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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4

    Lightbulb Student who need help!

    Hey everyone,

    I am a student and doing a project which I have to create outdoor furniture., I went for some research and people are saying Jarrah is kind of a good material for outdoor types of furniture making.

    So now my question is, is Jarrah a good material for outdoor furniture?
    If yes does anyone know any contact that I can get it near Melbourne CBD?

    Cheers!

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    back in Alberta for a while
    Age
    68
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    12,006

    Default

    Western Red cedar is also good and lighter than Jarrah (= easier to move around)
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  4. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Sth Gippsland Vic
    Posts
    4,355

    Default

    Yes Jarrah is good.
    I know a place in Oakleigh Sth . They had some last time I was there. The price should be pretty good there . The price on Jarrah can be sky high in some places . Id be comparing and driving a bit or get it delivered.

    https://www.tileimporter.com.au/

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

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    Something to think about if you are after a natural finish is, how the colour changes in time. In case you are unaware, Jarrah is usually mid to dark red/brown colour. No matter what finish is applied, even though it starts out looking really sexy, it will eventually go grey (all wood does). The change is less noticeable with lighter coloured timber like Tassie oak. You will find Tassie oak is cheaper than Jarrah.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Hunter Valley
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,342

    Default

    I asked a very similar questions not so long ago here: Outdoor furniture timber, deck, and finish?

    I was keen on preserving the real wood look too, and there's some suggestions in there on timbers to use

    As for an outdoor finish, I found this post and subsequent discussion to be very interesting (I have not yet tried this): The GF Project: Camphor Vanity...

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Oberon, NSW
    Age
    63
    Posts
    13,354

    Default

    Jarrah is perfectly suitable for outydoor furniture, due to it's high oil content.

    This is one of the reasons it's so popular as decking material... which brings us to your second question. Any builders/timber yard that supplies builders with construction materiele will have construction grade jarrah in at least 90x90 posts and decking boards. They'll often have other sizes, eg. 70x18 or 90x18 DAR.

    They'll often also have larger pieces suitable for beams, etc (eg. 200x45 DAR) but these are usually built up from laminates. Some people like the look, I don't mind it. Wouldn't go out of my way to buy any for use in furniture, but if I have some offcuts laying around...

    Even the home handyman franchises such as Bunnings/Mitre 10/Hammer HW will often stock this material, but IMHO you're better of going to a timber yard.

    Now, I'll stress that this is construction grade and as such will often have cosmetic faults that won't suit furniture. However, with the price difference between furniture grade and construction grade it's often cheapest to sit down and make a cutting list, then buy construction grade pieces with suitable lengths between flaws. ie. Go down to the yard and cherry pick the pieces you want... and it's best tot load them and take 'em away yourself. (Have a trailer or roof-racks. Seriously! Keep everything long until you get home and can cut them to the desired lengths yourself. Their docking saws rarely cut square accurately and the operators tend to be 'near enough is good enough' when it comes to lengths anyway.)

    If you try to mail/phone/online order or get them to deliver, as often as not you'll end up with the tat that they're finding hard to move off the racks.

    This is true for any timbers used in building. Merbau, Jarrah, Vic Ash, etc. Mind you when buying timber such as Vic ASh, Tas. Oak, Blue Gum, etc you really need to be able to visually ID the timber yourself as to a builder it's all generally lumped together and sold as KDHW.

    But Jarrah and Merbau? Yeah, no confusing them with anything else.

    Shall I shut up now?
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ian View Post
    Western Red cedar is also good and lighter than Jarrah (= easier to move around)
    Australian Red Cedar looks beautiful, Thanks for the advise!

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4

    Default

    I was thinking about making a full set of furniture with Shelter, but true that eventually, it will turn grey over time.
    And also I was able to get Tassie Oak with super cheap price in Bowens, 140 x 45 x 3600 is around just $44, the reason that I was asking Jarrah is because people are saying Tassie Oak is not as durable as Jarrah, so i was thinking if the price difference is not too much I would like to try Jarrah, or maybe use both haha!
    Thanks for the advice!

