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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Certified Source
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Drying Rate
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Substitutes
Synonyms
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Pterocarpus indicus

Trade Name
NarraAndaman padauk

Family Name
Leguminosae

Synonyms
Pterocarpus indicus


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Common Names
Amboyna, Andaman padauk, Andaman redwood, Angsama, Angsana, Chalanga-da, East Indian mahogany, Indian redwood, Liki, Nara, Narra, Narravitail, New Guinea rosewood, Nonalu, Padauk, Papua New Guniea rosewood, Red narra, Ringii, Rosewood, Sena, Solomons padauk, Sonokembang, Vermilion wood, Warave, Yaya sa, Yellow narra

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Thailand

Common Uses
Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: framing, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Carvings, Casing, Ceiling, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Decks, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Excelsior, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Fixtures, Floor lamps, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Mine timbers, Moldings, Musical instruments , Musical instruments, Musical instruments: piano, Novelties, Office furniture, Organ pipes, Paneling, Parquet flooring, Piano keys, Pianos , Plywood, Plywood: veneer (marine), Poles, Pulp/Paper products, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Sounding boards, Tables, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative

Environmental Profile
Rare
Questionable
Status unknown in parts of its range
Status unknown due to inadequate data
Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare within parts of its range
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center


Distribution Overview
This species is one of about 60 in the Pterocarpus genus, which consists of small to large trees distributed throughout the tropics. Pterocarpus indicus is indigenous to Malaysia, but is also found in the Philippines, Borneo, Burma, New Guinea, and the Malay Archipelago. It is also often planted as an ornamental and a shade tree in several regions, including India, along roadsides, and in gardens because of its flowers and handsome foliagePterocarpus is a genus of over 60 species consisting of small and large trees that are distributed throughout the tropical regions of the world. Pterocarpus dalbergioides is confined to and common in the deciduous and semi-deciduous forests of the Andaman Islands. It is described as the principal timber tree on the islands and is usually found growing on or near riverbanks. also reported to cultivated on a small scale, mostly in gardens, in mainland India.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Red
Purple
Pink
Reddish brown
Red
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Brown
Dark brown
Large color variation
Dark brown
Yellow
Rich crimson hue ranging from red to brown
Reddish brown with dark streaks after aging
Red - blood
Purple
Pale red to pink
Light red
Golden brown
Darkens upon exposure
Dark streaks often
Brown - yellowish


Sapwood Color
Yellow
Brown
White
White to yellow
Well defined
White/Straw
Paler than heartwood
Different than heartwood


Grain
Figure
Interlocked
Distinct (figure)
Stripe (figure)
Variable (figure)
Wavy
Rippled (figure)
Straight
Growth rings (figure)
Closed
Ribbon (figure)
Even
Irregular
Mottled (figure)

Interlocked
Distinct figure
Striped figure
Wavy
Variable figure
Rippled figure
Straight
Ribbon figure
Clear growth rings (figure)
Variable figure
Twisted curls create pronounced figure
Quartersawn surfaces show ribbon figure
Occasionally wavy
Mottled figure
Irregular
Interlocked
Flat sawn surfaces produce a flame figure
Distinct and very fine figure

The wood is often marked with little twisted curls and knots which give a pronounced fine figure. Flat sawn surfaces are reported to have a flame figure, and quartersawn surfaces usually exhibit a ribbon figure.

Texture
Medium
Fine
Coarse
Medium to coarse
Moderately fine to moderately coarse and uneven
Medium to very coarse
Fine to medium


Luster
Medium
High
Lustrous
Dull
Slightly lustrous
High


Natural Durability
Moderately durable
Durable
Very durable
Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack
Susceptible to marine borer attack
Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) often present in the standing tree
Good weathering properties
Sapwood vulnerable to pinhole borer attack
Resistant to wood staining fungal attack
Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present
Naturally resistant
Heartwood resistant to decay
Heartwood is fairly resistant to termites and other insects
Heartwood is fairly resistant to termites and other insects
Durable

Resistant woods may last between 15 nd 25 years in contact with the ground and without any chemical protection.

Odor
No distinctive taste
Greem wood is faintly aromatic
Fragrant odor


Toxicity
Dermatitic effects
Respiratory effects


Kiln Schedules
UK=F US=T6D4/T3D3 Fr=6
Dry at a slow speed
UK=E US=T6D2/T3D1 Fr=5
T6 - D4 (4/4) US
T3 - D3 (8/4) US
Schedule F - United Kingdom
Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is slow
Drying (speed) is fast


Drying Defects
Moderate surface checking
Moderate end spitting
No end splitting
Slight end splitting
No twisting or warping
Slight twist/warp
Slight surface checking


Ease of Drying
Slowly
Easy
Dries with very little or no degrade
Dries with little degrade especially if allowed to dry on stump before felling
Air-dries rather well
Air dries rapidly under cover


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries slowly
Slow (18-28 days for boards < 32 mm, to 52-84 days for boards >= 63 mm)


Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is buttressed
Bole/stem form is straight
Bole/stem form is misshapen
Bole/stem form is cylindrical
Bole/stem form is fluted


Tree Size
Tree height is 20-30 m
Tree height is 30-40 m
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm


Product Sources
Supplies of Andaman padauk are rather limited, and when available, it is often priced in the costly range.

Certified Source
Certified Source


Substitutes
Burma padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus)

Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

General finishing qualities are rated as poor

Blunting Effect
Blunting effect on machining is moderate
Slight
Medium effect


Boring
Fairly easy to very easy
Fair to good results
Good boring qualities
Bores smoothly


Carving
Fair to Good Results
Very easy to impregnate with preservatives


Cutting Resistance
Generally good sawing characteristics
Excellent surfaces
Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate
Cutting Resistance with green wood is difficult


Gluing
Easy to glue
Satisfactory gluing properties
Good gluing properties


Mortising
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Easy to mortise


Moulding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Moulds easily with ordinary tools
Interlocked grain, and layers of hard and soft tissue, make moulding difficult
Good finishing results
Easy to mould


Movement in Service
Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement
Excellent Stability - Small Movement
Stable
Retain shape after manufacture
Medium
Dimensionally stable after seasoning


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Difficult to nail
Possible if prebored
Holds nails well
Good nailing properties
Easy to nail


Planing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Planes well, to a good finish
Difficult to plane
Torn grain common in quartersawn material
Reduction of cutting angle recommended
Planes to a satisfactory finish
Good planing properties
Easy to plane
Ease of planing is moderate


Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Heartwood is moderately resistant
Sapwood is moderately resistant
Heartwood is resistant
Heartwood is highly resistant