Royal Paulownia tree - Woodworking Talk

bradleywellsoff · 01-22-2009, 06:28 PM

Looking for any pictures of lumber, furniture, anything on this tree. I have heard thats a beautiful wood prized by Japanese furniture makers.
I have found good info about the tree, but cant find any photos of the trees innards. I posted the link to some interesting info about the tree if anyone is intrested.
Thanks, Brad http://forestry.about.com/cs/royalpaulownia/a/r_p_goldroot.htm

**Daren** · 01-22-2009, 06:59 PM

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person.../paulownia.htm

dirtclod · 01-23-2009, 01:55 PM

I've heard a lot of gossip about it's value/growth/qualities. If you read that article closely you'll see that the most of what he could find could not be substantiated. That tale of the $20,000.00 log reminds me of the tale of the $20,000.00 walnut log.

I've noted what I've heard from people that handled it first hand. They're saying the tree is a pest and is taking over native habitat - particularily in the Great Smokey Mountains where it has become extremely invasive. It typically has poor form and is hard to market. These accounts don't square with the gossip.

It so happens I've got two in the yard so I took some pictures for you. They were planted in the late 70's. They're in the open and were planted over top some fresly abandoned latteral lines - so they should have had plenty to grow on and no competition. Did his article claim that they should grow to ~16" and over 100' in 10 years on a poor site? What happened?

That's a regulation softball in the one photo for scale. I'd guess they're ~40' tall. We had a drought this year so you're not seeing the typical debris on the ground or all the seed pods on the trees. They also shed a lot of dead limbs. I don't know why they haven't been popping up all over the area...I can only guess it has something to do with our climate or soil. I'll also add that as far as shade goes they're pretty poor.

To end on a better note...sun up in Kentucky about two weeks ago:

bradleywellsoff · 01-23-2009, 06:01 PM

Daren, Thanks for the link. just what I was lookin for.

Dirtclod, Thanks for the photos. I have heard the same about the Paulownia. Im just doing some reserch on the tree, it's history and uses. I have this idea about doing a wooden surf board build, and Paulownia has jumped to the top of the list of materials. I have family that live in the Smokey's, so the supply is close to unlimited.
Wouldn't mind gettin' a hold of some of those Cedars in the background too!

tswoodshop · 01-24-2009, 09:45 AM

I can remember a time when you could send your kid to college from the profits of a few large paulownia trees. For a while the stuff was like gold and some folks planted plantations of them in hopes that in 15-20 years they would be rich. I had a friend who had a few large ones milled, and a guy from Florida (we are in PA) drove all the way up here and gladly payed $12/ft for the premium stuff. He went home with his pickup full and my friend was three thousand bucks richer. But the bottom dropped out of the market (I heard the Chinese started growing and selling the stuff) and they are not worth what they used to be. Still, nice wood to work with, very light but beautiful when finished. I have a few growing in my yard. Trick to get a tall strait trunk (I actually did this) is to let them grow one season and then lop them off at ground level in the fall. In spring, with that rootstock already there to feed it, it will send up a quick strait trunk for a good 10-12 feet. Lop off any lower branches that may form for a few years and you're off to some tall strait paulownias.

dirtclod · 01-31-2009, 05:16 PM

You saw the before earlier in this thread:

Here's the after:

Looks like we'll be milling paulonia sometime.

**Daren** · 01-31-2009, 08:49 PM

That looks bad dirtclod, you got hammered, bad deal.

dirtclod · 08-13-2009, 02:28 PM

tswoodshop,
You're making a believer out of me. Here's a shot taken today:

And man do those suckers have big leaves:

It didn't pop up until mid May - it's now 13' tall. Looks like I'll have an instant replacement for when I drop the mother tree this fall.

BTW - I gathered the money off of it - I'll try to get some more in the morning.

**Daren** · 08-13-2009, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtclod

BTW - I gathered the money off of it - I'll try to get some more in the morning.

...do you have seeds you can spare ? I would like to plant a few of those

bradleywellsoff · 08-13-2009, 03:05 PM

Here's one I just started growing. It's not growing to fast because it's in a pot (I think). It's about 3 months old.

Old Hilly · 08-14-2009, 05:35 AM

well, when you put the saw through those trees you will find they are full of a clear sap and weigh a ton! Once they dry out they are light in both weight and colour, a bit like Balsa, and bloody strong. A neighbour has a small plantation of about 900 of them and we were going to start thinning them this winter when the leaves are off and the sap has slowed a bit but the weather has been so mild down here in OZ that the darn things have started to get going again. Well, there is always next year.

If you expose the roots of a tree you will get "suckers" sprouting up about as thick as the hairs on a cat's back. To grow at their best they need to be about 12' apart, perhaps 14' at the most. My neighbour's are about 8' but that is too crowded and growth suffers, hence the need to thin them out a bit. We intend to purchase a bandmill and mill the timber outselves as none of the local hardwood mills will touch the stuff.
Don't know about "tension" in the logs. One eggspurt says there is no tension, another says to watch out because the darn stuff will curl up and crack you on the head as you cut it.

Stuffed if I know but I'll find out one day.
Dennis.
NSW, Australia.

Mickyjegero · 11-04-2009, 09:38 AM

I am looking for a supplier of Paulownia in the UK. I am building a new surfboard and Paulownia has all the qualities I am after. It's strong Light and of a closed cell construction (so I won't need to glass the board when it's finished, only oil it). Does anyone know of a supplier in the UK or one that will ship small quantities to the UK at a fair price?

Mick

slabmaster · 11-04-2009, 10:03 PM

I tried to grow them In Michigan and it must be too cold for them as they always die back in the winter and sent new shoots up in the spring.