: Good day,

: I am seeking Paulownia for myself in 8' lengths that someone would
: be willing to ship. I also am looking for a supplier for a
: friend whose current supplier quit the business. If you have
: never tried Paulownia, it's pretty amazing stuff. It's light
: like Balsa, but strong like Pine.

: It was supposed to have been sustainable, quick-growing, and cheap
: to produce, but it seems the farms that grow it are all going
: bust. As soon as you get a good supplier they quit the business.

: I am about to build a prototype SUP that is designed more like a
: kayak and should answer the cry for a SUP that isn't just an
: overgrown surfboard. This one was actually conceived in Kayak
: Foundry, and tweaked in a CNC CAD Program. Since it's closer to
: a kayak, I am going to post a few build pics here during the
: build as I don't think it would be too far off topic. In fact I
: plan to use it as a sit-on-top now and then. Since this is a
: racing SUP I'm trying to make it light. I would like to use
: mostly Paulownia if I can ever get my hands on some. If not then
: I will just go with local mahogany and rip it thin and just
: accept that it's going to be a bit heavier.

: Thanks!

: Malcolm

This site pulled up a few suppliers for me, none within 500 miles though. Maybe you'll have better luck. I'd like to use it on a stripper so I'll be watching this thread, good luck.
http://www.woodfinder.com/

Also if your lumber dealer will let you pick through the mahogany there is some light wood to be found, not sure if it's a different species or farmed but I used some recently that was comparable in weight to cedar. Very nice color too.