Thread: is iron bark as hard as iron?

Just read an article in the Australian WoodWorker #135 Pg12.

Ironwood has a hardness on the Janka scale of 2890! (American oak 1360)

Have not seriously worked with it myself yet. Apart from turn a pen with it.

hmm so its definetly pretty hard! what is it compared to say jarrah?

Originally Posted by Gags_17

hmm so its definetly pretty hard! what is it compared to say jarrah?

Jarrah is about 1900 from memory

I am very familiar with grey and red ironbark. Loggers would often call any timber iron-something because it was generally that hardest wood in the region. This is true all over the world.

Another measure of an ironwood is that it sinks in water just like iron bar. If you are not used to really hardwood then ironbark would be a shock.

Ironwoods are generally heavy construction timber for bridges, and piers. They have not been traditionally valued as a furniture timber to to being to hard to work. However as more traditional timbers have been pushed to the brink and supplies have become constrained, these muscle timbers are coming into main stream timber market. Which is bad since they themselves are a limited supply timbers themselves.

However I love the ironbark, you need razor sharp tools and skill if working by hand if using a machine be ready to replace the blade more then once, tungsten is your friend.

I have attached a chart that I made that shows you a comparison between Australian Muscle timbers.

Remember that ironbark is actually a few species both in red and grey varieties. The red is softer and more common, the grey is harder and not as common, especially down here were I live, I think the Queensland grey is a hardest and nicer timber, the Grey from Northern NSW being a little softer. However that is cutting hair. They also work differently, I prefer the Queensland grey it works much finer.

On a final note, Grey and Red Ironbark is listed as at risk species, due to over logging and it is recommend that it not be used, as it has been misused extensively in the last 200 years. Luckily you can find tones of it from recycled sources. This recycled timber is true old growth, and has a much finer grain.

We talking Ironbark or Ironwood?

Ironwood is full of silicates that will blunten your tools, tungsten carbide tools are recommended.

Ironbark is also pretty hard to work and also has a blunting effect on tools, but in comparison to ironwood, is quite easy.

please note: ironwood and ironbark are diferent timbers

red ironbark is one if not the hardest timber on the east coast once dry you cannot hammer a 2" nail intoit without druilling a pilot hole first.

i personaly love the stuff it is heavy and hard but itsaws realy good planes realygood and pollishes up a treat.

if you are making a cabinet out of it you will need to asemble it on site or get a forklift to lift it in.

thanks for all the replies!
thumbsucker the its a redy brown color thanks for the great information on the wood!
i think i will use it cuz it sounds like a challenge! allthough if its as heavy as you say then i might use another wood to contrast with it! which wood do you guys reccomend will look nice? just out of curiosity since its so rare now how much is it a metre? the wood whop i go to has it for $2.00 mtr and its 19mm thick by bout 220-290 wide its all dressed and its reall straight! is this a bargain? they are also selling spotted gum for atound the same price and dimensions

That sounds very cheap, down here a similar size red ironbark is $20+ a meter ruff sawn. Red ironbark is the most commonly available of the ironbarks.

I cannot even get grey iron bark for less then $150 a meter here in Melbourne.

Ironwood is different to ironbark. Their are lots of woods that are called ironwoods all around the world.

hey guys
decided not to go with iron bark on this project! so instead i got some blue gum and kempas! i really like the kempas i love the orange colour with light streaks! not sure if its just me or every one but when ya cutting it up it kinda smells like a fresh horse ???? lol im just bout finished cutting up all the wood once i get started on assembly i will post som pics

Until about 15 years ago they used to sell here in Adelaide red ironbark sleepers. They were still green but relatively cheap. My father, a retired engineer who had picked up woodcarving as a hobby (from me, role reversal!) but in the bottom of his heart considered wood an inferior material, after a couple of attempts with softer woods would not condescend to carving anything else. Now they do not sell the stuff anymore, you have explained why. Can't believe you still find it at that price, Gags.

i was trying to chainsaw through an old tankstand stump a while back, probably about 20-30 years old, sparks were coming off the chainsaw chain and i didnt get very far, it was reasonably sharp when i started..

its denisty is aorund 1090 so theres some woods that are harder but depending on species of IB, growth conditions, age etc...yes it can be very hard,, as iron, no but its hard stuff for sure..

other hard woods, like inland rosewood, belah, desert ironwood, brigalow, boree etc and just as hard if not harder

cheeeers
john