I cut some delicate project and she requested a hard wood to keep it strong .Well the guy close to me just prought over some oak and i thought it would be perfect.nNot so,because of the grain in it it was very fragile.I sat and thought about grain an rememberd poplar has no grain but is a hard wood. i re cut ,planned an some and tested it .Excellent choice,i could not bend or break it,Tips and tricks.