Thread: Is this Tasmanian Oak

Looks like it might be.

Tassie Oak is a generic name for about three different species. Could be Messmate, which is more brownish in colour I think than Alpine/Mountain Ash? It's common for flooring according to Bootle.

Grain looks identical to my supply of "tas oak", although as Silent noted it's a bit of a generic name.

Hi Nev

Tasmanian Oak is comprised of three species of eucalypts:

* Eucalyptus Delegatensis - aka alpine ash.
* E Obliqua - stringybark or messmate.
* E Regnans - swamp gum.

Victorian Ash is comprised of three (overlapping) species:

* E Regnans - mountain ash.
* E Delegatensis - alpine ash.
* E Gigantea - stringybark.

I agree with Silent that your floor looks like messmate. This is the preferred flooring (along with blue gum) down here as it is significantly harder than the other components of Tas Oak and it polishes beautifully.

Cheers

Graeme

however as tas oak is only a generic marketing term for mixed south eastern hardwoods what happens in practise is that good saw logs of minor species will be sent to the mill with the major species so you can actually have a few extra species in the mix and its all called tas oak.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Hi Nev

Tasmanian Oak is comprised of three species of eucalypts:

* Eucalyptus Delegatensis - aka alpine ash.
* E Obliqua - stringybark or messmate.
* E Regnans - swamp gum.

Victorian Ash is comprised of three (overlapping) species:

* E Regnans - mountain ash.
* E Delegatensis - alpine ash.
* E Gigantea - stringybark.

I agree with Silent that your floor looks like messmate. This is the preferred flooring (along with blue gum) down here as it is significantly harder than the other components of Tas Oak and it polishes beautifully.

Cheers

Graeme

my bet will be a victorian ash - but hard to tell. All of these can vary in colour significantly within a single log and between logs form a very light almost almost white to light brown, to pinky tinges and so on. Whatever, it will come up a treat when Nev gets it finished!