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!! View Post
    Jarrah is perfectly suitable for outydoor furniture, due to it's high oil content.

    This is one of the reasons it's so popular as decking material... which brings us to your second question. Any builders/timber yard that supplies builders with construction materiele will have construction grade jarrah in at least 90x90 posts and decking boards. They'll often have other sizes, eg. 70x18 or 90x18 DAR.

    They'll often also have larger pieces suitable for beams, etc (eg. 200x45 DAR) but these are usually built up from laminates. Some people like the look, I don't mind it. Wouldn't go out of my way to buy any for use in furniture, but if I have some offcuts laying around...

    Even the home handyman franchises such as Bunnings/Mitre 10/Hammer HW will often stock this material, but IMHO you're better of going to a timber yard.

    Now, I'll stress that this is construction grade and as such will often have cosmetic faults that won't suit furniture. However, with the price difference between furniture grade and construction grade it's often cheapest to sit down and make a cutting list, then buy construction grade pieces with suitable lengths between flaws. ie. Go down to the yard and cherry pick the pieces you want... and it's best tot load them and take 'em away yourself. (Have a trailer or roof-racks. Seriously! Keep everything long until you get home and can cut them to the desired lengths yourself. Their docking saws rarely cut square accurately and the operators tend to be 'near enough is good enough' when it comes to lengths anyway.)

    If you try to mail/phone/online order or get them to deliver, as often as not you'll end up with the tat that they're finding hard to move off the racks.

    This is true for any timbers used in building. Merbau, Jarrah, Vic Ash, etc. Mind you when buying timber such as Vic ASh, Tas. Oak, Blue Gum, etc you really need to be able to visually ID the timber yourself as to a builder it's all generally lumped together and sold as KDHW.

    But Jarrah and Merbau? Yeah, no confusing them with anything else.

    Shall I shut up now?
    HAHA exactly! I was able to found a lot of places that have jarrah but it is only for flooring, i was thinking about 45mm thinkness at least.
    And I think I will personally go to the place to collect it myself just in case they give me a wrecked piece haha.
    Thank you so much for your advices!

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
    Posts
    6,127

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dickson View Post
    Australian Red Cedar looks beautiful, Thanks for the advise!
    Western Red Cedar and Australian Red Cedar are two different timbers

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    2,205

    Default

    Jarrah used to be available for stair treads.
    This was a few decades ago but can’t see why not.
    Might be worth chasing that way.
    H.
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    adelaide
    Posts
    79

    Default

    Bunnings used to have Jarrah sleepers. They were well priced (but rough cut like a sleeper).

    I made some nice stuff with that wood.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    6,973

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    Yes Jarrah is good.
    I know a place in Oakleigh Sth . They had some last time I was there. The price should be pretty good there . The price on Jarrah can be sky high in some places . Id be comparing and driving a bit or get it delivered.

    https://www.tileimporter.com.au/
    WHS great place

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Doreen, Victoria
    Age
    18
    Posts
    113

    Default

    Sorry to be the type that tells you the bad things about this wood.
    I don't want to put you off of making it out of red cedar, but red cedar in particular can spark a bad allergic reaction while working with it thanks to the dust. In my case it started after I made a couple things with it, mainly hives and inflammation on unprotected areas. When I work with it I practically wear a full bodysuit...
    Don't get me wrong, it's a beauty of a wood but it can be harmful. According to the "The Wood Database", Australian Red Cedar: irritant, asthma, migraine, giddiness, bronchitis, stomach cramps, NPC (rare).
    Western Red Cedar: irritant, sensitizer, runny nose, asthma, nervous system effects, NPC (rare)

    Here is a link to the website that I got the info from. Wood Allergies and Toxicity | The Wood Database
    Just making sure you know!
    And yes Jarrah should be good as said above.
    Enjoy your woodworking.

    Benny

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