Timber Species
Properties of species and notes on uses

 Below is a brief descriptions of the main features of the timber that we sell.

Ash, Alpine
Eucalyptus delegatiensis R.T Bak
Synonym: Eucalyptus gigantea Hook, f.

Janka ratings

 A large hardwood of the cold climate areas of Tasmania, eastern Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales. Heartwood pale pink or pale yellowish brown. Sapwood not clearly distinguishable and about 25 to 50mm wide. Texture moderately coarse. Grain usually straight but sometimes wavy, producing a fiddleback figure. Gum veins common. Growth rings made conspicuous by the darker latewood. Very similar in appearance to mountain ash. GD about 1050kg/m3; add about 620kg/m3. Needs much care in drying because of proneness to collapse and internal checking, as well as surface checking on the tangential surface. For good quality boards it is usual practice to quarter cut the logs. Reconditioning is standard practice. Shrinkage about 435per cent radial, 8 per cent tangential; after reconditioning 3.5per cent radial, 6.5per cent tangential. Relatively easy to work. Satisfactory for steam bending. Glues well. A walnut colour is obtained when it is fumed with ammonia. Heartwood has relatively low durability (Class 4) and is better reserved for internal use or for protected locations externally. The sapwood is seldom attacked by lyctid borers. It is a major species in Tasmania and Victoria; the Tasmanian wood is often sold to other States mixed with mountain ash and messmate under the trade term Tasmanian Oak.

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Ash, Mountain
Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell.

Janka ratings

 A very large hardwood of the mountain regions of Tasmania and eastern Victoria. It is the largest of the eucalypts. Heartwood pales pink or pale straw. Sapwood not always clearly differentiated. Texture rather coarse. Gain straight. Growth rings conspicuous. Gum veins common. Considerable collapse occurs during drying so reconditioning is standard practice for dressed products. For best results it is advisable to quarter cut the log. Shrinkage about 6.5per cent radial, 13per cent tangential; after reconditioning about 4per cent radial, 7per cent tangential. Relatively easy to work. Good for steam bending. A pale walnut color is obtained by fuming with ammonia. Glues satisfactorily. Heartwood not durable (Class 4) but could be used externally in sheltered locations; resistant to impregnation with preservatives. Sapwood resistant to lyctid borer attack. A major species in Tasmania and Victoria. Often sold to other States mixed with other species and marketed as Tasmanian Oak.

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Balau
Shorea spp Shorea albida Sym. (heavy variety)
Shorea glauca King
Shorea laevis Ridl.
Shorea maxwelliana King
Shorea seminis van Sloot

 Other common names: selangan batu no.1

A group of the denser Shorea hardwoods of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Heartwood yellow to brown, distinct from the paler sapwood which can be up to 50mm wide. Texture moderately fine and even. Grain interlocked, producing a stripe figure on the radial surface. Resin pockets sometimes present. Susceptible to pin-hole borer damage. Care needed in drying to avoid surface checking and end splits. Rate of drying is slow. Shrinkage varies considerably with species, probably averages about 3.5per cent radial, 7per cent tangential. In relation to its density it is not hard to work, though if resin is present it does tend to build up on cutting equipment. Silica absent. Pre-boring advisable when nailing. Unsuitable for steam bending. Heartwood durable; very resistant to impregnation with preservatives. Sapwood susceptible to lyctid borer attack.

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Baltic, Red
Pinus sylvestris L.

Other common names: Scots Pine, Red deal, Baltic Pine

This medium sized softwood is widely distributed throughout Europe and Northern Asia. Sapwood creamy white or pale yellow 50 to 100mm wide, and easily distinguished from the yellow-brown to reddish brown heartwood. Growth rings prominently marked by the darker denser summerwood. Texture relatively fine. Grain usually straight. The knots are usually grouped whereas in white Baltic they are much more randomly distributed. The wood is resinous. Dries rapidly but is liable to bluestain. Shrinkage about 2 per cent radial, 4.5 percent tangential. Easy to work unless the small hard knots are numerous. Glues satisfactorily if very resinous material is excluded. Nails well. Heartwood durability only moderate and should not be used in ground contact or under severe exposure conditions; moderately resistant to impregnation with preservatives. General construction, flooring, panelling, interior joinery. Preservatised material has been used for poles, pit props, etc.

