Gutta percha fail ! [Archive]

smiife

28th February 2019, 08:20 PM

Hi guys , I have had this piece of gutta percha for a while and was going to make a winged bowl out of it , started off ok but looks like mother nature and white ants beat me to it ,
Shame because it had some really nice grain colour and patterns inside , oh well back to the drawing board !

mick661

28th February 2019, 08:52 PM

Bugger

Redbeard

28th February 2019, 09:22 PM

brainstrust

28th February 2019, 10:27 PM

Smife give it a good spray and go for it. Nothing ventured nothing created!!!

Redbeard

28th February 2019, 10:37 PM

Wot he said...

You've seen what Hardenfast did with his five year old piece of pine?

There's obviously some real wood left there. Seal it up and give it a whirl.

brainstrust

28th February 2019, 10:40 PM

Wot he said...

You've seen what Hardenfast did with his five year old piece of pine?

There's obviously some real wood left there. Seal it up and give it a whirl.

ahmen!!!!!!

Paul39

1st March 2019, 08:34 AM

I only knew of Gutta Percha as early plastic Daguerreotype and Tintype frames. I had to look it up:

Gutta Percha – The Plastics Historical Society (http://plastiquarian.com/?page_id=14211)

Euge

1st March 2019, 09:15 AM

Like Mick said, "bugger".

On a side note, could this be gutta percha? It came from a roadside tree cut down by council and left to rot. I assumed it was an acacia but the grain pattern and colouring is very similar.

Thanks
Redbeardhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/4f76d78e9d8950ebfbec001fff5ab84a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/9250b3174c3be680832f69250c7662b4.jpg

Hi Redbeard

Sorry mate, in my opinion I don't think it is. Gutta Percha bark is more blocky and less stringy / longitudinal than this lag. Also heartwood is usually darker even in smaller section material. And, one you have smelt it perfumed wood you wil always recognise it. Its sl. oily as well. Its a very tropical almost mangrove from across far Nth Qld (Gulf country) and nthn NT and the Kimberley This looks like something else and not an acacia either ... may a Melaleuca?

Cheers Euge

edit: the pics in first post show its blocky (tesselated) bark pattern and dark brown heart.

Euge

1st March 2019, 09:19 AM

I only knew of Gutta Percha as early plastic Daguerreotype and Tintype frames. I had to look it up:

Gutta Percha – The Plastics Historical Society (http://plastiquarian.com/?page_id=14211)

Its a local (indigenous) name because of its irritating white sap (typical of Euphorbias).. also called Blind-your-eye or Nthn Brown Birch... nothing to do with rubber or rubber trees. It grows near mangrove communities in the far northern coastal areas (and flood prone areas) across northern Australia.

Euge :)

JJMA

1st March 2019, 09:36 AM

It appears that the damage is only confined to the sapwood, so you could still make something nice from the heartwood although it would need to be rather thin.

Redbeard

1st March 2019, 10:13 AM

Hi Redbeard

Sorry mate, in my opinion I don't think it is. Gutta Percha bark is more blocky and less stringy / longitudinal than this lag. Also heartwood is usually darker even in smaller section material. And, one you have smelt it perfumed wood you wil always recognise it. Its sl. oily as well. Its a very tropical almost mangrove from across far Nth Qld (Gulf country) and nthn NT and the Kimberley This looks like something else and not an acacia either ... may a Melaleuca?

Cheers Euge

edit: the pics in first post show its blocky (tesselated) bark pattern and dark brown heart.Thanks Euge, was just wondering. Melaleuca makes more sense, dunno where I got acacia from.

Cheers

Christos

1st March 2019, 10:39 AM

I think digging out the soft bits and replacing with some coloured epoxy could result in some interesting results.

turnerted

1st March 2019, 03:50 PM

Redbeard
It looks like bottlebrush to me .
Ted

Euge

1st March 2019, 04:16 PM

Redbeard
It looks like bottlebrush to me .
Ted

I agree Ted, (I think I know you :) from long ago. )

Just for the record.... The genus Callistemon (Bottlebrushes) has recently been combined with the genus Melaleuca.

Both are endemic to Australia,and popular as garden and ornamental plants
( https://www.jcu.edu.au/discover-nature-at-jcu/plants/plants-by-common-name2/melaleuca-spp.-callistemon )

Eugene (Euge) :)

Redbeard

2nd March 2019, 01:24 PM

Hey Smiife, sorry about hijacking your post, I got a bit carried away there.

It's any absolute pain when that special piece you've been hoarding for an age turns out to be dodgy, especially when it's something special. Hopefully you can get something out of it, from what I've seen of gutta percha even the remaining heartwood should be interesting. Swing out around and get a goblet or something?

Cheers
Redbeard

smiife

2nd March 2019, 07:53 PM

Smife give it a good spray and go for it. Nothing ventured nothing created!!!

Hi bt, I think the bugs are long gone :o

Wot he said...

You've seen what Hardenfast did with his five year old piece of pine?

There's obviously some real wood left there. Seal it up and give it a whirl.

Yeah , I am thinking about doing something , It, s too nice to burn:no:

Its a local (indigenous) name because of its irritating white sap (typical of Euphorbias).. also called Blind-your-eye or Nthn Brown Birch... nothing to do with rubber or rubber trees. It grows near mangrove communities in the far northern coastal areas (and flood prone areas) across northern Australia.

