Bob...Suggestion for your Wood Articles

[Jediscroller]

Hey Bob,
I know you had posted this somewhere looking for suggestions about your wood. How about the difference between Aspen, Basswood and Poplar (I know you just wrote about poplar). I'm kind of curious myself, as if I understand correctly, all 3 are more or less the same?
Just a thought.

[BobD (Archive)]

Good idea Kevin!

They are different, but how different, I wonder...

I did holly for the holiday issue, and I'm working on hickory right now (cause I had some on hand and LOVE IT).

But that is a great idea!

Bob

[Neal Moore]

We cut a HUGE hickory from our back yard a couple years ago. The hickory nuts on the ground played havoc with my mower blades in the fall. I was going to save some nice pieces to make into boards but a friend was in desperate need of firewood so I gave him all of it except for one limb that I saved for a walking stick. I've been carving wood spirits in it just to keep my hands occupied when we're camping. Beautiful white wood that works great with a knife or my Gesswein Power Hand.

[BobD (Archive)]

The piece I got (for free from a local lumber mill) is a creamy white color with a beautifully figured grain pattern. near one side, the wood turns a rich grey color where there was a knot. It's beautiful, but HARD! I'm going through blades left and right! It's so white that burn marks are very apparent!

Bob

[workin for wood]

I find poplar is very different than aspen or basswood. I would tend to group those two more with cottonwood, and then I can't tell the difference so much. I suppose you can say that cottonwood is poplar though, because it is part of the poplar family, but to me cottonwood is a swamp weed, just like a Willow tree. Good lumber poplar would be from a tulip poplar that grows nice and slow. And how about all those clumps of cotton in my yard during the summer, overheating my lawnmower, and getting in my nose. My head hurts.

I love hickory and don't forget to mention it's cousin Pecan.
I am a new subscriber to your magazine....if your writing articles about anything to do with wood, I'm all for it.