Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Fire Wood => Topic started by: american-pacemaker on May 16, 2014, 04:49:50 AM

Title: Poplar
Post by: american-pacemaker on May 16, 2014, 04:49:50 AM
Help me guys. I have the chance to get a lot of free poplar within 45 minutes of home. Is it worth the time to get ?
Thanks
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: slimjim on May 16, 2014, 05:00:25 AM
Of course, it's free!
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: american-pacemaker on May 16, 2014, 05:25:17 AM
Thanks Slim, I just don't want to waste time if is doesn't burn worth a crap.
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: slimjim on May 16, 2014, 06:04:29 AM
It burns OK, about like pine when it's dry
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: mlappin on May 16, 2014, 06:32:28 AM
I've found it burns okay as long as you get it cut and split before it's stood dead for too long. Seems to go punky pretty quick if left standing.
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: AirForcePOL on May 16, 2014, 08:20:18 AM
I had about 10-12 poplar trees that died periodically over the last few years.  As they died I would cut them up and burn them.  It's good wood for spring and summber but I wouldn't want to depend on it in the dead of winter.  It's pretty easy cutting though.
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: fsuftball on May 16, 2014, 08:42:24 AM
i have about 3 cords of it i plan on burning this year.

split the bigger stuff which was full of water and stinks.

easy to handle
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: MattyNH on May 16, 2014, 08:46:08 PM
Absolutely grab that wood.. Yeah it's not the top notch wood.. But it burns and heats water..I burn it..
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: ITO on May 17, 2014, 07:13:03 AM
 Poplar grows like weeds here, I burn it in the shoulder seasons mostly and it's ok. I have to agree it's not the best, if you let it get too dry it is nearly useless and that can happen quickly, if you let it set on the ground very long it will go punky quickly but if you get it dried and covered and use it in its prime it will burn nicely, I wouldn't be afraid to recommend burning it just that it needs a little more TLC than some others.
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: CountryBoyJohn on May 19, 2014, 06:06:51 AM
I had a bunch of poplar last year.  Splits easy.  Burns fast.  I would compare it to soft maple.  It's not the best, but it is still worth putting in your pile if it is easy gettin wood.  I'd take more if it was easy enough.
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: MattyNH on May 22, 2014, 08:05:22 PM
Id burn popular all day long.. I would buy a grapple load of it, if it was cheaper..But Popular isn't..Big demand for it by the pulp mills and for finished  trim wood
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: Roger2561 on May 23, 2014, 03:52:36 AM
Id burn popular all day long.. I would buy a grapple load of it, if it was cheaper..But Popular isn't..Big demand for it by the pulp mills and for finished  trim wood

Poplar is great for making face frames for cabinets.  It mills nicely and takes paint really well.  Plus, it doesn't seem to expand and contract like pine or woods of lesser quality.  Roger
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: MattyNH on May 23, 2014, 11:38:41 AM
Id burn popular all day long.. I would buy a grapple load of it, if it was cheaper..But Popular isn't..Big demand for it by the pulp mills and for finished  trim wood

Poplar is great for making face frames for cabinets.  It mills nicely and takes paint really well.  Plus, it doesn't seem to expand and contract like pine or woods of lesser quality.  Roger
yeah I see it a lot being used on job sights like for trim of all kinds..I heard it takes the paint well
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: mlappin on May 23, 2014, 08:52:09 PM
Actually a lot of old barns had tulip poplar in the roof beams.

We have several 12x12 poplar beams in the basement, not sure when this house was built but the last addition was 1908.

I've also seen cotton wood used in construction, cut the boards oversized, stack em then place weights on top to keep from twisting too much, in a couple of years run em thru the saw mill again to size. Actually makes pretty decent framing lumber, pretty strong because it can be so stringy, just has to be kept dry.
Title: Re: Poplar
Post by: gainerspot on May 24, 2014, 10:15:46 AM
I use some on my barn.  Like Mlappin said keep it dry.

I get a lot of scrap wood from a friend who has a woodmizer sawmill, mostly get ceder, poplar, oak, and hickory and cherry from time to time, but that goes in the smoker.  So far I have put away 3 cords cut and probably 4 cords in slats that I haven't had time to cut yet.  When I get my wood shed finished I will put the hard woods in there own stack for the cold nights.  That will help the woman out when I'm not at home.

Yes get it and get all you can.  I will burn