Padauk African 4/4 Lumber

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Padauk African 4/4 Lumber

$15.99 /Board Feet

1-99 $15.99 /Bd. Ft.
100+ $11.99 /Bd. Ft. (25% off)
Tip: mix or match for your best price! Details
  1. Enter your finished dimensions
  2. Tap "Add to List"
  3. Repeat for as many sizes as you need
  4. Add to cart when you're ready
Running Total:
We recommend Bd. Ft. to yield your sizes for a net Bd. Ft.
How do you want your lumber?

Size Requirements?
Order by Size
 

Local Store Pick-Up May Be Available

Call to Reserve
Tempe
Tucson
Phoenix

About Lumber Sizes & Shipping Length Restrictions

African Padauk lumber comes in random sizes. Here's what you can expect.

4" to 10" Widths

Price shown is for a random selection of widths within this range. You can request specific widths or add a straight edge rip in the order form.

6' to 12' Lengths

This is the range of lengths that we might have in stock. The length you receive depends on how much you order.

Length Shipping Restrictions
84" (7') long max
We always try to ship the longest lengths possible.
8' to 12' long is possible
8' and longer can be shipped truck freight, but this method is usually economical only for shipments that are at least 450 lbs (approx 100-150 board feet depending on the wood).

13/16" Thickness

Also known as 4/4, S2S. Surfaced 2 sides (S2S) from rough sawn lumber. You should be able to yield approximately 3/4" thickness after you flatten, plane, shape or sand your project parts to fit your project
Learn more in our blog: "What Does 4/4 Mean in Lumber?"

How Lumber Ordering Works

1

Decide how much you need in Board Feet. Best way to get help with this is to use our Project Planner worksheet

2

Consider how much extra you want for arranging grain or color, fixing mistakes, testing cut set ups or finishes.

3

Choose your size requirements, if you have any, in the order form.

About African Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii)

View All African Padauk Products
Weight

3.75

lbs /Bd. Ft.
4.75% heavier than red oak (3.58 /bd. ft.)
Hardness

1970

Janka Rating
52.71% harder than red oak (1290 psi)
Density

0.61

Specific Gravity
-4.69% less dense than red oak (.64)

General Workability
Good 4/10
Red Oak

Wood Texture
Fine 4/10
Red Oak

Ease of Finishing
Easy 2/10
Red Oak

map of where African Padauk tree grows
African Padauk is an exotic wood from Africa

This gorgeous and naturally colorful wood will blow your mind. Padauk elicits all the joys of woodworking between its color, and ease of routing, cutting, sanding and finishing. You'll want to use this one in your most decorative projects like keepsake boxes, musical instruments, fine furniture pieces. African padauk also makes an excellent wood for inlay if you just want to use a little bit. Contrasts well with pale woods like maple and ash, but also darker woods like wenge, walnut, and ebony.

color of African Padauk
Color Range
Bright orange red when freshy cut or planed, often with dark stripes; oxidizes to dark chocolate brown or light brown.
the African Padauk tree
What's The Tree Like?
A straight, well shaped tree. Reaches 100 feet with a buttressed trunk which may be 48" at breast height.
other names for African Padauk
Other Names
African Padauk, Mbe, Mbil, Mututi, Ngula, Bosulu
uses for African Padauk
Some Typical Uses
Musical instruments, furniture, flooring, turning, accessories.

Lumber 101: What to Know About Hardwood Lumber

lumber random widths Random Widths
You will cut and/or glue to create the sizes you need
rough sawn vs surfaced lumber Surfaced Smooth S2S
We buy rough sawn lumber and have it surfaced 2 sides (S2S) so you're ready to work
rough sawn vs surfaced lumber Kiln Dried
We stock kiln dried lumber and store it in a protected warehouse
rough sawn vs surfaced lumber 83%+ Clear
Unless stated otherwise, we stock Select & Better graded lumber that's at least 83% clear one side
  1. Pick a wood you like
  2. Decide how much you need
  3. Give us your specs (if you have any)

This is the unit of measurement for hardwood lumber when it's bought/sold in random widths and random lengths.

