I am getting ready to take down about a dozen trees All averaging 90" in circumference; 12' lengths clear before branches. Would there be any interest in the logs or in milled lumber?
Thanks
[OP]
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I am getting ready to take down about a dozen trees All averaging 90" in circumference; 12' lengths clear before branches. Would there be any interest in the logs or in milled lumber?
Thanks
Contributor
There should be a market for the lumber. A few years ago I went looking for palownia, to make Japanese furniture. (In Japan, the tree is called kiri, and it has been a prime cabinet wood for centuries.) I found some US-grown pawlonia on the web, but the price was quite high -- maybe $15-$20 per bd ft.
I've read that the lumber dries pretty easily, without much defect.
[OP]
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I use it pretty often. Anything from decoy bodies to boxes to a kayak that I built. Its very true that it dries very quickly and without much checking or warping. As an experiment I built my gate for our garden without any finish and it has handled the weather extremely well. At least 6 years and its still hanging in there. Much better than the garden itself...
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Love the stuff for kayak paddles. Where are these trees to be felled?
I was told not too many years ago that the stuff was being grown for export to Japan and China. But the Aussies got into the act and took the biz away. Last I looked I couldn't find any. Are you in Georgia?
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Paulownia is used to make the Japanese musical instruments called koto. It is very light weight but stable. I have used it to make band sawn boxes also as tone wood in place of spruce.
In many parts of the US it is considered invasive. The Nature Conservancy is actively removing it from their land holdings. In my area, below zero weather every couple years kills it back, but in East Tenn. into NC vast stands of it along I40 attest to it's ability to take over.
The tree came to the US from China - the prolific seeds were used as packing peanuts for dishes shipped up the Miss. and Ohio Rivers.
I like the wood, and it seems like we need to cut it and use it more. Has anyone used it for framing lumber?
Last edited by Bradley Gray; 05-02-2016 at 3:33 PM.
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I planted one in NW Ohio. It did not survive the first winter.Originally Posted by Bradley Gray
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Yep, I'm in Southern Ohio, just a few miles from the Ohio River and it is marginal here and rarely makes it to 12" diameter.
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Paulownia is gold for surfboard builders. Brad Tucker at www.tuckersurfsupply.com would likely buy the lot from you. Here is a paddle board I built with a Paulownia deck:
image.jpg
Last edited by Malcolm Schweizer; 05-02-2016 at 8:30 PM.
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That is beautiful; I'd like to see other views if possible. I plan on building a stand up board
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image.jpg
Thanks. This is a prototype racing board I designed with a displacement hull. I designed it using Kayak Foundry by Ross Leidy.
image.jpg
Check out the link I posted above if you want to build a SUP from a frame kit. Full disclosure- he markets my "Malco" SUP in kit form, but he has other designs like a displacement hull if that's what you prefer. The Malco is designed more for surf.
Back to topic- paulownia is prized by surfboard and kayak builders for its light weight and strength-to-weight ratio. Sadly, it has become very hard to find, especially in the US. The price has gone up. If I were going to sell paulownia, I would plank it in as long lengths as possible and offer it to surfboard builders.
Last edited by Malcolm Schweizer; 05-05-2016 at 4:03 AM.
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Anthony,
You should put your state in your profile.
James
[OP]
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James, thanks for the advice, I just changed my profile. Malcolm, beautiful work. I will check out the website. Below is my kayak that I made with pawlonia
kayakgrass.jpgKayakSeat_205x152.jpg
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wow- mad skill with the asymmetrical wavy deck pattern!
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