Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae, the legume family; the pea group.
Origin: Central and tropical West Africa including Gabon, Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.
Other common names: Comwood, barwood, corail, yomo, vermilion, bois rouge, African coralwood, muenge, mbé, mbil, ngula and bosulu.
The tree: Padauk reaches a height of 80 to 120 ft. with a trunk diameter of 2 to 4 ft. sometimes up to 5 ft. and a straight, cylindrical bole, clear to 70 ft.
Appearance: The heartwood is a vivid orange-red to blood-red when cut and darkens to a deep purple-brown upon exposure. The sapwood is whitish to pale yellow-brown, clearly demarcated and about 4 to 8 in. wide. The grain is straight to interlocked with a coarse texture and is lustrous.
Density: It is a fairly hard, shock and dent resistant wood. Average reported specific gravity varies from 0.55 to 0.67(ovendry weight/green volume), equal to an air-dried weight of 42 to 52 pcf. Janka hardness is 1720 pounds of force.
Drying & shrinkage: It dries very well and fairly slowly with a minimum of degrade and is dimensionally stable in service. Average reported shrinkage values (green to ovendry) are 3.3% radial, 5.2% tangential and 7.6% volumetric.
Working properties: The wood saws and planes easily to a very smooth surface but requires a slow feed and some tearing of interlocking grain may occur. It takes a good finish, glues easily and holds nails and screws satisfactorily. Possible adverse reactions from the dust and wood include dermatitis, itching, nasal irritation, eyelid swelling, vomiting and asthma.
Durability: It is very durable and highly resistant to termite attack.
Uses: Padauk is used largely as a veneer which is used in furniture, cabinets, inlay, novelties and decorative panels. It is also makes excellent flooring. Other common uses include carvings, turnery, fine joinery and tool and knife handles.
Availability: Padauk is readily available but the price is high.