Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 6 of 6
Thread: Mystery "timber"
-
22nd October 2008, 08:40 AM #1Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Sydney NSW
- Posts
- 115
Mystery "timber"
Hi folks
While camping on the bank of a river draining out of the Great Dividing Range here in NSW recently, I found some strange pieces of what I can only describe as a "wood-like substance" half-buried in a sandbank in the riverbed. When I first picked it up I thought it was a stone, because that's exactly what it looks like. However, the wieght and feel immediately told me it was wood. Once it was dried out (with no splitting or shrinking, even though it was completely waterlogged) I gave it a cautious test cut with an old hand saw, and the strangeness continued. It has no discernible grain, no smell, cuts beautifully, produces a fine powdery sawdust even from a relatively coarse-toothed saw, and sand to a mirror-like finish.
Here's a picture of what it looks like, the lower piece has the cut edge.
What do you reckon it is? I've never seen a piece of "ancient" timber but perhaps this is the same sort of thing. Alternatively, it may be torrefied wood - wood that has been altered by heating (to about 200-300oC if I recall correctly).
So now I'm wondering what to make out of it. I occasionally make model ships, so perhaps it will be good for detail parts. It might be nice turned into drawer pulls. It looks like it would be great for bas-relief carving. The pieces are fairly small (the cut piece is about seven inches long) but it's much too interesting to discard.
Thoughts, please!
-
22nd October 2008 08:40 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
22nd October 2008, 09:44 AM #2
It may be coal. The east part of the state is full of it. I remenber on a trout fishing camp near lake Lyle we had a coal camp fire going. The edge of the creek was littered with it.
Regards
John
-
22nd October 2008, 10:47 AM #3Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Sydney NSW
- Posts
- 115
Interesting possibility - you may be right. It does resemble coal in many ways, although it doesn't seem as brittle as ordinary coal (which I've seen a lot of) and certainly isn't as black. Perhaps weathered, partially oxidised coal is a little different to the fresh-from-the-mine stuff?
-
22nd October 2008, 01:17 PM #4human termite
- Join Date
- Jul 2007
- Location
- Nambour queensland
- Age
- 69
- Posts
- 1,783
i think it may be shale,same colour, could be cut with saw quite easily.......bob
-
22nd October 2008, 07:13 PM #5Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Sydney NSW
- Posts
- 115
On further research, I think you're on right track, Bob. Specifically, I think it's probably oil shale. The saw dust is a chocolaty brown , which is diagnostic for oil shale according to Wikipedia (source of all true knowledge), which also says it is recognisable by sounding like wood when struck with a hammer. There used to be oil shale mining at Newnes, which is at the headwaters of the Colo River, where I found this.
Interesting - for a piece of rock it is amazingly like a piece of wood!
-
23rd October 2008, 12:45 PM #6
Similar Threads
-
"I see stupid people!" or "spot the blithering idiot"
By journeyman Mick in forum NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH WOODWORKReplies: 46Last Post: 29th October 2010, 07:29 AM -
Difference "Galvanised" and "Primed" Steel
By Fr_303 in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 4Last Post: 22nd January 2008, 05:59 PM