gettinthere 9th February 2016, 03:39 PM Hi all,
I have recently got my hands on some 50-60 lengths of red mahogany that were from a wine vat. Once machined they will be 90x45x3m. Does anyone know what this timber is worth, is it an easy timber to sell or would I be better off keeping it and maybe one day make something with it?
Cheers Chris
dai sensei 9th February 2016, 11:20 PM They are worth what ever someone is willing to pay for them. Should make a nice table though, especially with history
Old Croc 10th February 2016, 12:10 AM Hey Chris,
What were they making in it? I could not imagine making wine in a Eucalyptus vat, what would it taste like?
Rgds,
Crocy.
John.G 11th February 2016, 09:30 AM Some of the fortified reds - ports, toquays, muscats etc - are aged in mahogany barrels. If so it will be Swietenia mahogany, probably of brazilian origin rather then Honduran... Not eucalyptus mahogany.
Given age and history and having enough to be a volume, price will be whatever someone is prepared to pay for it. They'll be good boards if they were cask staves assuming they wernt damaged when disassembled. Might be worth a bit if you are prepared to market them right, bugger all if you need abquick sale.
gettinthere 11th February 2016, 11:18 AM I am in no rush to sell what I have as I have no idea what I should make from it. The bloke I got it from said he was offered $10,000 each vat but turned it down. He gave them to me for being a good bloke helping him out. He told me that the vats are around 100 years old so at a guess there is not too much of this timber that has not already been used or destroyed.
Emit 11th February 2016, 02:13 PM Do you have any photos of said timber?
gettinthere 11th February 2016, 02:20 PM Not right now but I will take some on the weekend and upload them
John.G 11th February 2016, 09:42 PM I am in no rush to sell what I have as I have no idea what I should make from it. The bloke I got it from said he was offered $10,000 each vat but turned it down. He gave them to me for being a good bloke helping him out. He told me that the vats are around 100 years old so at a guess there is not too much of this timber that has not already been used or destroyed.
Disregard the vat story for a moment....
What you have is 1.3 cube of 100x50 x3.0 of (presumably) Swietenia, probably of Brazilian origin. Don't ask me how I know Brazil is the preferred origin for wine casks... I know more obscure timber facts then most anyone I've ever met.
It's vat/ cask material. I am not a cooper, but my best guess is the timber will be straight grained at rift to backsawn. (I imagine quarter sawn is of as little value for the purpose of holding fluid in a barrel as it is at holding fluid out of a boat: tends to split when nailed and too little shrinkage to take up and seal)
While very highly regarded as a timber, it is neither rare nor particularly difficult to source in those smaller sizes, or any sizes out to 24" wide. I'd be quite confident of being able to land it in Australia for under $3k a cube, and 1/2 that for plantation sourced material. Your material will have no empirical value more then that.
The vat story is where the premium comes in, to the right buyer. Personally I think your mate should have taken the money and run, but people are weird that way... For some that story would add a significant premium to any finished articles, and he was obviously aware of that.
gettinthere 12th February 2016, 03:43 PM John you sound like a bloke I'd like to have a few drinks with. What would you make with this timber? I've got no idea what to make, I will have to find a planner thicknesses as no one will do it incase of nails
Wood Collector 12th February 2016, 05:28 PM I would make a table out of it.
John.G 12th February 2016, 09:17 PM depends on the number and size of nail holes, and how much noise a metal detector made over it.
as mentioned - table. Good size for that.
but yanno, the clear of steel ones: don't dress them, feed them through a band resaw, split them into thirds numbering as I went for grain matching. Then profile it for 12mm secret nail and join the matches back together to turn it into about 265 x12 panels. Saw them in half to give 1.5m lengths. Split some more lengthwise in half, then half again to give approx 40 x19 DAR. Grab a few more lengths and hit that with a nice beaded edge profile. Bang it all together and voila... Wainscot wall panels to match the dining table.:D:D
im a sawmiller, not a woodworker.
Old Croc 12th February 2016, 11:35 PM Some of the fortified reds - ports, toquays, muscats etc - are aged in mahogany barrels. If so it will be Swietenia mahogany, probably of brazilian origin rather then Honduran... Not eucalyptus mahogany..