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Beech, Myrtle
Nothofafus cunninghamii (Hook.) Oerst.
Other common names: Tasmanian myrtle

Janka ratings

A medium sized hardwood of the heavier rainfall areas of Tasmania and eastern Victoria. Most supplies come from Tasmania. Heartwood pink to reddish brown. Sapwood almost white, and narrow. Texture fine and even. Grain sometimes wavy. Growth rings visible but not prominent. Little figure. Its behavior during drying is variable for it often has an uneven distribution of moisture. Dark coloured wood needs extra care to minimise surface checking on the tangential surface and internal honeycombing. Some collapse occurs and reconditioning is desirable. Moderate working properties. Dresses to a very smooth surface but needs very sharp cutters. Needs care in nailing to avoid splits. Glues satisfactorily. Good for steam bending, carving and turnery except for a tendency to bruise on the end grain. Fumes to brown colour with ammonia. Heartwood not sufficiently durable for prolonged external use; it is resistant to impregnation with preservatives. There is often a zone of intermediate wood between sapwood and heartwood which is relatively easy to penetrate. Sapwood susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Uses are furniture, veneer, joinery, turnery, carving, flooring, panelling, handles, piano bridges.

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Blackbutt
Eucalyptus pilularis Sm.

Janka ratings

A large hardwood growing in abundance in the coastal forests between Bega, New South Wales and Maryborough, Queensland. Heartwood pale brown, but northern material may sometimes have a slight pinkish tinge. Sapwood distinctively paler. Texture medium and even. Grain usually straight. Gum veins common. Care needed in drying to inhibit tendency to surface check on the tangential surface. Regrowth logs are subject to much more spring and bow than the mature stems and their central core is likely to suffer considerable collapse. In the regrowth material it is preferable that the larger dimension of the sawn product be perpendicular to the rays so that the distortion due to growth stresses shall occur as bow rather than spring, since it is usually much easier to remedy bow when assembling timber components. Shrinkage about 4 percent radial, 7 percent tangential. Reconditioning is seldom advisable because of its effect in widening surface checks. In dressing it the planer angle may need reducing to 15°. A Poor base for paint because of its tendency to surface check but stain finishes can be used satisfactorily. The high extractives content of mature wood can cause some gluing problems, especially with phenolic adhesives, but young regrowth wood appears to be much less affected. Heartwood durable, very resistant to impregnation with preservatives. Sapwood not susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Uses are:- Poles, sleepers, flooring, building framework. The regrowth material has potential for structural plywood.

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Brush Box
Tristania conferta R. Br.

Janka ratings

A large hardwood which rows on the edge of the rainforests from the central coast of New South Wales to Bowen, Queensland. Heartwood varies in colour form a pinkish grey to a rich reddish brown. Sapwood usually distinctively paler. Texture fine and even. Grain usually interlocked to varying degrees. Logs are usually sound right to the pith and are free of gum veins, but breaks known as "water rings" are sometimes present. Material with considerably interlocked grain can distort severely in drying. Close spacing of the stack stickers, weighting down of the stack, and restriction of the air circulation in the early stages of drying will help to minimise degrade. Provided the grain is relatively straight it has good resistance to surface checking. Shrinkage about 5 percent radial, 10 percent tangential; after reconditioning about 3.5 percent radial, 7 percent tangential. Because of its density and interlocked grain, as well as its dulling effect on tool edges due to the presence of silica, it is not easy to work. Planer cutting angles need to be reduced. Unsuitable for steam bending. It is very resistant to wear and has good resistance to splintering. Its natural waxiness occasionally causes some adhesion problems with some highly solvent floor finishes but it is a very good base for paints and stains. The natural wax which is contains is called arjunolic acid and it may be present to the extent of 5 to 10 percent w/w. Brush box is low in tannins and is much less inclined to stain than the eucalypts when leached by rain. Heartwood has good resistance to termite attack but is of only moderate durability in relation to resistance to decay; it is very resistant to impregnation with preservatives. Sapwood only occasionally attacked by lyctid borers. Uses- Flooring, cladding, panelling, mallets, pulley blocks, bridge decking(in dry areas).

