: I finally got a shipment of Paulownia in and am using it on a
: displacement hulled SUP, but most definately am going to build a
: kayak with this stuff. If you can find it, and it is very hard
: to find these days, I recommend trying it. It's like balsa in
: weight, color, and even feel, but it is way stronger, and if you
: want a wood that bends well this is the wood for you. I took a
: thin strip (a scrap about 3/16") and bent it to about a
: foot radius, and twisted it, and it still didn't break.

: Take note, however, WEAR A DUST MASK! It is similar to balsa in
: that it makes a fine, "fluffy" sawdust. I failed to
: wear a dust mask when ripping strips. I got rushed and forgot to
: put the mask on and just didn't think about it until I was
: almost done. When I was cleaning up, my lungs literally hurt
: when I breathed in. I kicked myself because I am usually a
: stickler for wearing a mask but just completely did not think
: about it. Lesson learned.

: I took a 1x6x72 board, stretched it between two sawhorses, and
: stood on it. Definately strong. It is a sustainable wood that
: grows very fast, and the grain structure is such that it doesn't
: have big thick growth rings like many fast-growing woods like
: pine. There isn't a defined summer/winter ring, so it doesn't
: tend to split on the rings. For the project I am doing now the
: hull is fir, and the deck is paulownia. Believe me I am wishing
: I had done it the other way around because this stuff would have
: been much easier to contort around the bow and stern.

: Even if you can't use it for a whole boat (it is not cheap), I
: think this is the perfect wood for internal stem bands and wood
: bulkheads if you are looking for weight reduction. It also would
: bend easily around a cockpit coaming.

It is cheap here in New Zealand (less than half the price of cedar). I got some a while back from a local guy who has put in his own plantation. He harvests and cuts it to order. I don't know whether he might export?
http://www.paulownia.co.nz/ The stuff I bought is very light (lighter than cedar). And it is very easy to work with and quite pliable.

This is an interesting thread about paulownia:
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f14/paulownia-timber-all-things-about-75980/

Cheers, Ian