Board footage is a measurement of volume, and it's abbreviated Bd. Ft.

One board foot is equal to 144 cubic inches.

board foot formula

It's a fraction that refers to rough (RGH) sawn thickness of lumber, and it tells you approximately how many quarters of an inch make up the thickness.

Surfaced lumber is thinner because it started out as rough sawn but it's been planed smooth. Planing removes thickness.

Rough Sawn (RGH) Surfaced (S2S)
4/4 ~1" 13/16"
5/4 ~1-1/4" 1-1/16"
6/4 ~1-1/2" 1-5/16"
8/4 ~2" 1-13/16"
12/4 ~3" 2-13/16"

Unless otherwise specified, our lumber is "Surfaced 2 Sides" or S2S for short.

Check out our blog for the full explanation.

lumber thickness Lumber Compared
Various lumber thickness as compared to one another

If you can cut your own pieces to size, here's how we can help:

  1. Enter requirements into the order form where it says, "Minimum Size Request"
  2. Tell us what you want to acheive or make
  3. You will receive wood that can yeild what you need. (You will create the final size)
  4. We may need to contact you for clarification

You will cut and/or join your material to create the finished sizes you need. We'll pick out wood that will give you enough to do that. For this reason, the final amount of footage you receive in your order will be slightly different, and your final billed charge will be different.

If you want to only buy pieces of an exact size, that will be sold differently. Please contact us for a custom quote.

Sadly, wood cannot be 100% guaranteed to be clear on both sides all the time. Most of our lumber is graded "Select" and better, which means it's at minimum 83% clear on one side.
Hardwood grades explained
Pages 1   2   3   4   5
5
December 5th, 2023
Verified Buyer

Professional Woodworker
All Grade Lumber
I must have lucked out big time with my picker. All of my padauk was gorgeous grade lumber. Thanks!
Familiarity: I've used it in several projects
5
May 7th, 2021
Woody
San marcos Ca
Beautiful wood
One of pieces came with a crack down it, Cory at customer support reached out and we were able to come up with a solution to my problem
5
April 24th, 2021
Verified Buyer
Gmanusm
Albuquerque NM
Excellent Quality
Outstanding color and perfect for my project
3
April 18th, 2021
Verified Buyer
Woody
San marcos Ca
Hobbyist Woodworker
Nice wood except the split
Would have been perfect except when it arrived it had a 2 foot split down on end. Unfortunately that rendered those 2 ft unusable for this particular project was able to use the some but didn't end up having enough to finish the project
Familiarity: I've used it once or twice
5
April 16th, 2021
Verified Buyer
Dave
Sierra Vista Arizona
Perfect
Bought this for a project that I'm just now working on. I haven't used the Padauk yet, but it came in perfect. I love the guys that pick the wood. I have never received a bad piece of wood. I had one side cut straight and it arrived perfect. I absolutely have nothing I can complain about.
5
April 8th, 2021
Verified Buyer
Geeps
Wiscinsin
Nice
Very nice. Straight, no warp or cupping.
Videos, Articles, and Project Photos to Help You Do Woodworking
What's 4/4, 8/4, 12/4, etc.?
Understanding hardwood lumber starts right here with these wacky fractions.
Lumber Grades Explained
If you're expecting perfect clear lumber 100% of the time, you're in for a surprise. Here's a summary of the hardwood lumber grades and what to expect from them.
3 Steps To Figure Out How Much Lumber You Need
Board feet isn't your everyday kind of math, but these three simple steps make it easy to figure out your project.
Project Planner Worksheet
Here's a handy (and free) Excel worksheet that helps you estimate the lumber needs for your project.
Understand Wood Toxicity & What You Should Do About It
Are woods poisonous? Hazardous to use in cutting boards or baby cribs? Find out here.
Wood Moves - Here's What You Need to Know
Wood is like a sponge, and it's always in a state of absorbing or releasing moisture to stay equalized with its environment. The problem with that is it also swells and shrinks. Here's what you need to know to protect your project.

Lumber Deals & Woodworking Tips

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