be very cost effective to get someone in with a portable bandsaw mill, drag all the logs to one place and process the best lengths to get what you need. Before doing so, I would cut rings off an end of a log until I got to good stuff with no degradation. If you are lucky and it's one ring back, crack on. If you find it has already degraded I would just firewood it.

 

If you don't need a load of siding, it will cost you money to get milled, then sit around, get in the way and gradually rot, so I would just cut it up for firewood instead.

 

Alec

 

p.s. I have a couple of poplar logs which I milled a year or two back and the outer section which I decided was too narrow to bother at the time is still stood on end in the garden and looks fine. I will be finding out whether it really is this weekend - I'll try milling a board of each section and if they are good it will be yielding the boards for my new interior kitchen door!

Edited April 12, 2017 by agg221

[Taupotreeman]

A guy I met here in NZ was using the stuff for furniture due to its pliability after being soaked in water. Made some beautiful dining chairs out of it.

 

 

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[scbk]

Sounds like a good excuse to build a shed :biggrin:

[Logan]

If you have a lowloader that needs new deck boards...? Has a reputation for being good in that application just in case you are into moving heavy equipment...