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Grey Box
Eucalyptus microcarpa Maiden
Eucalyptus moluccana Roxb.
Synonym: Eucalyptus hemiphloia F. Muell. ex Benth

Medium sized hardwoods of the central and north coast districts of New South Wales and southern Queensland. Occasionally found in eastern Victoria. Heartwood pale yellowish brown. Sapwood usually distinctly paler. Texture relatively fine and even. Grain usually interlocked. Seldom has gum veins. Slow in drying but not prone to surface checking. Shrinkage about 3.5 percent radial, 7.5 percent tangential. Because of its density it is rather difficult to work. Heartwood very durable. Sapwood only occasionally attacked by lyctid borers. Heavy engineering construction, bridges, wharves, shipbuilding, piles, poles, sleepers.

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Cedar, Red, Western
Thuja plicata D. Don

A large softwood. the largest of the North American cedars, occurring in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Heartwood variable, form pale brown to dark brown. Sapwood to 20mm wide, is yellowish white. Texture fine but uneven due to the prominent growth rings. Grain straight. Not resinous. The degree of darkness of the wood is not indicative of the amount of extractives present. The extractives most helpful in providing resistance to decay are rather insoluble in water but are corrosive to metals such as copper and iron. Easy to dry. Shrinkage about 1.5 percent radial, 3 percent tangential. Easy to work but the sanding dust can be very irritant to the breathing passages so a well ventilated workshop is essential. It is rather brittle so care is needed in working end grain. Since it is very soft there is a risk when dressing it that the cutters may compress the softer earlywood which will later recover to produce a ridged surface. Glues well and is a good base for coatings. A yellowish colouring readily leaches from the wood so white-painted woodwork at a lower level can be stained if storm rains penetrate, say, to the unprotected rear surface of cladding. Heartwood durable; difficult to impregnate with preservatives. Not a structural timber. Use - Cladding, external joinery, garden furniture, window sashes and frames, greenhouses, roofing shingles and shakes.

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Fir, Douglas
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco
Synonym: Pseudotsuga taxifloia (Lamb.) Britt
Other Common name: OREGON

Probably the most important softwood of North America, growing on the western fringe from Mexico to British Columbia. It is being used as a plantation species in other countries, including New Zealand, but there are only small areas of it in Australian plantations. Heartwood yellow brown to pale reddish brown. Sapwood distinctly paler, varying in width form about 50mm in mature trees to 75mm in fast growing plantations stems. Regrowth wood varies considerably in density and strength and it may be necessary to consider the percentage of latewood and the spacing of the growth rings in assessing quality. Growth rings are very prominent because of the considerable difference in density and colour between earlywood and latewood; this also leads to a coarse and uneven texture. Grain generally straight. Resin content can be high, causing occasional bleed through of paint films: the temperature of kiln drying helps to drive off the volatile fractional and makes the resin less mobile. It has been used in Australia for many years as a satisfactory window joinery timber when free of sapwood. Its availability in large sections and long lengths has made it a highly favoured import to Australia for many years for applications such as structural framing, joinery, vats, boatbuilding.

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Gum, Blue, Sydney
Eucalyptus saligna Sm.

