Scott replies:

>   It takes stain just as good. This kind of means it takes stain as evenly 
> and uninterestingly uniform as paint.

It's a rare day when I disagree with Scott, but I have to on this one. 
Poplar, like most pine, absorbs stain unevenly and results in a blotchy 
finish.  Scott is right on about the paint finish, but I wouldn't use poplar 
for any application which requires a stain.  If you must stain poplar, use a 
gel stain and put it on pretty thick.

Ken Vaughn 

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