The Padauk Problem

[Eric.]

I brought a load of lumber home yesterday so I had to do some rack-orgo this morning.  I figured I'd share this with everyone while I had these boards out.

Since I'm such a swell guy, I always give customers up at the yard my honest opinions about wood species when they ask me.  And it seems that at least once a day I warn someone about the tragedy that is padauk...and very few seem to believe me.

Here's proof.  A gray, muddy mess.

Granted, these boards have no finish on them, but they've also been exposed to ZERO direct sunlight.  They've been up on my racks for a year, maybe two.

 

 

 

[davewyo]

I see the analogy.

"Thought that time was on your side
But now it's time the avenger"

[Brendon_t]

Eric,  given that they're are a few species sold as padeuk, I wonder if there is variation.  I'll pay a pic of a board that's been in my garage for over a year when I get home.  It's still as bright as when I bought it. 

[Coop]

That one rack really did go to hell! Obvious example of neglect.

[Eric.]

It's possible, though not likely, that you have a piece of Andaman padauk.  I've never had my hands on any, but by every account (including high praise by Krenov...and a scathing indictment of African padauk), it's a far superior species in every way, including color retention.  I was under the impression that Andaman padauk is somewhere between exceedingly difficult and impossible to source.  Maybe you got lucky.

There's also Burma padauk, but that's more of a yellowish/golden color rather than the rich orange.

Otherwise, all the other African padauk I've ever seen has the same color and color change as the pieces in my pics.

[Brendon_t]

Here's the stick I was talking about. By my recollection,I've had it about 16 months exposed to light fairly frequently as it stands right by my garage door who knows,  it could be one day away from turning to crap. . 

Edited November 8, 2015 by Brendon_t

[Llama]

I haven't seen such a drastic change in color as you have shown Eric. In my experience, paduak will change color but never as muddy and "Jabba the Hutt" looking as you're showing. I don't know what the difference is.

I'll take a look at some stock I have kicking around in my shop later. I also have some off cuts from reindeer I made a few years ago.

[Eric.]

I don't know then.  Maybe Missouri sun is UV-ier and Missouri oxygen is oxygen-ier.  Because as you can see from my pictures, my padauk has turned gray.

I have a magazine rack in my bathroom made of padauk and birdseye.  And while it hasn't turned gray, it has transitioned to a deep reddish brown from the bright orange over about four years.  It's actually quite beautiful and frankly I like the color more now...not so clownish.  So clearly finish has effect on the color change but I have no idea why y'alls raw padauk is not turning to poop like mine has.

[bgreenb]

 

I have a magazine rack in my bathroom made of padauk and birdseye.  And while it hasn't turned gray, it has transitioned to a deep reddish brown from the bright orange over about four years.  It's actually quite beautiful and frankly I like the color more now...not so clownish. 

POiaL.

(Pics or it's a lie)  

[Llama]

I checked out my pieces Eric. They are the pretty color, not gray. I don't know enough about anything to know what the difference is. I'll just chalk it up to the Kiki Curse.  

[Trip]

I typically shoot Padauk with some sort of solvent sealer, then some sort of catalyzed solvent topcoat w/UV inhibitor... The color turns over time, but I’ve got projects going 5-10 years where the Padauk has remained in the deep orange/red/brown stage... Will it turn to dull brown/gray? Yea... How long will it take? Who knows...

I’m with Eric: the bright orange is an attention getter, but not a long-term aesthetic that I’m looking to embrace... I prefer the deep red/brown...

At one point, I was making shop fixtures out of QS Padauk and shot them with whatever happened to be in the guns: shellac + lacquer, vinyl + cat lacquer, vinyl + conv varnish, whatever... The type of finish makes a difference with color retention – using a two-part coating retards the color change far better than straight shellac and/or lacquer... But any film finish helps...

As for why Eric's sticks turn so quickly? You know, there's a Super Fund Site locator app... Any of your neighbors glow in the dark?

[Eric.]

I gave CBDB to Tom a week ago.  My padauk should have turned back to orange by now.

Then:

 

 

Now:

 

 

 

[Llama]

Good idea, I like your rack Eric  

[estesbubba]

Nice rack but Al Bundy would be disappointed that there are no Big 'Uns magazines in there. 

[Eric.]

It's my wife's bathroom and she's not that into big'uns.  I keep a couple old wood mags in there for when my bathroom is out of TP.

[wdwerker]

Floresent lights give off UV I think. The variation in the gray next to orange makes me think the exposed area is what turned.

[sjk]

Floresent lights give off UV I think.

Yup, they do - in small amounts (unless you've got special bulbs, then could be larger amounts)

[wtnhighlander]

Are you suggesting Maybe Eric is raising "herbs" in the corner of his shop, and the grow-lights are messing with his padauk? ?

[sjk]

Are you suggesting Maybe Eric is raising "herbs" in the corner of his shop, and the grow-lights are messing with his padauk? ?

<innocence=pure />

[Eric.]

My herb-raising days are long gone...and I always used good ol' sunlight for that.

Steve makes an interesting point...my lumber rack does sit directly beneath a row of T8 bulbs.  Perhaps that's what accelerated the color shift.

[sjk]

To be helpful I thought I'd do a quick search and see if there are easy ways to detect UV light.

First search result just shows the world is a pretty cool place:

Activity 23 Teacher Guide: Detecting Ultraviolet Light Using Tonic Water

https://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_5_2_23t.htm

 

I think the gin is optional.  (especially for the 5th graders)

 

 

 

Of course, there are all kinds of doodads you can buy to get quantifiable measurements too...