Janka ratings

A large commonly occurring hardwood of the east coast of Australia from Batemans Bay, New South Wales to southern Queensland. Heartwood dark pink to red-brown. Sapwood usually sufficiently paler to be readily distinguished. Texture moderately coarse and even. Grain straight or slightly interlocked. Gum veins common. This species has been grown extensively in plantations in South Africa but the density of such rapidly grown wood is much less than that of mature Australian material, being in the range of 500 to 600kg/m3. Easy to dry but tangential surfaces are susceptible to surface checking. Collapse is very slight. Heart centre material is inclined to split quiet severely so it is not recommended for large girders. Relatively easy to work. Heartwood moderately durable. Sapwood susceptible to lycted borer attack. Used for general building purposes, cladding, flooring, panelling, boatbuiding.

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Gum, Grey
Eucalyptus propinqua Deane et Maiden
Eucalyptus punctata DC.

Large hardwoods of the coastal districts between the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales and Maryborough in Queensland. Heartwood red. Sapwood, to 30mm wide, distinctively paler. Texture moderately coarse and even. Grain usually interlocked. Similar in general appearance to the ironbarks but often marked by characteristic grub holes. The end checking on grey gum logs is star shaped from the heart, whereas ironbarks tend to check in small squares. Slow in drying but little degrade occurs. Because of its density and interlocked grain it is difficult work when dry. Heartwood very durable. Sapwood resistant to lyctid borer attack. Heavy engineering construction, poles, sleepers.

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Gum, Rose
Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden
Other common name: Flooded Gum

Janka ratings

A large fast growing hardwood of the east coast from the Hunter River in New South Wales to north Queensland. Heartwood pink to pale red-brown. Sapwood not always clearly differentiated. Texture moderately coarse but even. Grain Straight. The activity of a borer which makes "scribbles" in the wood, and grub holes made by a large wood moth which lead to staining, often mar the appearance of the furniture. Easy to dry. Shrinkage about 4 percent radial, 7 percent tangential, Inclined to surface check. Relatively easy to work. Has possibilities for veneer which glues well but is prone to end splits. Heartwood classified as moderately durable, but less mature wood is only suitable for internal applications. Sapwood resistant to lyctid borer attack.

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Gum, Spotted
Eucalyptus maculata Hook

Janka ratings

A large hardwood of common occurrence on the poorer clay subsoils of the east coast from the Victoria-New South Wales border to the Maryborough district in Queensland. Heartwood pale to dark brown. Sapwood, to 50mm wide, is distinctively paler but there may be a zone of intermediate wood which can be a complicating factor when preservative treatment is undertaken, since it is not easy to impregnate. Texture moderately coarse. Grain variable; frequent presence of wavy grain produces an attractive fiddleback figure. Slightly greasy nature. Gum veins common. Northern material is usually slightly denser, stronger and more durable than southern. Needs care in drying to reduce the risk of checking on tangential surface. Collapse is slight. Not hard to work. Satisfactory for steam bending if straight grained material is selected. The unseasoned wood is somewhat corrosive to aluminum nails and screws. The high extractives content can be a problem with phenolic-type adhesives and spotted gum seems to be a little different to most other eucalypts in that the sapwood as well as the heartwood is affected. Heartwood durability varies form moderately durable for material from southern parts of it distribution range to durable for northern material; it is resistant to impregnation with preservatives. Sapwood very susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Uses- heavy engineering construction, piles, poles, shipbuilding, agricultural machinery, flooring, plywood. It is the main Australian species for handles subject to high impact forces, e.g. axe handles.

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Ironbark, Grey
Eucalyptus paniculata Sm
Eucalyptus drepanophylla F. Muell. ex Benth.
Eucalyptus siderophloia Benth.

Janka ratings

Large hardwoods common along the coast of New South Wales and Queensland. Heartwood color varies considerably, from pale brown to dark chocolate brown and also dark red. If the wood was less difficult to work it would have considerable potential for heavy furniture because of its beautiful appearance. Perhaps techniques will be developed to make use of it as a decorative veneer now that favoured rainforest species are difficult to obtain. Texture moderately coarse and even. Grain usually interlocked. Because of its density it is hard to work. Heartwood very durable. Sapwood usually resistant to lyctid borer attack. Uses include heavy engineering construction, poles, sleepers, flooring and decking, shipbuilding.

