The name "paduk" unites several types of wood of the genus Pterocarpus. These are legume species that grow in the humid, hot tropical climate of West Africa, the Philippines, India, Malaysia, and New Guinea. A clear classification of the species of this material does not exist; there is a lot of confusion in the names and properties of wood. In addition to paduk, such names as “Burmese mahogany”, “narra”, and “mukua” are in use.
Description
"Pterocarpus" in Greek means "succulent wing." Another interpretation is “winged fruit”. So picturesquely can be called the foliage of these evergreen tropical trees or seeds equipped with thin lionfish. Like most heat-loving rocks, they often grow to gigantic proportions: the height of the trunks can reach 40 m, and in diameter up to 1 m or more. The bark is thin, has a dark gray-green or brown color, peels off easily, when cuts the tree produces light juice containing latex. The crowns are spreading, wide, with branches hanging down, pinnate leaves, glossy green on the front side and light on the back, pointed at the ends, transversely located on elongated thin cuttings. The lower shoots of a tree often go down to the ground.
Wood characteristic
In the world there are about 70 varieties of paduk, including almost the entire gamut of warm colors: from creamy to bright red and rich brown. Sometimes, due to a pronounced external similarity, it is mistakenly attributed or deliberately passed off as a rosewood - a more expensive type of wood. It is not easy for an ignorant person to distinguish between these types of materials. They are related, but the paduk is less resistant to damage and its decorative qualities are lower.
The sapwood of the trees is thin - only 5-10 cm wide, light beige or cream, always clearly distinguished from the sound array, which has a bright - delicate or saturated - red color, sometimes with contrasting dark veins. Fresh lumber has a distinctive cedar aroma. Over time, its surface darkens, acquiring a burgundy or brown shade. Annual rings are weakly expressed, pores are large, but rarely located. The wood fibers are mostly straight, but they can interweave, form intricate twists, creating a beautiful unique pattern on the slices.
In the process of drying, the wood of the paduka does not change shape, does not warp, cases of cracking are very rare. Drying is carried out at a temperature of 45-60 ° C for several weeks.
The finished material acquires high stability, lends itself to various types of processing by both mechanical and any sharp hand tools. It is excellently cut, sawn, sanded and absorbs priming solutions. The only thing that should not be processed is alcohol liquids, because they corrode the natural color pigments of the tree. The ability to hold fasteners in this material is high - the screws and nails after clogging do not loosen, the wood fibers do not crumble. The presence of latex in wood creates good moisture resistance.
In terms of stiffness, paduk can be compared with birch and oak: the density of wood, depending on the species, ranges from 650 to 750 kg / cu. m, Brinell hardness is almost 3.9. Due to the strength of the fibers, the paduk cannot be bent.
During operation, the material shows good resistance to mold and bacteria, does not lend itself to rot, but is susceptible to destruction by termites. For this reason, when processing wood, it is important to impregnate and cover with means against harmful insects. Another disadvantage of the paduk is the color change under the influence of the bright sun, so it is more suitable for indoor than outdoor work. In rooms where products from a paduk are located, it is desirable to avoid very bright artificial lighting. Otherwise, it is a practical, wear-resistant and beautiful material that can serve up to 30 years, even when in contact with the soil.
Application and cost
The industry uses solid wood and planed veneer. High technical characteristics of wood make it a desirable raw material in the furniture, construction, turning industry, in shipbuilding.
Finishing panels, musical instruments, a parquet board, objects of an art decor are made of paduk, they are used for inlays.
Despite the high wear resistance and valuable decorative qualities, this material is not overly expensive. Cost of 1 cube m of wood is about 160,000 rubles.