Free Paulownia Guides and Downloads
Free guides, templates and resources for growing Paulownia and for making things with it: surfboards, paipo bellyboards, handplanes, school projects and lining boards. Download them to read, print or share.
Growing Paulownia in Australia
Independent, evidence-based guides for landholders thinking about planting Paulownia, or wondering what to do with trees already on their property. Prepared by Alastair Pilley, BEnv (Environmental Science), and based on published research. New to the topic? Start with the summary article.
Growing Paulownia for Timber in Australia
What the research says about site, climate, spacing, pruning, yield, weed risk, pests and diseases, with diagrams, data and references.
Site suitability checklist
Climate, soil, water, shelter and frost: will Paulownia suit your land?
Planting and establishment
Getting trees through the first, most demanding years.
Pruning for clear timber
Form pruning to grow a straight, branch-free trunk.
Pests, diseases and damage
What to watch for, from insects and fungi to wind, frost and animals.
Weed risk and choosing a hybrid
Why sterile, approved hybrids matter and how to plant responsibly.
Spacing, growth and yield
Realistic spacing, growth rates and timber yields over a rotation.
Will you harvest my trees?
What makes Paulownia worth milling, and options for small stands.
Timber properties and uses
Density, strength, stability and the best uses for Paulownia timber.
Surfboard, paipo and handplane guides
Step-by-step guides for making wooden boards from our Paulownia sheets, blanks and handplane kits. The two full guides are free PDFs: enter your email and the download appears straight away. You can also read them online.
How to Make an Alaia or Paipo Bellyboard
Alaia history, today's makers, and two build methods: laminated 2mm Paulownia sheets or a traditional solid Paulownia blank.
How to Make a Wooden Surf Handplane
Handplane history, design tips, and shaping a Paulownia blank and fitting the strap from our kit.
Shaping a paipo or alaia from a Paulownia blank
Sizing, tools, shaping steps, foil, rails, finishing and care for our solid blanks.
Making a laminated Paulownia paipo
Four 2mm sheets, angled inner layers and a vacuum-bagged rocker for a light, strong bellyboard.
Paulownia surf handplane kit
Drill, shape, finish and fit the strap: the instructions for our handplane kit.
Handplane templates, full size
Fish, round tail, square tail and grom fish outlines with plug positions. Print on A3 at actual size.
School project guides
Free teacher guides for Paulownia projects from Years 7 to 12. Each comes in a NSW version and a Queensland version, and covers the lesson sequence, tools, safety and curriculum links. Enter your school details and the downloads appear straight away.
Surf handplane project
Design a handplane in CAD, make it from a solid Paulownia blank, fit the strap and test it at the beach.
CO2 dragster project
Design, make and race a CO2 dragster from a Paulownia blank: forces, aerodynamics, CAD and race data.
Fishing lure project
Carve, weight, seal and tank-test a working wooden fishing lure from a Paulownia blank.
Electric guitar body project
Make a light Paulownia guitar body with templates and routing, then fit a neck, hardware and electronics.
Hollow wooden surfboard
A major project guide: CAD frame, rocker table, Paulownia skins, laminated rails, finishing and folio.
Class sets, blanks, strap kits and purchase orders. We supply schools all over Australia from one supplier.
Handplanes for schoolsLining boards
Paulownia Timber Lining Boards Installation Guide
Storage, acclimatising, fixing and finishing Paulownia VJ lining boards on walls and ceilings.
All guides are general information only. Questions? Contact us, email info@paulowniatimber.com.au or call 0426 281 785.