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Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Sm..

Janka ratings

A large hardwood of the south-west corner of Western Australia, in the 650 to 1250 mm rainfall area and on lateritic soils. Heartwood dark red. Sapwood pale yellow. Texture relatively coarse but even. Grain slightly interlocked, sometimes producing a fiddleback figure. Little degrade in drying if handled carefully. Negligible collapse. Considering its density it is relatively easy to work if tools are maintained in a sharp condition. The planer angle may need reducing to 15°. Glues satisfactorily. Satisfactory for steam bending. Care needed when nailing. Heartwood durable, very difficult to impregnate with preservatives. Sapwood can be attacked by lyctid borers. General construction sleepers, poles, piles, flooring, panelling, joinery and heavy furniture.

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Karri
Eucalyptus diversicolor G. Muell.

Janka ratings

One of Australia's tallest hardwoods, native to a very limited high rainfall area in the south-west corner of Western Australia, west of Albany. Heartwood pale pink to reddish brown. Sapwood whitish and usually easy to distinguish. Texture somewhat coarse but even. Grain often interlocked. Careful handling is needed during drying to inhibit surface checking. Only slight collapse. Not easy to work and planing angle may need to be reduced to 15°. Moderately suitable for steam bending. Some pre-drilling may be needed when nailing. Variable in gluability. Does not have a good reputation in regard to paint holding. Heartwood moderately durable; it is difficult to impregnate with preservatives. Sapwood resistant to lyctid borer attack. General construction (for which it has the advantage, in Western Australia, of being available in long clear lengths and large sections), flooring, panelling, structural plywood, shipbuilding, sleepers. When preservative-treated it is favoured as a crossing timber even when concrete is used as the main sleeper material.

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Kauri, Queensland
North Queensland kauri - Agathis microstachya
South Queensland kauri - Agathis robusta
Other common name: Queensland kauri pine

Large softwoods native to the Cairns and Maryborough districts respectively. Heartwood pale cream to pale brown. Sapwood not visibly distinct. Texture fine and even. Grain straight. The wood is usually slightly darker than that of hoop pine and the presence of flecks in the rays as seen on the radial surface distinguishes it from both hoop and bunya pines. Dries quickly with little degrade but needs protection against bluestain. Usually easy to work but sometimes compression wood is present. Glues well. Fair for steam bending. Heartwood not sufficiently durable for external use but it is relatively easy to impregnate it with preservatives. Plywood, furniture, joinery, patternmaking, vats, kitchen utensils, battery separators, turnery, violin bellies.

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Kempas
Koompassia malaccensis Maing.
Koompassia excelsa Taub.
Koompassia grandiflora Kosterm.

Large hardwoods native Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and usually growing in swampy ground. Heartwood reddish brown, often with yellow streaks. Sapwood pale yellow or pinkish brown, to about 50mm wide, and distinct from the heartwood. Texture coarse but even. Grain interlocked, giving some figure to the radial surface. Some brittleheart may be present in logs. Dries quickly but cart needed to prevent splitting. The presence of "included phloem" can reduce strength and promote the occurrence of splits during drying. The interlocked grain can cause difficulty in working it. Unsuitable for turnery. Peels satisfactorily. May need pre-boring for nails. Heartwood moderately durable but not suitable for ground contact; it is moderately resistant to impregnation with preservatives. Sapwood susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Uses; plywood, flooring. When treated with preservative it is used for sleepers, bridges, wharfage.

