Pterocarpus macrocarpus

Burma Padauk

Family: Leguminosae

Other Common Names: Mai Pradoo, Pradoo (Thailand).

Distribution: Sometimes rather common in the upper mixed and dry forests of Burma; also found in mixed deciduous forests of Thailand.

The Tree: A medium-sized tree, up to 80 ft in height, boles clear to 25 ft straight and cylindrical, sometimes irregular; trunk diameters 2 to 3 ft.

The Wood:

General Characteristics: Heartwood bright yellowish red to dark brick red, streaked with darker lines, lustrous when freshly cut but becoming a dull but attractive golden brown on exposure; sapwood grayish, narrow. Texture moderately coarse; grain interlocked; has a faint spicy odor.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.75; air-dry density 54 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-in. standard)

Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength

(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)

Green (38) 15,975 1,900 8,200

12% 20,640 2,080 10,945

Janka side hardness 2,040 lb for green material and 2,170 lb for dry.

Drying and Shrinkage: Seasons well with little degrade, but does have a slight tendency to surface check. Kiln schedule T6-D4 is suggested for 4/4 stock and T3-D3 for 8/4. Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial 3.4%; tangential 5.8%; volumetric 8.4%

Working Properties: Rather difficult to saw, especially when dry, and also difficult to work with handtools, turns well, dresses to a smooth finish, glues satisfactorily

Durability: The heartwood is rated as very durable and also resistant to termite attack. Sapwood liable to attack by powder-post beetles.

Preservation: Heartwood extremely resistant to preservation treatments.

Uses: Decorative flooring, furniture, cabinetwork, tool handles, billiard tables.

Additional Reading: (17), (26), (38), (47)

M 150 282-3Logs are delivered to a sawmill in southern Nigeria. African mahogany

(mostly Khaya ivorensis) is in high demand on overseas markets. Export of logs fro

this region, as well as from most other tropical areas, is being restricted.

M 150 282-2Band mills in Ghana are designed to handle logs 5 feet and more in

diameter. Obeche or Wawa (Triplochiton scleroxylon) logs yield lumber favored for

joinery and millwork.

M 150 273-14In many areas of the tropics, fast-growing species are being introduced

future supplies of fuel wood and industrial wood. Batai (Albizia falcataria) is

a favored plantation species in the Philipines.