: Recently at my local home builders supply i noticed a new shipment of Aspen.
: All in various widths. It had an almost pure white color and the grain was
: barely visible. Anyone have any info on this species, i.e. strength, color
: when finished etc. I'm considering using it for several projects since the
: price was cheaper than spruce. Depends on what i learn from you guys/gals.
: Thanks

I use aspen in paddles to build up the handle area. It is light and easy to plane. The only downside to it I found is that it makes a poor color contrast to the white pine I use for the remainder of the paddle. The first paddle I built is now about 3 years old, and it still looks almost white (coated with a layer of epoxy, and finished with Minwax Helmsman Urethane). And since the white pine yellowed a bit during finishing, the color contrast has improved. It is a bit lighter but weaker than spruce, but heavier and stronger than cedar. So if you have an area where you need a light accent, give it a try.