Poplar Kiln-Dried Woodturning Practice Blank – Rough Sawn
Approx. 52mm x 52mm x 407mm
Approx. 2" x 2" x 16"
This is a kiln-dried Poplar woodturning practice blank, rough sawn and suitable for beginners who want affordable wood for learning basic turning.
Poplar is priced cheaper than the other hardwood blanks I sell. These blanks are best suited to new woodturners who want to practise cuts, tool control and turning between centres before moving on to more expensive wood.
Please note that the 2" measurement is approximate. Some pieces may vary from around 50mm up to 55mm.
Practice Grade Poplar
Poplar is a soft hardwood and is useful for new woodturners who simply want to get time on the lathe.
It is easier to work with than pine, has a fairly closed grain surface and can be useful for painting, colouring, experimenting and general practice. If you make mistakes, that is not a disaster. These blanks are intended for gaining experience rather than producing high-end finished pieces.
Suitable Projects
This size is useful for small practice projects such as:
● Turning between centres
● Basic spindle practice
● Christmas tree decorations
● Spinning tops
● Small painted pieces
● Colouring and finishing practice
● General tool control practice
At approximately 16" long, you can cut the blank into shorter sections depending on what you want to practise. You may get three or four small pieces from each blank, depending on how you cut it and how much waste you allow.
Rough Sawn Finish and Natural Variation
Please note that these blanks are rough sawn and sold as practice blanks.
The wood has a variety of colours, so each blank will look different. Density and weight may also vary from piece to piece.
Some blanks may contain knots, small cracks, natural edges, bark inclusions or other natural features. I have selected them because they are still useful for practice turning, where much of the outside surface will be turned away.
If you need blanks to be fully sound for a specific finished project, please contact me before ordering. These poplar blanks are intended mainly for practice, experimenting and beginner woodturning.
Why I Supply These Blanks
One of the hardest things about starting woodturning is finding suitable wood to practise on. Not everyone has access to dry wood in small, manageable sizes, and buying full boards or larger pieces is not always practical.
For that reason, I supply a small range of blanks that are already cut into useful sizes for woodturners. There is still work involved in buying, cutting, sorting, storing and listing them, but these poplar blanks are offered as a cheaper practice option for beginners and hobby turners.
Useful for Beginners and Woodturning Students
These blanks are especially useful if you are new to woodturning and want low-cost wood for practice.
A lot of beginners are nervous about wasting good hardwood while learning. Poplar gives you something affordable to practise on, make mistakes with and experiment with before moving on to beech, ash or other more expensive blanks.
As a woodturner who also teaches beginners, I know how useful it can be to have simple practice wood available. These blanks are not meant to be perfect showpiece timber. They are practical blanks for learning, experimenting and building confidence at the lathe.
The longer 16" length gives you a bit more flexibility than the shorter 12" version. You can cut the blank into smaller sections for several practice pieces, or leave more length if you want to practise longer spindle work.
End Grain Sealed
This wood is kiln dried. After cutting, I seal the end grain with PVA glue to help reduce moisture movement back in or out through the exposed ends.
This helps keep the blank more stable while it is stored, although as with all real wood, some natural movement can still happen over time, especially if blanks are stored in changing temperatures or humidity.
Weight and Shipping
Each 16" blank weighs approximately 0.80kg.
Orders of woodturning blanks should be kept under 20kg maximum to keep the parcel weight manageable for shipping. If you need a larger quantity, please contact me before ordering.
Collection is also available and may be the best option if you are buying several blanks or heavier pieces.
More wood may be available than is currently listed online.
Please Note
The photos show an example of the type of blank available. They are not the exact pieces you will receive, but your blanks will be of the same general type, size and practice-grade quality.
