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  1. #1
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    Default What are these slabs?

    I found these nice little slabs in my driveway this afternoon, courtesy of a neighbour. They're fully dry, 1 metre long, 400mm wide and 60-70mm thick:

    a. Slabs.JPG


    It looks a lot like Silky Oak to me, but I'm hopeless with timber IDs, so thought I'd ask some expert advice.

    A couple of close-ups of a cleaned up patch, the first is dry and the second after a wipe with White Spirits:
    b. Cleaned up - dry.jpg c. Cleaned up - White Spirits.jpg


    Edit: A better close-up:

    d. Cleaned up - White Spirits - Closeup.JPG

    Any help appreciated. I hate having timber without knowing what it is.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

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  3. #2
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    Steve, a few questions . . . How heavy are the blanks? How do they plane?

    Looks to me, Southern Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta), but I may stand corrected.

    Lucky to have a good neighbour!
    Pat
    Work is a necessary evil to be avoided. Mark Twain

  4. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat View Post
    Steve, a few questions . . . How heavy are the blanks?
    Not especially heavy for their size. Heaps lighter than Eucalypts and some of the other dense hardwoods. Reasonably hard though.


    How do they plane?
    I'll try planing a piece tomorrow. Today I just attacked it with a belt sander to clean up a patch.


    Looks to me, Southern Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta), but I may stand corrected.
    I compared it to a piece of Southern Silky and it does look pretty similar. Also compared a piece of Cardwellia, but it looks more like the Southern stuff.


    Lucky to have a good neighbour!
    Yep.
    This sort of thing doesn't happen to me very often. I'll put it to good use. Much nicer than the Tas Oak and Blackbutt I've been playing with lately.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

  5. #4
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    Does it have a slight pinkish tinge to it? as it might be northern silky oak. I have worked with the northern stuff and it machines well. Cheers WC

  6. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wood Collector View Post
    Does it have a slight pinkish tinge to it? as it might be northern silky oak. I have worked with the northern stuff and it machines well. Cheers WC
    It does have a slight pinkish tint. As far as I know, though, it was grown locally here in Nowra.
    Does Northern Silky, (Cardwellia), grow this far South?

    I'll probably play safe and just call it Silky Oak.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

  7. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat View Post
    Looks to me, Southern Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta)...
    Neil
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    Quote Originally Posted by dai sensei View Post
    Thanks Neil. That's what I'll call it.
    Looks like I got it right for once.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by dai sensei View Post
    +1
    I've got a bit In the shed and have made a fair bit with it. My experience with it is that it machines well but it can hand plane a bit strangely, giving feathery, dusty shavings that can gum up in the mouth.

    Also, I haven't been able to get a satisfying shellac finish on it and oil makes it look grubby for some reason, but wax and acrylic finishes have worked really well.

    I'd be very happy with a few big bits like that to turn up in my driveway
    ...I'll just make the other bits smaller.

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Berlin View Post
    +1
    I've got a bit In the shed and have made a fair bit with it. My experience with it is that it machines well but it can hand plane a bit strangely, giving feathery, dusty shavings that can gum up in the mouth.

    Also, I haven't been able to get a satisfying shellac finish on it and oil makes it look grubby for some reason, but wax and acrylic finishes have worked really well.

    I'd be very happy with a few big bits like that to turn up in my driveway
    Thanks Berlin.

    It's not very often I get a windfall like this. Much of my timber is bought online at high $, or low-grade recycled stuff.

    I didn't take to it with a hand plane in the end. After the replies here, confirming that it's SO, I didn't worry.
    I usually use WOP as a finish on most things. It should give a clean finish.

    I'm not sure what I'll use them for yet. I'll have to think about it.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

  11. #10
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    I'll go with Southern Silky Oak too. The knot & grey stain are very good indicators. One give away with SSO is its slightly waxy or greasy feel. Just take a pass with a hand plane or chisel to expose a fresh smooth surface - how does it feel?

    Be cautious as some people react to SSO.
    Last edited by Mobyturns; 29th June 2014 at 07:34 AM. Reason: add caution

  12. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mobyturns View Post
    I'll go with Southern Silky Oak too. The knot & grey stain are very good indicators. One give away with SSO is its slightly waxy or greasy feel. Just take a pass with a hand plane or chisel to expose a fresh smooth surface - how does it feel?

    Be cautious as some people react to SSO.
    I'll pass a plane over it a little later on when the day warms up and see how it feels.

    And thanks for the caution. I just checked my timber toxicity chart (which I always forget to look at) and found this:
    irritant, sap may cause blistering of skin, eyelid inflammation
    It also gets three out of four stars for potency.

    When I plane & check for greasiness later, I'll rub a bit on a tender bit of skin on the inside of my arm and see if there's a reaction. If so, I'll know not to do it again.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hermit View Post
    I'll pass a plane over it a little later on when the day warms up and see how it feels.

    And thanks for the caution. I just checked my timber toxicity chart (which I always forget to look at) and found this:


    It also gets three out of four stars for potency.

    When I plane & check for greasiness later, I'll rub a bit on a tender bit of skin on the inside of my arm and see if there's a reaction. If so, I'll know not to do it again.
    We all forget at some time but always good to check out new timbers. I don't have a problem with SSO but other family members do - mainly with contacting live plants, even a brush with the leaves brings out a rash. Dust from SSO can be particularly irritating for some turners as it seems to find all those nice sweaty creases in our skin.

  14. #13
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    I ran a plane over one of these today. It doesn't like the plane. It does feel very slightly greasy, but it's hard to tell today. My fingers are extra-dry from the cold so everything feels slick.

    At this point, I don't think there's any doubt that it's Southern Silky Oak.

    Edit: I rubbed my arm against it, too, but had no reaction. I'll still be a bit wary when working it though.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

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    Steve, mask up and have a fan blow clean air across your face.
    Pat
    Work is a necessary evil to be avoided. Mark Twain

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat View Post
    Steve, mask up and have fan blow clean air across your face.
    Thanks Pat. I try to always wear a mask when sanding, and use the DC, but the fan is a good idea. (Not during this cold spell though.)

    I won't be touching it for a while. I'm booked up with other projects for the next few months at least. Gives me time to think about exactly what I'll do with it and how to approach cutting it up and dressing with my meagre equipment.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

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