Rainbow Poplar slabs

Re: Rainbow Poplar slabs

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I could answer your question if I had any idea what rainbow poplar was. We ran a hardwood lumber business for 35 years and I never heard of it. The yellow and green in "yellow poplar" turns brown within hours when exposed to sun light.

I never heard of it either *LINK*

Mike L

I found this listing on Facebook.


https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3046191632290903/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A159cffe4-c15f-4f67-86e0-d6caba6bc6cc

Re: I never heard of it either

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

When roots get damaged these "mineral streaks" shoot up poplar. I suspect the cause is fungus. The dark will stay dark. The other colors will turn brown. It is considered a defect in commercial lumber. But weird appeals to some.

PS

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

$5 a bdft for poplar is pretty rich.

Thanks

Mike L

I figured it would darken over time.

My experience

John K Jordan

From my experience those beautiful colors will fade. Might be able to delay some by keeping it out of the light and using a UV resistant finish.

This article about color change in general might be interesting:

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/preventing-color-changes-in-exotic-woods/

That said, sometimes the dark black will stay. I cut into a log on my sawmill and found wonderful dark and black color, radiating out from a 3-4" deep but narrow "crevasse" down one side of the outside of the log. The experts said it was from a lightning strike and from the evidence that's believable. I heard the dark color would probably stay dark.

Here's some of it. The darker colors haven't changed in a year and a half but that's a pretty short time.

Just after sawing.

Some other boards now (sorry, I didn't take a picture of the same board later). Turning blanks cut from some of the other planks are still a rich black/brown.

JKJ

The black stays black forever

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

It is called "mineral stain" but I think it is from fungal invasion of damaged wood-lightning, root damage, bark damage, etc. I have seen the results of a log cut to saw mill length in the woods, inoculated by the cutting and then the cut ends rolling back together to prevent drying. In a few days the black streaks shot up the length of the log.

another lightning strike

John K Jordan

My log had a open deep groove down the entire length of the log. It stayed open.

I found another tree in our woods just yesterday where lightning split off some bark but down through much of the bark and into an exposed "crack" obvious from a lightning strike by the numerous fibers blown at least part way out of the crack. This was a big white oak. Maybe I'll take it down next year before it starts to decay and threatens the house.

Most lightning struck trees I've had were splintered inside and worthless for sawing. This one looks more like the poplar with the trauma possibly constrained to one narrow vertical strip.

I'm comparing this to another big oak struck a few months ago. The force cut off a 24" "branch" from maybe 40' up. I found bark on the ground over 100' in every direction. We saw that one happen.

JKJ

have you installed house lightening protection!

Re: have you installed house lightening protection

William Duffield

I don't need it (Knock on wood ): We have two huge sycamores right out front that have been struck several times in the almost three centuries they and the house have been standing here. The only damage I've ever seen is a little of the top layer of bark peeled off, leaving a narrow, light colored stripe wandering down the trunk.