I don't like Padauk

wheelgunner

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
188
Reaction score
0
Location
Middle TN
I recently bought some padauk and found that the dust from sanding stains EVERYTHING! It turned the maple neck I was using pink. It didn't seem to matter how careful I was I would always get the dust on my hands and it would end up somewhere it wasn't supposed to go. The wife is not amused.

On the other hand, it is pretty stuff and seems relatively easy to work with. After I've used up my current supply I'll probably go to bubinga and see how it works.
 
Also, for your info, the padauk, will not keep that pretty red color. As the wood is exposed to air, it will turn brown and look like most other rosewoods.

Brad
 
Not if you have the unbelievable fortune to have some from the Andaman Isles where it is rare and known as 'vermillion'... read James Krenov's writings about this incredible wood in his first book on cabinet making.
 
Padauk is plentiful, beautiful, inexpensive, and it's a wonderful tonewood, sometimes described as a drop in replacement for brazilian rosewood. In other words, there's likely to be more of it in our future than less.
 
Also, for your info, the padauk, will not keep that pretty red color. As the wood is exposed to air, it will turn brown and look like most other rosewoods.

Brad
Yes, Brad, I'm aware that padauk oxidizes to a brown with time. Unfortunate, because that deep red is so pretty, but not a big deal. It's the ability of the dust to stain everything in the neighborhood that is the big problem. It would be nice to have some of the Andaman Isle padauk that Pete speaks of.

Matt, everything I read tells me the same thing. Padauk is one of the coming things, especially in guitars. Some of the bluegrass players I know are quite taken with it. I do think I'll try bubinga next. It's relatively cheap, plentiful and attractive. Hopefully, bubinga dust won't stain as badly and the wife will let me back in the house.
 
The only advice I can offer is not to sand - which may not be that helpful depending on your construction process. Stick to planing, carving, shaving and maybe scraping (although that can also produce some very fine debris, so you'd have to be careful about where it's going).
 
Padauk is evil and pernicious. It finished off my AS-S blade (had another one on hand, thankfully), causing me to ruin a couple cuts. At first I thought it was just the fact that it had gummed up my blade something awful, so I spent 20 minutes cleaning it off before I ruined the second cut. Put the new blade on and I'm cutting straight again. Take the freshly resawn boards over to the thickness sander and promptly clog up the sand paper. Clean it out with the oversized gum eraser intended for the job, and repeat. When I was done, one part of the sand paper is totally ruined. Those rolls aren't cheap. Over to the bending iron. My light bulb driven bending iron won't get hot enough to bend it. Repeated dunkings in water won't help, just help it shed its color onto everything, including me. Scrubbed my hands three times with a scrub brush--they're still orange. I'm replacing my light bulb with a charcoal heater (on sale at Lowes for $7) and dimmer switch. Wish me luck.

ps. the wood sure is gorgeous when wet. Stunning.
 
Matt, if you think the padauk will clog up your sandpaper try some bloodwood! That stuff is evil incarnate!
I have managed to work around some of my difficulties with the padauk I bought. It looks amazing with a curly maple neck and englemann spruce top (one of these days I have got to figure out how to post pictures). I won't buy anymore padauk, though, 'cause the wife would have my hide hung on the kitchen door.
By the way, I'm steam-bending my sides using a roasting pan on the stove. Have to let them steam hard for about 30-45 minutes before attempting to bend.
 
Last edited:
Now you know why God created mahogany and koa! Padauk is a dogs dinner all round and the issues and problems with it preclude it from coming any where near my tools. However, bloodwood does not bleed as its name suggests, holds and bend well and I haven't noticed it clogging up my drum sander. Nevertheless, since wood is organic it's anyones guess as to why this might be if the general consensus is otherwise... One time I'll fry a set of koa sides and another time they'll be just fine. One time they will discolor to a flithy pukey green and the next they'll be fine. I don't know the answer to all this stuff and I suspect not many people do even tho they may profess to :)
 
Now you know why God created mahogany and koa! Padauk is a dogs dinner all round and the issues and problems with it preclude it from coming any where near my tools. However, bloodwood does not bleed as its name suggests, holds and bend well and I haven't noticed it clogging up my drum sander. Nevertheless, since wood is organic it's anyones guess as to why this might be if the general consensus is otherwise... One time I'll fry a set of koa sides and another time they'll be just fine. One time they will discolor to a flithy pukey green and the next they'll be fine. I don't know the answer to all this stuff and I suspect not many people do even tho they may profess to :)

Well it does have a beautiful finish, and that's still too good for the dog...
;)
 
Man this kind of sucks. I have a bunch of Padauk blanks that I bought for bowl making that are still resting. I was hoping to make a ocarina or two as well.
 
Paduwhack... love the stuff, hate working with it... stained mine and my brother's white Lugs and Nike shoes... But it's soooo beautiful and the tone from it is sooooo sweet. Sometimes I get my buzz on and end up watching tongue drum videos on youtube, the wood makes magical sound.
I cut three sets of sides from one board and every piece I tried to bend cracked in the same spot.. some kind of anomoly or inclusion or whatever in the wood, just a little indication of a different color where it went through the board. I'll keep using it for stripes in my necks and I'll make me a few tongue drums, and I've got a few backs I'll need to put to use but after those I dunno... it's kinda masochistic to want to work with the stuff. Definitely a love hate relationship.
 
Last edited:
lol--masochistic is right. I've got some sides in the mold. They tried to "delaminate" at the waist, but I just kept pressure on them with a flat piece of scrap cherry (someday I'll spring for the stainless slats). Afterwards, I put a little super glue on those areas that tried to break away, clamp them down, wait 15 minutes, and then sand them, and you can't even tell they were trying to break loose. Plus, they're on the inside, so looks aren't critical.

ps. where ya been, man--you can't just leave me alone with these guys like that!
;)
 
lol--masochistic is right. I've got some sides in the mold. They tried to "delaminate" at the waist, but I just kept pressure on them with a flat piece of scrap cherry (someday I'll spring for the stainless slats). Afterwards, I put a little super glue on those areas that tried to break away, clamp them down, wait 15 minutes, and then sand them, and you can't even tell they were trying to break loose. Plus, they're on the inside, so looks aren't critical.

ps. where ya been, man--you can't just leave me alone with these guys like that!
;)

I wish I had been able to bend them.. I want a paduak uke for myself. Where have I been?, man it's been a long winter... I'm back. Next winter I'm going to have to invest in a wood burning stove or something for the shop.
 
It's gorgeous wood, there's just some extra work involved. And cleanup.

Wonder if i can just set the blast gate and hose right up on the spindle to catch all the dust and keep the cleanup to a minimum. I really don't want to contaminate another piece of wood.
 
Top Bottom