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Kwila
Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) O. Ktze
Intsia Palembanica Miq.
Other common names: ipil, vesi, MERBAU

Large hardwoods of wide distribution in south-east Asia and eastwards to Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Fiji. Occurs occasionally in north Queensland. Heartwood may be bright yellow when first cut but becomes pale to dark reddish brown. Sapwood to 80mm wide, pale yellow and usually distinct form the heartwood. Texture moderately coarse but even. Grain sometimes slightly interlocked, producing a ribbon figure on the radial surface. Characteristic oily odour when freshly cut. Rather greasy to the touch. The vessels contain a yellow substance that will stain textiles and concrete. Contact with iron under moist conditions will cause formation of a black stain. Dries slowly with little degrade. It cuts cleanly but saw teeth tend to become clogged with a gummy material. The cutting angle of the planer needs to be reduced, especially on the radial surface. Pre-boring may be needed when nailing. Glues reasonably satisfactorily except with casein. Sanding dust can be irritant to both skin and mucous membranes. Turns well. Heartwood durable; it is very difficult to impregnate with preservatives. Sapwood susceptible to attack by lyctid borers. Uses include furniture, flooring, vats, turnery, sill, boatbuilding, crossarms, carving, window joinery, veneer.

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Mahogany, Red
Eucalyptus resinifera Sm.
Eucalyptus pellita F. Muell.

Janka ratings

Large hardwoods of the east coast from Sydney to Atherton in north Queensland. Heartwood dark red. Sapwood distinctively paler. Texture medium and even. Grain slightly interlocked. The pin holes made by the Ambrosia borer in the green timber are a common feature. Dries with little degrade if carefully stacked. Negligible collapse. Relatively easy to work. Needs care in gluing. One of the best eucalyptus for painting since the wood has good resistance to surface checking. May be "ebonised" to a rich black colour by treatment with ferric chloride solution. Heartwood durable. Sapwood susceptible to attack by lyctid borers. Used in Flooring, cladding, panelling, general construction, sleepers, poles.

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Messmate
Eucalyptus obliqua L'Herit.
Other common names: Messmate stringybark

A large hardwood of common occurrence in Tasmania and Victoria, and also in the tableland district of New South Wales and southern Queensland. Heartwood pale brown. Sapwood pale yellow, usually distinguishable form the heartwood. Texture moderately coarse but even. Grain sometimes interlocked. Growth rings visible but not prominent. Gum veins common. Heartwood may contain 2 per cent by weight of polyphenols likely to stain alkaline surfaces brown. "Pencil streak" stains sometimes present. Slow in drying and likely to check. Some collapse occurs. Relatively easy to work. Glues well. Satisfactory for steam bending. Fuming with ammonia gives a grey colour to the surface. Heartwood moderately durable. Sapwood susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Used in general construction, furniture, flooring, panelling.

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Pine, Cypress, White
Callitris glauca R. Br. ex R. T. Bak. et H. G. Sm
Callitris columellaris Gl Muell. sens. lat. has also been applied to it.

A small to medium-sized softwood widely distributed in inland areas of Australia with moderate rainfall. Much of the country in New South Wale and Queensland now devoted to wheat growing was originally covered with forests of cypress pine. The bark often produces a saleable resin called sandarac, but its collection is very labor-intensive. It cannot be recovered by extracting the bark with solvents because this would result in an unacceptable adulterated product. An increased flow of resin is often seen on the stumps of recently felled trees. Sandarac is used in confectionery and pharmaceuticals. Heartwood variegated browns. Sapwood pale yellow. Texture very fine and even. Grain straight. Distinctive and strongly persistent odour. Knots very common. A splinter burns to a white ash while that of black cypress pine burns to a dark grey or black ash. Dries quickly but is prone to fine surface checking so reduction of the initial drying rate is necessary for dressed products in warm weather. Needs care in working because of its brittle nature. Accepts nail plate connectors without splitting. Inadvisable to dress it a low moisture content levels because of its brittleness. The sanding dust of most cypress pines is irritant to the mucous membranes of some people. Because of its susceptibility to fine surface checking cypress pine is one timber which gives a better painting performance when coated in the unseasoned condition; by lowing down the initial drying rate the coating inhibits the formation of checks. Heartwood durable; it has particularly good resistance to termites. The sapwood of cypress pine is unusual in that it, as well as the heartwood, is very difficult to impregnate with preservatives, even when high pressures are involved. Sap replacement methods involving the steeping of the end drain of freshly felled material in the treatment solution gives some degree of penetration but it is a slow process suitable only for small scale operations. Because of its frequent knots and high extractives content cypress pine is not favoured for paper pulp production. The yeild and strength of the pulp is relatively low and there is a high consumption of processing chemicals. Used in flooring, panelling, building framework, posts, small poles.

