Matildasmate
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A pdf,for anyone Interested in info onSome of the Aussie tree species Hardness density use etc.
Just a technical comment of getting "density" mixed up with "hardness" as they don't always match up. Yes we have our fair share of hard and densie timber and it's a real PITA sharpening, but the rewards are generally worth it. Not all these timbers come in what we think of as millable trees.I for one can't believe how many Aussie hardwoods are denser than 1000kg/sq.meter, even dry. Sounds like you have some pretty hard wood, all in all. Lots of sinkers. I can't imagine that's a lot of fun to be sharpening chains in the field with, either. I know that cutting a bunch of white oak or locust dulls the crap out of my chains in a hurry when I cut firewood; something with almost 1/4-1/3 more density must be a true PITA, but a pleasure to build, or burn with, for that matter, if its not big enough to mill...
Some make fantastic firewood and burn to nothing but you have to remember that apart from an area (bout the size of Switzerland) we don't get snow and most of the country is HOT or warm, even in winter. In the city it makes more sense to use gas (which we have a couple of hundred years worth) for heating rather than burn timber. In the countryside people use what they can get. Mallee roots are a favourite and give awesome heat for volume burnt - also hard as #%^$^.I know this is the milling forum and all, and it would be a crime to cut down your beautiful trees for just firewood, but what are aussie woods like to burn with in a woodstove?? I know that all of the eucalyptus species have a fair amount of flammable oil, but is it contained in the heartwood too, or just the bark and sapwood? Just curious...
Thanks MM, That's a very good article, good reference list as well. A pity that it doesn't have the minor? species in there for completeness.
Cheers
Thanks, MM.
Just a technical comment of getting "density" mixed up with "hardness" as they don't always match up. Yes we have our fair share of hard and densie timber and it's a real PITA sharpening, but the rewards are generally worth it. Not all these timbers come in what we think of as millable trees.
That Jam wood as its called is a good example - remember this
Hard and dense and a real pig to work. The most common use of this timber is as fenceposts because Termites won't eat it. It also rarely grows much thicker than your arm.
Some make fantastic firewood and burn to nothing but you have to remember that apart from an area (bout the size of Switzerland) we don't get snow and most of the country is HOT or warm, even in winter. In the city it makes more sense to use gas (which we have a couple of hundred years worth) for heating rather than burn timber. In the countryside people use what they can get. Mallee roots are a favourite and give awesome heat for volume burnt - also hard as #%^$^.
I for one can't believe how many Aussie hardwoods are denser than 1000kg/sq.meter, even dry. Sounds like you have some pretty hard wood, all in all. Lots of sinkers. I can't imagine that's a lot of fun to be sharpening chains in the field with, either. I know that cutting a bunch of white oak or locust dulls the crap out of my chains in a hurry when I cut firewood; something with almost 1/4-1/3 more density must be a true PITA, but a pleasure to build, or burn with, for that matter, if its not big enough to mill...
I know this is the milling forum and all, and it would be a crime to cut down your beautiful trees for just firewood, but what are aussie woods like to burn with in a woodstove?? I know that all of the eucalyptus species have a fair amount of flammable oil, but is it contained in the heartwood too, or just the bark and sapwood? Just curious...
Yeah, guess I didn't think about that. Hot 'n dry. Sure would like to visit someday. I'm the only one in my family that HASN"T been to Australia. Bit jealous, I am.
I looked again at the density/hardness scales. They are different than I would've imagined with some. Still though, I've seen a bunch of beautiful trees on this site from you guys down under. Keep it up.
Whilst we get little snow in Australia, large parts get ppretty cold. Nearly all of our eucalypts make good firewood. A lot of our species can be a little plain in the grain when compared to the northern hemisphere species. I guess its a case of the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
Perhaps we should organise a swap, we'll meet half way,somewhere in the middle of the ocean.
Hi Outback Yes , your right , some of the places ive been and lived get in the minuses , Ballarat vic , Millicent sa , Kalgoorlie wa . Yes saddly , quite a few of the eucy's we have , have very simular grains , thats all the stuff they chuck into , What they call , Tassie oak , which is a fancy name for mixed gum timbers . We used to get a lot of , mixed plain grain logs , from the snowy mountains for the Eucy pulp mill , which i used to work in . Just another dept of the same joint i work in now.
Thanks matildasmate... as a lover and collector of wood, I found that very interesting. As I've said before, I wish Australia weren't so inaccessible to the average person ($$$$$). If it were as close as Canada or Mexico, I'd be there every summer collecting and buying unique wood.
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