Well the OP did say Red Mahogany, that's the problem with common names. John, I did a few Google searches and cannot find any reference to any other timbers other than the various Quercus species being used for vats and barrels. Can you provide a reference?
Rgds,
Crocy.
artme 13th February 2016, 06:24 AM Hey Chris,
What were they making in it? I could not imagine making wine in a Eucalyptus vat, what would it taste like?
Rgds,
Crocy.
Years ago there was a winery in Griffith by the name of San Bernadino. I am certain that they used euc barrels
as you could taste it in the wine. The wine was Ok but the barrel taste just overpowered everything st the finish.
Perhaps that's why the winery went belly up!
gettinthere 13th February 2016, 07:15 PM How do i post pics?
gettinthere 13th February 2016, 07:27 PM I371482[QUOTE=gettinthere;193/QUOTE]
ok so thats what it looks like filthy dirty.
gettinthere 13th February 2016, 07:29 PM 371483 And here it is once put throught a planner
John.G 13th February 2016, 10:28 PM Well the OP did say Red Mahogany, that's the problem with common names. John, I did a few Google searches and cannot find any reference to any other timbers other than the various Quercus species being used for vats and barrels. Can you provide a reference?
Rgds,
Crocy.
i just lost four hours of my life to searching the Internet to back it up and got almost
no-where.
Setúbal, Portugal: Somewhere to "wine" about. - Eat. Seek. Travel. (http://eatseektravel.com/2014/02/18/setubal-portugal-somewhere-wine-about)
*big grin*
I also saw some Mahogany vats about the size of houses in the background of a picture from Madeira, which is the name that came to mind in relation to its use as a cask material back in the days when ships had sails and Madeira was a stop outbound from Europe to either of the Capes to load something safer to drink then water. Caribbean Rums also used to be casked in mahogany. The history of the mahogany trade always fascinated me, read a book on it once years and years ago.
Retsina is another " oak free" wine variety... Rough as guts, think fruity lexia with pinetarsol top notes.
gettinthere 15th February 2016, 06:44 PM Hi guys, after doing some research and a few phone calls I have found out that the winery in question was established in the 1850's where the majority of grave vines were muscatel. The vineyard was one of the largest exporters of wine in its day which could store above 1.5 million gallons.
Even just this small amount of info/history is making me think that I dnot want to try with it. I can normally bluff my way through anything and come out ontop but this time it's not like I can run to Bunno's and grab a bit more.
Is anyone interested in the timber? I have found a guy in Adelaide who will machine the lot for me.
Old Croc 15th February 2016, 09:35 PM i just lost four hours of my life to searching the Internet to back it up and got almost
no-where.
Setúbal, Portugal: Somewhere to "wine" about. - Eat. Seek. Travel. (http://eatseektravel.com/2014/02/18/setubal-portugal-somewhere-wine-about)
*big grin*
I also saw some Mahogany vats about the size of houses in the background of a picture from Madeira, which is the name that came to mind in relation to its use as a cask material back in the days when ships had sails and Madeira was a stop outbound from Europe to either of the Capes to load something safer to drink then water. Caribbean Rums also used to be casked in mahogany. The history of the mahogany trade always fascinated me, read a book on it once years and years ago.
Retsina is another " oak free" wine variety... Rough as guts, think fruity lexia with pinetarsol top notes.
Well John, thanks for loosing 4 hours of your life to find that info, as I sure did not. Over the years I have visited most of the wineries in the Barrrosa, Maclarenvale, Rutherglen, Hunter Valley, Stanthorpe area, Montville and the Napa Valley and have never seen any vats or kegs except from the various Oaks, so I have learnt a bit more.
Will give you a ring soon as I am back on my feet now.
Rgds,
Crocy.
clear out 16th February 2016, 09:17 PM This sure looks like Eucalypt not Brazilian.
H.
doug3030 16th February 2016, 10:26 PM I could not imagine making wine in a Eucalyptus vat, what would it taste like?
Remember these?
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f222/jarrah-wine-barrel-boards-155135
Cheers
Doug
gettinthere 18th February 2016, 03:01 PM They sold pretty quick, doesnt seem like anyone is too keen on these. Im gunna have a crack at a nice table and chairs n just keep my fingers crossed.
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