How dark does aged poplar get?

Question

I imagine that it does darken with age, but alot? I'm trying to find out what is hidden beneath layers of paint in a solid wood end table I found...
the inside of the drawer feels harder than pine, but it's darker and not as green as poplar...
smack me if this is a silly question, and if it's unanswerable smack me too.

Answer 1

Hehehe...

Well, Poplar tends to be mostly white, with some light green or even purple streaks in it. It usually does not darken very much at all. Poplar is often used when it is hidden, or going to be painted. While it is technically a 'hardwood'..it is among the softer varieties, making it easy to tool, yet, still easy to finish. Ive used poplar in furniture manufacturing both professionally, and for myself.

Most poplar, here in the U.S. comes from Canada. So, if you're not near a furniture manufacturing region (Grand Rapids MI, or several locations in North and South Carolina), then you may not actually have Poplar, as it simply wouldnt have been available.

Alder and Ash were often used for furniture, and were more commonly available, say, 50 to 100 years ago, and are still popular choices. These woods would be more 'cream' colored than the poplar, and slightly 'harder'.

Maple is brighter than these, and considerably harder, so it was most often used as a surface material, as opposed to an internal part.

Some others that come to mind are Spruce, and Basswood, but there are more, hehehe....

Here is a link to a pdf file by the US Department of Agriculture - it has descriptions and pics of various wood species, maybe this will help you figure out what youve got - http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/usda/ah101.pdf

Have Fun

Answer 2

I wouldn't stain it, it's already aged. Just use a good sealant.