Some leopardwood free to a good home (Brisbane)

[rtyuiop]

Hi folks,

Had some tree loppers do a bunch of trimming on a leopardwood (not sure of exact species) across the road from me today, so I snaffled the bigger bits - 3 gnarly pieces of respectable size and one smallish log section.

I'll keep some but it's more than I need, so the rest is available for pickup (Rochedale South). If anyone takes some, if they can help me cut up the remaining pieces at the same time that would be appreciated - I have a no chainsawing by myself policy, too hard to call an ambulance when you've cut your own leg off.

Looks like there is way more sapwood than heartwood, so not sure how much usable timber there is, and it comes from a suburban yard, so it could be full of nails!

http://rtyuiop.net/workshop/IMG_0536.JPG

http://rtyuiop.net/workshop/IMG_0537.JPG

http://rtyuiop.net/workshop/IMG_0538.JPG

If anyone wants to pick some up, PM me.

Regards,

Danny

[dai sensei]

Also known as Brazilian Ironwood (Ceasalpenia ferrea). Hard as hell when dry but takes a finish well. The black centre only appears in very old trees, and even then not in all, but then fades to black spalting around various colours sort of similar to look at as Camphor Laurel. Also tends to crack but nothing that can't be filled.

Finish turning some at the moment ~500mm dia after rough turning it a couple of years ago. Blank when I started today shown below with coffee grinds filling the cracks

395867

[Nanigai]

Hi Danny,
I think you'll find this is also called Brazilian Ironwood and it is very bloody hard.:oo:
From Wikipedia:- "Libidibia ferrea, formerly Caesalpinia ferrea,[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libidibia_ferrea#cite_note-gag-1)[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libidibia_ferrea#cite_note-gas-2) and commonly known as pau ferro, Brazilian ironwood, or leopard tree,[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libidibia_ferrea#cite_note-GRIN-3) is a tree found in Brazil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil) andBolivia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia)."

I was given some last year and it was all mostly the darker heartwood.
I turned an egg for the donors wife and one for myself. I'm surprised you didn't hear me cursing down there when I was wearing a track from the lathe to the sharpening station however the grain can be spectacular so it's well worth the trouble.
All the best,
Cheers, Ian

[rtyuiop]

Oh yeah, I quite like the wood - have a few bits of that very dark heartwood around - at least I believe it's the same species, and if you can get it to the right shape without it driving you mad it is pretty spectacular!

I managed to save the bottom pen in this photo after cracking a good chunk of it off the tube:

http://rtyuiop.net/workshop/redwood-leopardtreeandresin-castellars.jpg

was quite the adventure trying to crack a similar bit off the second tube so they'd match