Amboyna is Paduak with cancer?

[kf4knf]

I have turned Amboyna Burl before because its a great wood for pens. Anyway, I was reading a wood supplies website today and I found this paragraph -

"The Amboyna burl is caused from a cancer and is only found very rarely. Due to the rarity this is one of the most expensive burls of the world. This particular burl grows on the Paduak and Narra tree from Southeast Asia & Africa. Our stock is from the Paduak tree."

Is this true? [:0] I didnt realize it was from a Paduak tree!

 

[Pikebite]

Thats a really good question. I have three different types of amboyna burl that I am sure cannot come from the same species of tree. All have pale off white/grey sapwood but one has yellow heartwood, one is a rich brown and the other is red. All were sold to me as amboyna burl with the red one being sold as "red amboyna".

Who has the answer?

 

[DCBluesman]

I've seen just about everything in the pterocarpus family referred to as amboyna burl. The pterocarpus family includes narra, pradu(pradauk) padauk, maidou and others. There is no amboyna tree. In much of Southeast Asia, the term is just amboyna, meaning burl. In China all burls are called just "burl" without reference to the tree it comes from. As for the burl being a cancer, that is incorrect. Burls are sometimes referred to as cancer-like in that the cell and grain structure is inexplicably distorted from "normal". Tress that are burled are just as healthy as burl-less trees.

The "yellow" heartwood variety is most often maidou, the brown is most often narra and the red is usually pradauk. There is no rule here, just custom.

 

[jjenk02]

Lou, I swear you must be a walking encyclopedia (sp) [] But thanks for the info..

 

[bradh]

WOW!, good question, great answer. I love this forum, always learning new things.
Brad Harding

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by jjenk02
<br />Lou, I swear you must be a walking encyclopedia (sp) [] But thanks for the info..

Trust me, Lou IS a walking, talking encyclopedia!

 

[underdog]

Ok, Just out of curiosity...

How is "Paduak" or "Padauk", actually spelled? (And is "Pradauk" another wood?)

And just how, pray tell, is it pronounced?

 

[DCBluesman]

And about as interesting, right William? [8D] Jim, padauk is from Africa and is, in fact, another pterocarpus, Pterocarpus soyauxii. Pradauk is Pterocarpus mecrocarpus and is mostly found in Southeast Asia and a few of the Oceania lesser islands. You can hear the pronunciation here. . BTW, padauk is often mis-pronounced pa-duke or puh-duke. I don't have as reliable a source for pradauk.

 

[TellicoTurning]

In my lowland Texas Twang, I've always said it "Pa (as in pa-paya) duke"
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Mark4583]

So are the Pradauck and Padauck often not identified correctly or is there a distinctive diffrence in the two?

 

[mikes pens]

Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />...Tress that are burled are just as healthy as burl-less trees.

That isn't necessarily true. As we all know a burl is a type of abnormal growth found on some trees. Burls grow because the tree has experienced some sort of environmental stress or damage. This stress may have been caused by such things as a fungal attack or even possibly an attack by insects. The number of trees that produce burls is quite low. Also, certain areas tend to create more burled wood than others, because all or many of the trees in a particular location are likely to be attacked by things such as the same fungus or insects. Certain species also tend to be more susceptible to attacks and, therefore, more likely to develop burls. Very often, a tree that has developed burled wood is still quite healthy. In fact, many trees with burls can go on to live for many more years. However, often trees develop burls that are so large and heavy that they create additional stress on the tree and can cause the tree to die.

 

[DCBluesman]

Oz - I linked to the audio pronunciation of padauk so I wouldn't start an argument. I call it puh-duke, also.

Mark - There's a huge difference in 1) availability and 2) price. Pradauk is generally much more rare and, therefore, pricier. The two also have different appearance, but there is so much variety in what pieces of lumber look like that I'd be hard pressed to tell you what to look for visually.

Mike - Some support your description of burls and what causes them, but many do not. Interesting burl references:
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF2/254.html
http://hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/_figure.htm#BURL
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/aaes/communications/bulletins/figureinwood/index.html
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/What_Causes_Burl_Figure_in_Wood.html

 

[PAPAJOEY]

[] IS THE WOOD DUST FROM AMBOYNA OR PADUAK BAD TO INHALE?

PAPAJOEY [?]

 

[jjenk02]

Originally posted by PAPAJOEY
<br />[] IS THE WOOD DUST FROM AMBOYNA OR PADUAK BAD TO INHALE?

PAPAJOEY [?]

It must be, as all the above posters are speaking in an unknown language[]

 

[DCBluesman]

ALL wood dust is bad to inhale. No exceptions. Some are worse than others.

 

[PAPAJOEY]

I WEAR A NOSHA 95 MASK, HAVE A DUCK HOOKED UP TO MY LATHE INTO A SHOP VAC, AND AN OPEN WINDOW WITH A FAN-- AN I O. K.[?]

PAPAJOEY

 

[LEAP]

Doesn't the Duck make a lot of noise?[],
sorry just could not resist

 

[PAPAJOEY]

GO EASY ON ME [)][)] I AM 70 YEARS OLD AND A BAD SPELLER-- DUCT---
AND ONE FINGER TYPER !!

PAPAJOEY