Padauk Wood

African Padauk wood lumber is used in fine joinery, fancy turnery, carvings, flooring, decorative veneer, tool and knife handles. Padauk wood may sometimes be confused with Rosewood but it is coarser and less decorative in figure.

APPEARANCE: Heartwood vivid red when freshly cut darkening to a purple brown on exposure; sapwood 4 to 8 in. wide, whitish to brown yellow, distinct. Texture coarse; grain straight to interlocked; lustrous; faint aromatic scent when freshly cut

DENSITY: Janka scale hardness is 1,630 for dry material

WEIGHT: 51 lbs. / cu. ft., or approximately 4.25 lbs. per board foot

DRYING: Dries very well with a minimum of degrade

WORKABILITY: Saws well but requires slow feed, easy to machine but with some tearing of interlocked grain, takes a good finish, glues easily and holds nails and screws satisfactorily

DURABILITY: Heartwood is very durable and very resistant to termite attack. Excellent weathering properties

PRESERVATION: Heartwood fairly resistant to preservative treatments; sapwood moderately resistant

FINISHING: Finishes well