open main page for all woods          open page 2 for articles

NOTE: there is rarely any "standard" or "typical" look for a wood so take what's in this table with a grain of salt the REST of the pictures on this page will give you a better overall feel for this wood

paldao / Dracontomelon dao (see fact sheet for synonyms) aka New Guinea walnut 5" x 5" flat cut, 5" x 5" quartersawn, 3/4" wide end grain, and a 1/4" x 1/4" end grain closeup. The significantly different color shown between this flat cut piece and quartersawn piece is correct. The graininess is typical. Diffuse porous with sparse, randomly distributed, medium sized pores with fat vasicentric parenchyma and frequent radial pore multiples. Growth ring boundaries are vague, rays are very thin and barely visible at 10X, ray flakes on quartersawn surfaces are small if present at all. Frequent dark stripes are common. NOTE: based on both direct and indirect experience, I'd say that colors shown for this wood on this page, ranging from reddish orange to heavy green, are correct unless otherwise noted. I don't know if the differences are due to soil conditions or if in fact some of these pieces are NOT Dracontomelon dao but I believe it is the former.

my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions

sample plank listed as Papua New Guinea walnut / Dracontomelon dao


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Papua New Guinea walnut / Dracontomelon dao --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above along with a side grain closeup that shows, despite the poor sanding on that surface, the ray flakes that accompany the very thin rays that are clearly visible in the 2nd enlargement of the end grain update.


both sides of a sample plank of Papua New Guinea walnut / Dracontomelon dao --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Papua New Guinea walnut / Dracontomelon dao --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Papua New Guinea walnut / Dracontomelon dao --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


veneer sheet with half moistened with mineral oil


This paldao veneer sheet was loaned to me by John Koehn whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


veneer, sent to me for identification


veneer --- the last 2 of these were sold to me as figured veneer but the figure in them is so weak that I hesitate to call them that. The web pic posted by the vendor who sold me these is shown and discussed down below.


paldao veneer --- HUGE enlargements are present. This part of a collection which is discussed here: COLLECTION D


a curly veneer sheet that spent some time on the mystery wood page before I finally identified it as paldao


figured veneer --- these veneer sheets are from the same lot as the two mentioned directly above but these actually have enough figure to deserve the name. The web pic posted by the vendor who sold me these is shown and discussed down below.


listed as "mottled" veneer --- actual wood is not quite as rich looking as this pic makes it seem and many vendors would call it "figured" instead of "mottled" --- another example of how loosely these terms tend to be used.


another mottled veneer sheet


veneer from yet another batch


veneer --- the green color is accurate


veneer listed as "Papua New Guinea walnut" --- HUGE enlargements are present. These sheets were contributed to the site by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

web pics:

end grain pic listed as paldao / Dracontomelum dao


planks


planks listed as paldao / Dracontomelum dao


planks listed as paldao / Dracontomelon dao


plank listed as paldao / New Guinea walnut / Dracontomelon dao


guitar set listed as Papua New Guinea walnut


plank and thins listed as New Guinea walnut


New Guinea walnut pic provided by Dave Cumming, whom I thank.


veneer


veneer listed as Australian walnut


veneer listed as paldao / Dracontomelum dao


flat cut veneer listed as paldao / Dracontomelum dao


quartersawn veneer listed as paldao / Dracontomelum dao


bookmatched veneer


veneer closeup with both levels of enlargement --- I think the color on this is probably too pink


mottled veneer


figured veneer


swirly veneer


quartersawn veneer --- color is probably too purple


quartersawn figured veneer all from the same vendor. Somehow this vendor manages to make all of her internet posted pictures show the wood as being shiny when it isn't really. I've bought a number of lots from her and although it is good quality veneer, it is never as shiny as she manages to make it look in her pictures. Also, her pics tend to make the colors a little more pronounced than they really are. Many of my own samples above were take from the lots pictured in the last two of these pics so you can see what I mean.


veneer from the same vendor as those above (so the surface shine is probably not present in the wood)


more veneer from the same vendor, but this time listed as "marble figured paldao". I guess she thought that would make it sell better than when she just called it paldao --- as you can see by comparing the 2nd pic here to the middle one above, they are from the same flitch.


paldao flooring, undoubtedly with a finish added


paldao coffee tables


two views of a hollow form