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29th April 2019, 02:32 PM #1GOLD MEMBER
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Light timber that is highly figured
I would like to get a timber with lots of figure. Something not too dark (blackwood, redgum seems to often have lots of figure but too dark). Around 38x200 or 50x100 in size and 2m in length. Who stocks this type of stuff around Melbourne?
Timbers which I've seen are things like banksia, jacaranda but you never really see it sold commercially (I also dont think large dimensions are common). Camphor laurel with spalting seems to be common up north but not around Melbourne.
Any suggestions?
Edit: I just spoke to a large timber supplier in Melb and the rep told me to try, it sounded like "massie timbers" in Kilsyth. I cant find them and he had to whisper it over the phone so his boss couldnt hear him. Anyone have any idea before I call back and potentially get him into trouble lol
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29th April 2019, 03:06 PM #2Taking a break
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Regular Vic Ash can have figure that rivals Blackwood, but you gotta find someone who'll let you pick through a pack to find what you want.
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29th April 2019, 04:17 PM #3Senior Member
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Maybe "Mountain Timbers" in Kilsyth? Worth a try.
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29th April 2019, 06:53 PM #4.
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Its probably not going to help your much but WA Marri occasionally has some really nice figure.
This is an example from a Marri I milled some 10 years ago.
Still have the slabs around the side of the house. Sorry not for sale.
fiddle.jpg
There's a local church that has most of its pews made out of figured Marri - look pretty specky - it's almost too much in those sorts of quantity.
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29th April 2019, 11:51 PM #5GOLD MEMBER
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Ive come across fiddleback in vic ash but I sort of want to be able to walk into a store or miller with lots of stock and be able to grab a board when needed.
I'll give mountain timbers a call.
I havent really seen much Marri for sale.
Whats queensland maple like? Its something which is listed on the Mathews timber site.
Whelan the warehouse has quite a bit of huon pine which is an option.
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30th April 2019, 07:42 AM #6
QLD Silver Ash, Jacaranda, Scaly Ash are worth a look at.
Mobyturns
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30th April 2019, 09:26 AM #7
Must be a different cultivar of Jacarandas up your way, MT. I scrounge every bit of Jacaranda I can around here (it's a great wood for Windsor chair seats!), but the best I've seen for figure is an occasional swirl. Rather irregular grain due to their growth habit (another tree that grows in the dark!) but I've not seen one I'd call highly figured yet. It's a good wood to work with but has a high movement with moisture. Our Jacaranda-topped kitchen table shrinks & expands about 10mm every year.
Qld Maple (Flindersia brayleyana) is often highly figured, almost overwhelming at times: Desk1.jpg
It comes in the widest range of figure of any wood I know - everything from fiddleback to 'storm at sea' patterns. One of the best cabinet timbers in the world, too, imo, lovely stuff to work with. But make sure you get enough of the same batch to complete your project - it can be hard to find a close match in the next lot. I made that mistake with my desk, & couldn't find the extra I needed. The figured wood I found was too obviously different. Ended up using much plainer stuff for the sides because it stood out less.
Although the percentage that is highly figured seems to be very high with Qld.Maple, it still makes plenty of straight-grained stuff, so as for any figured wood, you've got to be able to search through the pile to get patterns & amount you want. The sellers used to not mind too much, many years ago, because most people preferred the plainer wood, and they were happy to have someone take the 'wild' stuff away. In Nth America, the demand for figured woods is high, so millers & dealers tend to sort it out & sell it as such (at a premium). The small millers & boutique sellers do that in Oz, and will try to supply what you want if they have it. Good wood is like gold, though, you may stumble on a nugget, but mostly you have to do a lot of searching & digging to find it....
Cheers,IW
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30th April 2019, 11:32 AM #8GOLD MEMBER
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What are the chances of Britton timber's Qld maple or silver ash having some figure if I was to order from them. They dont have racks for you to sort through. Not worth it?
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30th April 2019, 01:42 PM #9
You can ask them if you can choose your pieces of wood, because you're looking for figure. They will drop a load of timber from the racks and you can look through that. Or, you could ask them if they have figured QLD maple in it's own bin. I do this when I want fiddleback Blackwood. They are really a good company to buy from.
Regards,
Rob
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