Thread: Buckinghamia

Looks like it will make some interesting pens Darren.
I had to google the tree to see what it was, I have seen some of them around Mackay, the flowers confirm it.
I got a few log sections out of the local green waste dump a few years back, after looking at your bits there, I reckon that’s what my bits were. Will have to see if I can find a piece in the shed and have another look.

The gentleman that looks after our wood shed at the guild found a heap in the racking but it had bowed in the middle. Faced one edge and face. So I have blanks at 28 and 23 mmm. The ones in the photo come from the sides on the board an was 20mm

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Medullary detail is neat mate should yield lovely pens,also light coloured timber is interesting.

Peter.

Originally Posted by Penpal

Medullary detail is neat mate should yield lovely pens,also light coloured timber is interesting.

Peter.

Peter, I spun a bit late last night to see it in the round. The patterning is like that of a grevillia. If not knowing it was Buckinghamia it looks like a locally grown Silky Oak. I like the lighter colour and I don't normally do a BLO finish but will do another piece to see how much change the BLO will make. I will be making a carpenter's pencil for my wood storeman out of it as a thank you

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I stashed some bottle brush [can't spell the real name] it is a beautiful grain timber looks a lot like what you are showing.

We look forward to seeing how this wood turns and finishes bdar.

Buckinghamia wood (also called spotted silky oak) its quite dense, at 930 kg/ m3 and shows these lovely medullary rays in its wood. Like other woods from the enormous Proteaceae family, MANY called “silky oaks". Wood colours density and textures vary but those rays of often a giveaway sign of a Proteaceae wood. They include they Grevilleas, Banksia, Hakea, Cardwellia, Macadamia and Xylomelum - just a handful of genera we see on this forum. There are many other genera.

Thanks for bringing it up and showing us another silky oak bdar.

I stashed some bottle brush [can't spell the real name] it is a beautiful grain timber looks a lot like what you are showing

I don't think there is any similarity mature one between Callistemon (in another family) and the Proteaceae woods. What you will find missing in the bottlebrush wood are the pronounced (oak-like) rays

If Toymaker Len is looking at this post, maybe he can see if this wood (Buckinghamia) is like the small one he sent me to identify.
It looks like it could be to me.

I found a couple of book matched slabs I cut just after I salvaged the logs out of the dump, they are about 130mm wide each.
I am not convinced its from the same tree, but certainly possible.
There are some bigger bits somewhere.
DSC_9638.jpg

Thanks for the heads up Euge. The Buckinghamia is much lighter than the Persoonia that I found. I think it looks more like a Hakea with the smaller medullary rays. Big contrast with Ironwoods piece which to me looks exactly like silky oak with a bit of age.

Originally Posted by Toymaker Len

Thanks for the heads up Euge. The Buckinghamia is much lighter than the Persoonia that I found. I think it looks more like a Hakea with the smaller medullary rays. Big contrast with Ironwoods piece which to me looks exactly like silky oak with a bit of age.

Hi Len

I have some GOOD NEWS which is sent by PM. Just received today from a wood anatomist friend which with the info you provided suggests it is most likely Dillena alata called Red Beech with a red pappery bark... the rays were what led me astray to think it was a Proteaceae. The wood colour (tan) and rays are rather like Buckinghamia ... but then again also a bit different.

addition: One comment I got back Len was that the wood you provided "appears to be sapwood" or immature wood, as the heartwood of the above species is reddish (not tan/pale brown as yours appears to be).

Cheers, Euge

PS (edit) Yes, Persoonia falcata has a deep red heartwood nothing like the wood you had.
SORRY FOLKS, I DID NOT MEAN TO HIJACK THIS THREAD its about Buckinghamia

if I could put up photos I would show the similarity to oak in the tree pieces I have. While I wouldn't differ from Euge but the Callistemon has a lovely oak grain.

Originally Posted by Toymaker Len

Big contrast with Ironwoods piece which to me looks exactly like silky oak with a bit of age.

Could very well be. Though it is a lighter colour than some bits of Cardwellia S.O. that I have here.
I always thought it must have been some garden variety Grevillea, but when I saw Bdar’s pics, I thought maybe that’s what my pieces were also, especially due to there being quite a few of those trees in the area.
I can’t be sure either way.

Originally Posted by Ironwood

Could very well be. Though it is a lighter colour than some bits of Cardwellia S.O. that I have here.
I always thought it must have been some garden variety Grevillea, but when I saw Bdar’s pics, I thought maybe that’s what my pieces were also, especially due to there being quite a few of those trees in the area.
I can’t be sure either way.

That's the value of having authentic reference samples from reliable sources eg Forestry or IWCS members. IWCS samples are 150 x 80 x 13 mm. This allows trading and sales between members and at IWCS wood auctions. Mistakes in ID are still made occassionally.

Usually making a small cut with a very sharp knife or razor on end grain of an unknown wood will show features that one can use to compare against a standard reference material. Wood density colour luster odour etc can come into the comparison as much has been published.

Some IWCS members make microscopic sections and mount them as very thin (dyed but transparent) sections onto microscope slides, which they supply to others, and which can be used to make comparison and identification of unknown woods possible. This is another method to compare and identify woods and there are many published wood sections available in digital form that one can access.

Euge

Originally Posted by Ironwood

I found a couple of book matched slabs I cut just after I salvaged the logs out of the dump, they are about 130mm wide each.
I am not convinced its from the same tree, but certainly possible.
There are some bigger bits somewhere.
DSC_9638.jpg

That looks like southern silky oak to me.