Yellow Poplar vs Soft Maple
Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Soft Maple (Acer rubrum (and others)) are two woods people often weigh against each other. Soft Maple is the harder of the two at 950 lbf on the Janka scale, versus 540 lbf for Yellow Poplar, which affects how each handles wear, tools, and denting.
| Property | Yellow Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera | Soft Maple Acer rubrum (and others) |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Hardwood | Hardwood |
| Cost | $ · Budget | $$ · Moderate |
| Hardness | 540 lbf | 950 lbf |
| Workability | Excellent | Good |
| Seasonal movement | Small | Medium |
| Outdoor-friendly | No | No |
| Origin | Domestic (North America) | Domestic (North America) |
| Commonly built | Painted bookshelves, Drawer boxes, Crown molding, Toy boxes, Mock-up prototypes | Painted cabinets, Kitchen tables, Picture frames, Turned bowls, Children's furniture |
| Overview | The budget hardwood of choice for paint-grade work. Soft, cheap, easy, just don't expect to show off the grain. | Hard maple's more affordable, easier-working relative. Still plenty strong for most furniture, at a friendlier price. |
Finishing
Yellow Poplar
The premier paint wood: closed, uniform grain takes paint flawlessly, which is its most common finish. Under clear finishes its green/gray streaks are divisive, and it blotches under stain, so if staining, condition first or use dye. For a natural clear finish most people accept the color variation or choose another wood; for paint it is hard to beat.
Soft Maple
Blotches like hard maple, condition before staining or use dye for even color. A bit easier to work and finish than hard maple. Often stained to imitate cherry or other woods because it takes dye so willingly once conditioned.
Want to weigh these against a third wood, or compare different species? Use the interactive comparison tool.