Paulownia wood.

[David Cropper]

I recently ground out a Paulownia stump for a client. He has the trunk of around 3 metres long by 45/50 centimetres in diameter and has asked me if I knew of any usages for the wood. I must confess I had to Google as I hadn't even heard of this species. Apparently it is similar to balsa, used in China for furniture etc . The problem over here is that many expats think they are going to earn big money from any hardwoods they have had cut down, it's quite sad watching their faces when the truth is explained. Nobody I've asked here has a clue what to use it for and possible value, they are quite rare here. Any ideas lads?

[Stere]

From Wiki:

 

Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia states:

Paulownia wood is very light, fine-grained, and warp-resistant. It is the fastest-growing hardwood. It is used for chests, boxes, and clogs (geta). The wood is burned to make charcoal for sketching and powder for fireworks, the bark is made into a dye. The silvery-grey wood is sliced into veneers for special visiting cards.^[19][20]

 

 

It is important in China, Korea, and Japan for making the soundboards of stringed musical instruments such as the guqin, guzheng, pipa, koto, and gayageum.^[5] More recently it is used as body material for low-cost electric guitars,^[21] as the core for lightweight touring skis,^[22][23] and for surfboard cores.^[24] It is used in guitars as the core body, then laminated under a more durable wood.

 

 

Or firewood?

[Mick Dempsey]

19 minutes ago, David Cropper said:

The problem over here is that many expats think they are going to earn big money from any hardwoods they have had cut down, it's quite sad watching their faces when the truth is explained  

I find explaining it one of my favourite things.

TBF the natives are just as bad.

 

’

Edited March 24, 2022 by Mick Dempsey

[Youngstu]

2 hours ago, David Cropper said:

I recently ground out a Paulownia stump for a client. He has the trunk of around 3 metres long by 45/50 centimetres in diameter and has asked me if I knew of any usages for the wood. I must confess I had to Google as I hadn't even heard of this species. Apparently it is similar to balsa, used in China for furniture etc . The problem over here is that many expats think they are going to earn big money from any hardwoods they have had cut down, it's quite sad watching their faces when the truth is explained. Nobody I've asked here has a clue what to use it for and possible value, they are quite rare here. Any ideas lads?

It's the recommended wood for building some solid wooden surfboards, there's a finless type of board called and alaia (I think that's the right spelling!) and that seems to be the chosen wood. I planned on making one once but sourcing the wood wasn't particularly easy and little ones scuppered the plans too!

 

[David Cropper]

1 minute ago, Youngstu said:

It's the recommended wood for building some solid wooden surfboards, there's a finless type of board called and alaia (I think that's the right spelling!) and that seems to be the chosen wood. I planned on making one once but sourcing the wood wasn't particularly easy and little ones scuppered the plans too!

 

It was an easy wood to grind, like fresh oak, similar colour as well. 

[Mick Dempsey]

Grinds like butter, easy peasy.

Edited March 24, 2022 by Mick Dempsey

[Re-gen]

Paulownia timber has multiple use, it has the highest strength to weight ratio of any timber. The Chinese have been using it for over 2,000 years, the uses are endless once dried it actually repels water, so an ideal use for surf boards, but also tables, chairs, boats, the Dutch are even making bicycles with the timber with a price tag of 3,500 euros !!
I would be interested tin the stump if for sale ? I would like to make some furniture with it, we currently import young paulownia, cotevisa 2, sterile, cloned, hybrid trees as they grow really quickly for timber production to the size of a 40 year old in 10 years, cut it down and it regrows! but also it sequesters a huge amount of carbon from the day it is planted, the tree below is just 18 months old!

[Stere]

Intersting is this your company?

 

 

🌱Hybrid paulownia tree | Europe’s Nº1 supplier | iPaulownia

WWW.IPAULOWNIA.COM

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Sterile, non invasive hybrid paulownia Cotevisa 2®. Fastest growing tree in Europe. Best performance. Excellent timber...

 

 

Any platations in UK growing now?

[lux]

I find explaining it one of my favourite things.
TBF the natives are just as bad.
 
’

I concur. I just quoted to fell a large leylandii screen . My price was about 6k plus vat.

Customer told me he was shocked at the price , especially as I would be selling all the valuable trunks from it ………
Told me he had a quote of 2k to do the same.

There’s almost a perverse pleasure to just not being bothered about it [emoji23].

[Stere]

Lots of comments/info here:

 

Paulownia | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)

WWW.WOOD-DATABASE.COM

 

 

& loads & loads of info here:

 

🥇 Paulownia: Characteristics Of Wood - GREEMAP 🌳

GREEMAP.ES

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👉 In this post you will find all the information about Paulownia’s tree and the utilities of Paulownia’s wood. The...

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Stere