Thread: Hard Hard Wood

Probably yellow box.

make some tooloing that uses carbide tips

Make up a jig that takes a router in the lathe.

use an abrasive wheel, (how ? thats your problem)

AHHHH:eek: thaught comes to mind...... The detergent treatment as discussed a while ago. soak the thing in diswashing detergent concentrate.

It wont make it softer but it might make it easier to cut as the detergent acts as a lubricant.

cheers

Hi All
Australian power poles are actually the hardest timbers in the world for this use and the same goes for our old railway sleepers. Part of what I do is specify 2 stroke powered auger bits for drilling in the cross arm bolts and climbing spikes.

These days we use poles with CCA treatment - be careful your friends haven't given you green CCA timber, it is poisonous. The timber in the old poles which included Iron Bark, Grey Gum, White Mahogany, Grey Box and some Black Box, once they have aged 10 to 20 years are so hard it is difficult to produce augers which will maintain an edge for more than a few holes.

The bits we buy are made by Greene Lee in the US and we have had to send samples of old poles to the US just so they could develop the correct cutting angles and flute twist. Over there, their hardwood is no better than our radiata pine which IMO is only a "soft" wood.

As a timber for working into a bowl or similar, I don't think it would be worthwhile. Pole timbers are very hard but also very brittle in thin sections and I would think they are likely to splinter or shatter. I may be wrong but I think your barking up the wrong tree.

Mark

It sounds as if Calm would be better off trying to turn a section of an Adelaide stobie pole!!

Hi Calm, what they say about the wood splitting is spot on, I get power poles from a friend who works at a elec company, and all it is good for is to chop up into firewood.
Why dont you go and buy some really nice wood and make a bowl and tell your friends it is from the pole they gave you.

regards Thommo

Originally Posted by jmk89

Mark

It sounds as if Calm would be better off trying to turn a section of an Adelaide stobie pole!!

Not being from SA I had to google "stobie" - very clevery use of old rail and concrete and yes our poles are far harder than a stobie but like a stobie they do tend to jump out in front of alcohol powered drivers.

You could shape it with a large grinder, give it a coat of laquer & give it back as a door stop.

Cut it in half down the middle, give it a coat of laquer and give it back as book ends

Thanks heaps for the comments, advice etc.

I guess that this block will join the decrative pile of firewood that has exited the lathe lately.

ooroo

CALM

That stihl add on tele with the golfer is very understandable.