Is Poplar any good?

[shikeswithcanoe]

Hi all.

Another question in my quest to finish my skin on frame kayak.

There are a couple of places in the boat where I would like to strengthen the frame. These are also places where it would be nice if the wood surface was well rounded rather than flat. I have a couple of nice straight 1 inch poplar dowels left over from another project. I was thinking I could saw them in half and glue the now flat surface of the dowel to the flat part of the frame I wish to strengthen/round.

Will poplar behave nicely over time given exposure to sun and water for years to come? Or is it a bad idea to use this wood for a boat?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Kayak Jack]

I know a fellow who's skin-on-stick kayaks are made with ribs of willow he takes from a tree in his front yard. Poplar, or cottonwood, is what Lewis and Clark used to make wagon wheels when they had to abandon the Missouri River and go overland across the Continental Divide. The wood probably hasn't weakened much since then. And, you're using it for only spacers anyway, aren't you?

 

[DuaneBrown]

Under no circumstances use poplar for anything on a boat of any kind, it will not last. t works great with hand tools and is nice that way but it is of no use to anyone building a boat. I built an east Canadian qajaq replica years ago and used poplar for the gunwales and they rotted in no time.

 

[Wannabe]

Under no circumstances use poplar for anything on a boat of any kind, it will not last. t works great with hand tools and is nice that way but it is of no use to anyone building a boat. I built an east Canadian qajaq replica years ago and used poplar for the gunwales and they rotted in no time.

What if you encapsulate the poplar in epoxy?
Bob

 

[woodchips]

I have used popular in pirogues as frames and stems, it is not as strong or dense as oak but is ( in my option ) better than pine. It has a tight straight grain, few to no knots, and it takes the epoxy well. It will rot fast if left unprotected. I brush on thinned epoxy, or rub it on, then cover anything unpainted with Clear Shield ( its made for wood lawn furniture and works GREAT! )
The pirogue that I am using now is going on her 3rd year and I am not even going to have to refresh anything this season. Oh yeah, it stayed out in the weather all summer and winter.
But...if you want your frames to have a rounded finish to the inside, just hit both sides with a half round bit in a router. It will be faster than laminating on those dowel haves.

 

[ezwater]

Kayakjack referred to poplar, or cottonwood. But I think some of us think of poplar as yellow poplar, or tulip poplar. The latter is often used in furniture, upholstered furniture framing, because it is hard to finish in a way that looks nice when exposed.

Poplar was sometimes used for inside framing of harpsichords, though basswood was preferred.

I wouldn't see anything wrong with using poplar half-dowels to round a frame member, as long as it is sealed with epoxy and varnish. If I were doing the work, though, I'd grab some of my low ring count, light sitka, glue it on, and round it. Just saves a bit of weight.

 

[jpsaxnc]

Yellow poplar is strong for it's weight and very flexible. As far as rot goes you need to protect the wood. White oak was very popular for making boat ribs you could steam and bend it easily, you could also watch it rot befor your eyes if it was'nt protected.