African Padauk

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The heartwood is a vivid reddish-orange when freshly cut, but changes over time to bright red, red or coral-pink with dark streaks. It can darken further to a reddish or purplish brown or black. The colour fades with age. The grain can range from straight to interlocked, with a fine to medium texture and a natural sheen. When newly cut, the sapwood, which is clearly demarcated from the heartwood, is white, but it turns to grey or brownish-yellow when exposed to light.Typical dry weight: 45lb/ft3 (720kg/m3)Specific gravity: .72

Properties:

A heavy and dense wood, it has high bending and crushing strengths, with medium stiffness and resistance to shock loads, and high resistance to abrasion. It is not suitable for steam bending. African padauk works well despite its density, with only a slight blunting effect on cutting edges. It planes, moulds, turns, bores, sands and carves well. Small stock is liable to split when nailing or screwing, so pre-boring is advisable. It glues very well and can be brought to an excellent polished finish. It also weathers very well.

Seasoning:

It dries with almost no degrade and shows negligible movement in service.

Durability:

The heartwood is highly durable. It is resistant to termite attack and can last over 25 years in contact with the ground, even without any protective treatment. The heartwood is quite resistant to preservative treatment, and the sapwood is moderately resistant.

Typical Uses:

Quality furniture and joinery, cabinetmaking, office furniture, heavy-duty and parquet flooring, tool and knife handles, shuttles and sporting goods. It is also sliced for decorative veneers.