Padouk

BOTANICAL NAMES

Pterocarpus soyauxii, Pterocarpus delevoyi, Pterocarpus osun, Pterocarpus tinctorius

FAMILY

Member of the Fabaceae family

COMMERCIAL NAMES

African Padauk, Vermillion, Barwood, Camwood , Padauk

NATIVE NAMES

Akume, Arapka, Ezigo, Kisesi, Koula, M'bio, Mbe…

SPECIES APPLICATIONS/ USES

HYDRAULIC WORKS (Seawater) – INDUSTRIAL OR HEAVY FLOORING – HIGH CLASS FURNITURE – FLOORING – SLEEPERS – SHIP BUILDING – BRIDGES – HEAVY CARPENTRY– TURNED GOODS – SEATS – VEHICLE OR CONTAINER FLOORING –JOINERY- MUSIC INSTRUMENTS

RANGE

It is present throughout the equatorial forest, from north of the Gulf of Guinea to Angola in moist forests.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

African Padauk is a one-of-a-kind exotic hardwood, exhibiting a vivid reddish orange color that changes to a purplish-rose colored hue with age and exposure. The heartwood is bright red when freshly cut, becoming orange-red on exposure and darkening to purple-brown, and distinctly demarcated from the whitish to brownish yellow sapwood 6–10(–20) cm wide. African Padauk is an excellent turning wood, responding well to a variety of woodworking lathe projects. This attractive wood has high strength properties, durability and outstanding stability. The grain is straight to interlocked, texture coarse. The wood has a faint aromatic scent when freshly cut.

Durable to very durable, Padauk’s Has excellent decay resistance.

DRYING

Padauk dries fairly rapidly and very well with a minimum of degrade. The movement is exceptionally small in service.

SPECIFIC WEIGHT

With a moisture content of 12%, specific weight in average of 740 kg per cubic meter.

PRINCIPAL USES AND PROCESSING TECHNIQUES

Overall, despite being extremely heavy and dense, the wood is relatively easy to work. Sharp tools and slower feed rates ensure the best results when working with African Padauk. The wood takes a good finish, but sometimes with some tearing of interlocked grain. Slicing does not cause problems, and the wood holds nails and screws satisfactorily; however, pre-boring for screwing is advisable. The gluing properties are good.