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Pine, Hoop
Araucaria cunninghamii Ait. ex D. Don

A large softwood native to the rainforests northern New South Wales and Queensland, and also occurring in the mountain regions of Papua New Guinea. Heartwood pale yellow-brown. Sapwood, to 150mm wide, almost white. Texture very fine and even. Grain straight. Compression wood often occurs, generally indicated by bands of darker coloured wood. Growth rings inconspicuous. Easy to dry but care needed to avoid blue stain. Plantation thinnings are inclined to twist due to spiral grain. For best results it may be desirable to use a high temperature drying treatment. Easy to work. Knots do not machine as easily as those of Pinus species. Unsuitable for steam bending. Glues well. Heard wood no sufficiently durable for external use; variable in resistance to impregnation with preservatives. In tropical and semi-tropical areas the hoop pine borer (calymmaderus spp.) may attack it; complete enclosure by other materials or coating with paint or varnish will give protection. Plywood, particleboard, furniture, match splints and boxes, battery separators, joinery, flooring, panelling are some of this species uses.

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Tallowwood
Eucalyptus microcorys F. Muell.

Janka ratings

A large hardwood of the coast and coastal ranges between the Hunter River in New South Wales and the Maryborough district of Queensland. Heartwood yellowish brown with a tinge of olive green. Sapwood usually distinctively paler. Texture moderately coarse but even. Grain often interlocked. Among its extractives are appreciable amounts of triterpenes which give a greasy feel to the wood and can affect the strength of the bond obtainable with adhesives. A distinguishing characteristic, very unusual for a eucalypt, is the complete absence of gum veins. Pin-hole borer marks are often present, as are the fibre separations known as "water rings". Slow drying. Collapse is negligible. Reasonably easy to work, considering its density. Gluing can resent some problems because of the wood's greasy nature; it may be worthwhile to wash the surface with 10percent sodium hydroxide before the application of adhesive. Moderately suitable for steam bending. Usually has good resistance to surface checking when exposed to the weather. Heartwood very durable; very impermeable to impregnation with preservatives. Sapwood susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Used in heavy engineering structures, sleepers, bridges, wharfage, flooring, cladding, sills, crossarms, poles, piles and cooling towers.

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Turpentine
Syncarpia glomulifera(Sm.) Niedenzu
Synonym: Syncarpia laurifolia Ten.
Other name: luster (in Queensland)

Janka ratings

A large hardwood of the richer soils with high rainfall on the east coast between Sydney and Cairns. Its name is derived form the small amount of oleo-resin in the inner bark but it belies the character of the wood which is probably the most difficult Australian timber to burn. Heartwood reddish brown. Sapwood distinctly paler. Texture fine and even. Grain often interlocked. No gum veins. Its general appearance is rather similar to that of the redder types of brush box. Sometimes it has a discoloured dark brown heartwood which has a lower resistance to impact forces but otherwise seems satisfactory. Slow in drying. Tangential surfaces may check. Some collapse is common. Because of the presence of silica the dry wood very quickly blunts cutting edges. Satisfactory for steam bending. Not easy to glue. The extractives produce dark brown stains on alkaline surfaces such as concrete and asbestos cement. Heartwood very durable. The presence of a considerable amount of silica has been thought to make it more resistant to marine organisms than other Australian species but other factors, such as the nature of its extractives, are involved. It is very resistant to impregnation with preservatives. The sapwood is not susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Marine piling (the bark is often left on for some extra protection against Teredo borers but it is difficult to ensure long-term retention of the bark so the merit of the practice may be questionable), poles, sleepers, shipbuilding, wharf and bridge decking, bearings, flooring, panelling, building framework.

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