Anyone scroll padauk?

[Minnesota scroller]

Hi Y'all,

Has any of you scrollers had any experience with padauk? I just finished scrolling sapele and it was a pleasure to work with and looks awesome. However, sapele is a little high priced and a little difficult to find. The owner of the religious book and gift store in town loved the praying hands I cut out of sapele but I'm not always going to be able to find this. Padauk looks beautiful on the net and it is easily available from Sloan's. I'm just wondering how it cuts and also one site mentioned that because of the interlocking grain, it is very tough to finish.

As always, thanks for your words of wisdom.

Forget it guys. Just did a little more research and I found that it can cause respiratory problems and if the sawdust gets on your clothes, it will turn the washwater red many times over. I don't need these kind of problems.

Any other suggestions? I would like something unique with a lot of grain in 1/2" thickness.

[Marcel in Longueuil]

How about red oak?

[lucky788scroller]

Padauk is a beautiful wood, and it scrolls beautifully! The dust will stain your nice white shirt, but yes, its a great scrolling wood. Bloodwood is a nice wood as well, but much harder. Check and compare your options, including shipping from www.ocoochhardwoods.com as well as from www.sloanswoodshop.com Another wood that would look great for that pattern is curly cherry! Dale


As for finishing in, it is an oily wood much like cocobolo and other rosewoods. Good ventilation will help the drying time, and even wipe down the surfaces with mineral spirits before applying BLO/MS( boiled lindseed oil/ mineral spirits 50/50 mix), or before Danish oiling . I once had a fretwork clock that was partially padauk, and with my poor ventilation, it took months to cure, but I also think I didnt let my first coat dry before getting anxious and spraying the varnish on it.

[bearfretworks]

I actually really like padauk. Just don't stack maple or ash with it (DAMHIKT!!)

Congrats on the interest as well....That is TERRIFIC! Have you thought about 3/8" thick wood? I ask because I stack 3 pieces of 3/8 (9/8 total thickness) , but find 3 pieces of 1/2 a little too much for me if there is any detail involved.

I use this website as an info source on wood.....
http://www.exotichardwoods-africa.com/sapele.htm

You might be able to use mahogany as a substitute........Those praying hands would look good in a variety of wood....walnut, cherry, ash, beech, curly maple, etc..... lots of choices!

Finally - if you are still awake - I adjust my prices for the same cutting based on the price of the different woods. EXCEPT, I charge more for oak even though it is cheap because I personally do not like oak much.....

[Jediscroller]

I love Padauk. The eagle box in my album was cut from a 2" thick piece. As far as the respiratory thingy, virtually all woods can have adverse respiratory affects. Padauk does generate a lot of dust, but hey, what kind of workshop would it be without sawdust, hehehe. A wood that I love I can't use much because I have such an adverse reaction every time I use it but others use it all the time with no problem is Canary wood. As far as others with nice grain, Brazilian cherry is gorgeous, as are zebrawood, redheart, bubinga, kingwood (REALLY expensive though), figured maple, figured ash, curly cherry, curly oak, canary wood, oh heck, I'd be typing all day if I listed off all the pretty woods out there.
In 1/2" thickness, most are pretty easy to scroll.

[workin for wood]

I agree with everyone, padouk is nice stuff, but yea it's a pain and has dangers to it. It looks orange when you cut and sand it, but eventually, even when it has a finish, it turns to a really dark red/brown color.
I'd like to suggest you use teak at 1/4 to 3/8 thick. It is hard, but not too hard to cut. It polishes as you cut, which is good in fretwork. It is strong, so weak area's are less prone to breakage. The color is almost un-matched. It is oily, but you can finish it with a wipe on teak oil, which is also a bonus because it is easy to apply and easy to get down into the fret cuts. If you go to the scroller gallery and see my pelican, the branch he is standing on is teak.
Do expect to pay more for this wood, but it's worth every penny. A lot of woods are hard to find in smaller thicknesses, but teak is not one of them because it is used in the boat industry so much that the demand for thin pieces is higher.
It is also a vary stable wood, and can be used outdoors as well. Regular wood glue seems to hold just fine. The grain patterns can be simple or extreme with lights and darks. I really recomend giving this a try some time.

[earlinjax]

I would recommend you try padouk. It scrolls well and gives a great finish. I normally use Watco. Just make sure you clean your saw well before cutting another wood as the red sawdust can be problem.

I haven't tried it on padouk, but I have used Armorall on purpleheart to keep it from turning color. It is a good UV blocker. I got this idea from some turners in our wood club.

EarlinJax

[Grizz]

Hi Y'all,

Has any of you scrollers had any experience with padauk?...

I love Paduak as well. Not had any problems with it. I've got a few pieces in the gallery that have paduak.

If your looking for something with interesting grain.. and new. Bocote, Coffee Nut and ButterNut. Really tough and challenging would be Lace Wood.

Good Luck. Remember, "Our reach should exceed our grasp."

[CJoZ]

I also love Padauk. I recently bought a board of it, about 4' by 12 " and 3/4 thick. The dust is very invasive, bet they use it for dye somewhere, but as soon as you wipe your first coat of finish on it you will fall in love with it. I finished this piece and hung it on the wall this week. Sorry for the poor picture, but it is hanging on the wall.

http://www.ozsquad.net/cj/horse.jpg

[Marsha]

Hi CJoz, that is a very nice piece. Is the pattern available somewhere or is it one of your own?
Thanks
Marsha