Padauk – Sawn – Turning – 75×200×200mm

Supplied as a rough-sawn turning blank. Photo shows the dressed face to reveal the grain; the blank ships in its sawn state, ready to turn.

Supplied as a rough-sawn turning blank. The face shown is dressed so you can see the grain; your blank arrives unturned in its sawn state, ready to mount and turn.

This padauk bowl blank is one of the most vivid oranges you’ll ever put a gouge into. Fresh-cut Padauk glows almost fluorescent orange-red before it settles to a deep russet brown, and turners chase it precisely for that colour. It’s part of a small, limited parcel — while stocks last.

What it is. This is African Padauk, Pterocarpus soyauxii, a dense West African hardwood prized for its saturated colour and stability once dry. Genuine Padauk parcels at this cross-section don’t come through often — this one’s rare.

What you’d make with this padauk bowl blank at 75×200×200.

• Small to medium turned bowls
• Lidded boxes with a contrasting-colour lid
• Platters and shallow dishes
• Vessel forms where the orange grain is the feature

Working notes

• Density: ~745 kg/m³ — dense
• Hardness: ~7.6 kN Janka — hard, holds a crisp turned edge
• Grain: mostly straight, occasionally interlocked — watch for tearout on the interlocked sections
• Surface: Supplied rough-sawn — dress one face true before templating or glue-up.
• Working: turns cleanly with sharp tools, fine orange dust — wear a mask, it’s a known sensitiser for some turners
• Finishing: a coat of Danish oil under a wax buffed with EEE-Ultra Shine holds the colour longest against fade

What turners say about it. Turners on the major bowl-turning forums flag Padauk’s colour fade under UV and recommend a wax topcoat to slow it — the orange mellows to brown regardless.

The stack it came from. This padauk bowl blank is old stock — it sat in the back of the shed for many years before we recovered it and got it ready to sell — genuine parcels at bowl-blank size are rare and this one’s limited. Browse the Padauk range or our turning blanks category. Once it goes, the listing closes.

A Note on Our Wood Products

Please remember that the photos you see are indicative only. As a beautiful, natural material, wood inherently varies in grain, colour, and figure. While we meticulously select outstanding pieces to send your way, each item will possess its own unique charm. We believe these natural variations are part of what makes our wood products so special and truly one-of-a-kind.