what kind of lumber

[Electric Comet]

my guess is acacia

nicely done video in any case

[dpb]

...

I don't know, but it isn't acacia as they branch and aren't found in Tasmania where he's located. My guess would be it's one the various gums found there, but which one I've no klew...

[Casper]

Nice video and very nice wood work. In the comments it says... Alex Jerrim - Here it is

[dpb]

Does it say it in the comments? I didn't see that...saw somebody asked but no answer.

I wasn't aware the Australian blackwood and some of the other species there are actually members of acacia family I discovered...but the pictures I can see don't show bark anything like what his specimen is???

I'm still not at all sure what it is...

[Electric Comet]

did not see the comments

a little bit of paradise he has there

[Casper]

You have to read much further down in the comments to read were Alex actually commented back on the wood with the link above.

[dpb]

OK, I see that it's on another page further down or more...I presumed if hadn't answered on that first page probably hadn't and wasn't interested enough to keep searching...

I still think it's odd that those he's cutting are apparently pretty tall (or the video is shot for the effect :) ) and have such a long log before any signs of branching and the very smooth bark. I couldn't find a sample picture that looked anything whatever like his altho I did _finally_ find one labelled as "Tasmanian" shot from a distance that at least did a have a bit of a trunk and didn't look quite so rough bark as the bulk did. Perhaps there's a difference in Australia vis a vis Tasmanian as I think almost if not all the rest were Australian.

But, I presume he does know what it is...

[Electric Comet]

couple of things look in previous post about scribner's book in there they talk about choosing a tree to fell and how the location influences the tree growth

on the edge of the forest in the middle of the forest and the like that tree was in the middle so it was reaching for sunlight there was no benefit for growing branches out the sides

i get the feeling he is pretty well in touch with the trees and knows

[dpb]

...

Sure, that can explain the trunk; doesn't explain the smooth bark vis a vis all the other sample shots of the species...

[dpb]

On 08/20/2015 11:32 PM, dpb wrote: ...

Again, I'm not saying it's not but from all the looking at comparative shots, would surely have a stretch deciding that's what those he's cutting are...it's why I didn't think was and guessed at something far different initially (not to mention that I hadn't looked and didn't realize several of the species that at least had heard of by common names actually were in acacia family.)

So again, sure, he's almost certainly correct and I've no doubt he's pretty doggone knowledgeable but like so often in the bird books or the like the subject doesn't necessarily match the illustration all that well... :)

[Sonny]

At the beginning of the video, that tree stump has rough-looking bark. Th e subsequent tall growing tree, at the beginning of the video, also has a r ough looking bark. As the video pans upward, the bark looks smooth. Hal f way up the tree, it appears the bark is peeling off, so it looks more smo oth. It seems several (many?0 of the Australian/Tamanian trees have barks that change, shed, to some extent, with the change of the seasons, also.

Also, the sapling, he plants, appears to have (somewhat thick) waxy leaves, smooth edges, elongated(?).

My guess is that the tree he uses is Blackwood/Acacia melanoxylon.

Re:

3 The timber This is the perfect timber for fine furniture, joinery or a feature floor. Boasting a variety of colours ranging from light golden-brown to deep brown (sometimes with a reddish tint) and occasionally showing black streaks, th e timber radiates a subtle beauty that makes it irresistible to Tasmanian d esigners. Additional character results from the grain of the wood, which ca n be straight or wavy with a natural lustre.

Blackwood is easily worked, very stable and long lasting, and blackwood art efacts are always statements of style and quality. In addition to the supply of solid sections, the availability of high quali ty veneers has increased the timber's versatility for use in joinery, cabin et making, and feature panelling. Small cross sections of solid timber are also laminated, particularly for bench tops.

*******************************************************************

I didn't find any references to/for the use of the bark, but my search was limited.

Sonny

[dpb]

On 08/21/2015 9:33 AM, Sonny wrote: ...

I'm looking at the closeup at about the 2:30 mark; pretty smooth, fine striations; not much at all like what I could find as referenced dealbata pictures although granted virtually none I found were good shots of other than the foliage/blooms/etc.

That was my initial thought looking at the end of the log but I don't know anything about them other than a sample the wife brought back in a collection she picked up of various down under woods from her trip down there...but it's just a 1" square of a dozen or so and no other info. Again, however, the searches I did didn't lead me to think from the pictures I found they looked all that similar to his specimen...at that point I hadn't actually even realized it (blackwood and several others had heard of by common name even though know knothing about them firsthand) were acacias...

Anyway, I'll defer to the man onsite (not to say he also _might_ be in error or answering a different question in the comments, but it would seem he'd be the one to know... :) ).

[Electric Comet]

you are entering into an area of study that is interesting i think the technical word used in biology is morphology

in common terms it is the study of the different forms of a given species

the environment plays a big part in what form a species can take like middle of the forest versus the forest edge northern edge versus southern edge windy versus calm and so on and so on

i would expect rougher bark on trees that receive more sunlight on the trunk then a tree that gets very little sunlight

[Sonny]

Why get the word second hand? I emailed Alex and asked him directly. Hopefully he'll reply. I, also, invited him to comment directly on this thread, if he's obligized to sign on.

Sonny

[Electric Comet]

i think manzanita trees also regenerate the bark over time

thought that was a gum tree i think like what we call a eucalyptus in usa

i thought that blackwood was very hard does that fit into the characterisitic of being easily worked

i imagine those big sheets he stored would make great shingles not certain but just a guess would work great for a lean-to or maybe a natural insulation

[dpb]

All true to greater/lesser degree, but oaks look like oaks, sycamores like sycamores and the differences within aren't enough to confuse one with another no matter where they happen to live...

I'm seeing stuff that ain't close and unless there's a seasonal change that does in fact slough off or the like, I'm thinking these are likely not the same as what I've found photos of...then again, I have no direct knowledge of anything down under but I have a pretty good knowledge and ability to identify NA species used for lumber having spent a fair amount of time over 50 yr or so observing same and reading, studying...

[dpb]

On, _NOW_ you've done it... :) Why in the world wood (so to speak?) we want facts on usenet????

[alex.jerrim]

Hi Folks, Glad you like my video. The wood is Acacia Dealta (See.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_dealbata) We call it Silver Wattle. It grows very quickly and has a relatively short lifespan. Most of the wood I use on courses has grown since I purchased the property in 1986. If you go to my website's pho to gallery you'll see lots more silver wattle. I even lined my entire house out of it. (See

ry.html) and follow the link )

Cheers Alex

[Sonny]

y and has a relatively short lifespan. Most of the wood I use on courses ha s grown since I purchased the property in 1986. If you go to my website's p hoto gallery you'll see lots more silver wattle. I even lined my entire hou se out of it. (See

lery.html) and follow the link )

Thanks Alex. Seems Casper wins, since he delved deeper into the video's c omments and links, to find the same reference link that you replied to, the n.

Always like to see other folks work. Your gallery is great.... gave me so me ideas (*the top toy, for one) for projects for the kids among my family.

Sonny

[Electric Comet]

actually no one made a guess which seems perfectly appropriate for this group

i guessed acacia so got the right genera

the top is a nice twist on the top project and nice design i have a piece of blackwood acacia that would work for that idea