Thread: Poplar as a scale wood?

I just got my Schuyler 13/16 in the mail today, I have to say I'm very happy with the blade but the scales fell off the moment I got them out of the box (I knew they needed replacing and I would like to replace them soonish. I work in the prop shop of a theatre and have acces to lots of scrap poplar so Im wondering if anyone out there has used it for scales or can think of a reason it would be a poor choice.

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I've used poplar for scales before and they turned out well. If I remember right, poplar has the same weight, density and tensile strength as bone and is often used as an analog to bone. So yeah, go ahead and use it. Just make sure to seal it properly.

As long as it has cured properly and you seal it, practically any wood is good for scales.

I have made and used many different woods for scales, as long as they have been seasoned correctly then there's no problem, you are not really getting them wet and a little rub over occasionally with a good wax then buff off will do the trick, absolutely no need for stabilization you only really need that for burr woods because they are so fragile when cut so fine. here's a few I've made and used in American Walnut and Welsh Yew.

Jamie.

I have used poplar for various wood projects, but not scales. I have used a lot of woods for scales, and regardless of burly wood or not - you should use stabalized wood. The reason is twofold - 1. Stabalized wood will not curl, whereas any wood that has some water content will. Maybe not at first, but they will curl eventually. 2. I find stabalized wood takes a better and much more consistant finish and polish.

Again, its each to their own, just my two cents.

same density as bone? Even tho it is classed as a hardwood (because the tree is Deciduous) i have always found it to be rather soft and pithy.
One thing I have done with it is to ebonize it using steelwool and viniger,takes a nice stain.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

I have made and used many different woods for scales, as long as they have been seasoned correctly then there's no problem, you are not really getting them wet and a little rub over occasionally with a good wax then buff off will do the trick, absolutely no need for stabilization you only really need that for burr woods because they are so fragile when cut so fine. here's a few I've made and used in American Walnut and Welsh Yew.

Jamie.

Beautiful work, Jaime.

Thanks so much for the great replies, the poplar I have is quite hard and I went ahead and cut some scales today, I will have them ready within the next couple days. Ill be sure to post the finished product.

I like rosewood. It's beautiful, hard, stable and finishes easily, even with just a coat of furniture wax. Other popular woods are ebony and cocobolo. The trend here: hard and stable. There are some cool stabilized wood options out there as well which polish up to a hard shine, which is nice. Most burls that you will see must be finished w/ CA super glue or epoxy you harden them up and allow them to take a finish; those woods are soft and need to be sealed from moisture or they will get funky fast.

Originally Posted by JoeLowett

I like rosewood. It's beautiful, hard, stable and finishes easily, even with just a coat of furniture wax. Other popular woods are ebony and cocobolo. The trend here: hard and stable. There are some cool stabilized wood options out there as well which polish up to a hard shine, which is nice. Most burls that you will see must be finished w/ CA super glue or epoxy you harden them up and allow them to take a finish; those woods are soft and need to be sealed from moisture or they will get funky fast.

Sorry but burls are not soft,most are like iron,they need to be stabilized because they can be friable in nature,This piece of madrone took me 7 hrs to turn with carbide bits.