Euge :)

Hi Euge , I was told it was a desert tree ?

smiife

2nd March 2019, 08:08 PM

It appears that the damage is only confined to the sapwood, so you could still make something nice from the heartwood although it would need to be rather thin.

Hi jjma , I am still thinking I could do something with it ...........just not sure
what .........:doh:

I think digging out the soft bits and replacing with some coloured epoxy could result in some interesting results.

Hi christos , yeah , not really In to the epoxy stuff , but if you are interested
would be happy to send to you to try!.......:roll:

Hey Smiife, sorry about hijacking your post, I got a bit carried away there.

It's any absolute pain when that special piece you've been hoarding for an age turns out to be dodgy, especially when it's something special. Hopefully you can get something out of it, from what I've seen of gutta percha even the remaining heartwood should be interesting. Swing out around and get a goblet or something?

Cheers
Redbeard

Hi redbeard , still thinking about what to do , only spindle turning now
will save the piece , a box maybe ......with a flat side ....:U

Euge

2nd March 2019, 08:21 PM

Hi Euge , I was told it was a desert tree ?

Hi Smife, No I would not call it a desert tree, but not a rainforest tree either. It will grow some 00s of km from the nthn coast though. I collected some long ago near Brunette Downs but that was in the DRY - and it was hot and dry and dusty (there is a distinct WET season too when one cant move for mud). It can grown in wet occasionally inundated areas eg near billabongs etc.

Here is a link with a map. https://bie.ala.org.au/species/http://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2919165

Euge

edited for typos.. too much of a hurry :?

Euge

2nd March 2019, 08:24 PM

Maybe I should offer a piece for a small bowl? :D

smiife

2nd March 2019, 08:34 PM

HI Smife, No I would not call it a desert tree, but not a rainforest tree either. It will grow some 00s of km from the nthn coast though. I collected some long ago near Brunette Downs by that was in the DRY and it was hot and dry and dusty (there is a distinct WET season too when on cant move for mud). I can grown is wet occassionally inundated areas eg near billabongs etc.

Here is a link with a map. https://bie.ala.org.au/species/http://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2919165

Euge

Hi Euge , thanks for the link , very interesting , I was thinking north coast,
You meant NSW , :doh:
NT and far north Qld , sounds about right , must only be a small tree
when fully grown :B
This piece I have would be only 75/80mm wide

smiife

2nd March 2019, 08:37 PM

Maybe I should offer a piece for a small bowl? :D

Please do !

Euge

2nd March 2019, 08:43 PM

Yes, I meant the northern coasts of Australia ... far NQ, NT and WA. Not NSW :U
Yes it is a small tree 5-6 m ,usually multi-stemmed from a short main trunk in my experience but I have seen some logs and largish block too.
I will have a look tomorrow for a turning blank, and maybe some figured bits for pens.

Euge :)

smiife

2nd March 2019, 08:53 PM

Pat

2nd March 2019, 09:21 PM

Yeah ,a small bowl blank would be good , not the pen blanks though ,
Not in to the pens much :no:

Smiife, pen blanks are not just for pens, Finial blanks . . .

dai sensei

3rd March 2019, 02:36 PM

Hi Smiife, I love the stuff, just water blast the pieces back to solid timber then cast with resin. Here's a small pepper grinder I did a while back from some old stuff with blue/purple/black epoxy.

450191 450190 450189

I can also confirm the sap is very nasty, I was blind for 3 days out in the middle of nowhere, due to a drop of wash (from washing my hands and face) getting in my eye

Euge

3rd March 2019, 03:42 PM

I will be shortly posting some GP for sale - for spindle turner, bowl turning or pen turning or filling for the 'resin fillers'.

The sap in fresh sapwood and stems is VERY irritating. Great care need to be taken when cutting green wood. BUT once the wood is dry, the sapwood & heartwood are fine. Use the usual dust protection

Eugene (Euge)

smiife

3rd March 2019, 07:54 PM

Smiife, pen blanks are not just for pens, Finial blanks . . .

Hi Pat , yeah , hadn, t thought about that:doh:

Hi Smiife, I love the stuff, just water blast the pieces back to solid timber then cast with resin. Here's a small pepper grinder I did a while back from some old stuff with blue/purple/black epoxy.

450191 450190 450189

I can also confirm the sap is very nasty, I was blind for 3 days out in the middle of nowhere, due to a drop of wash (from washing my hands and face) getting in my eye

Hi neil , yeah, I will leave the resin casting to the experts ,,,,
Hold on that would be you:U , but then I got the GP from you
In the first place I think !

I will be shortly posting some GP for sale - for spindle turner, bowl turning or pen turning or filling for the 'resin fillers'.

The sap in fresh sapwood and stems is VERY irritating. Great care need to be taken when cutting green wood. BUT once the wood is dry, the sapwood & heartwood are fine. Use the usual dust protection

Eugene (Euge)

Thanks Euge , I will keep an eye out , see what you have availble ......

dai sensei

8th March 2019, 12:17 AM

Hi neil , yeah, I will leave the resin casting to the experts ,,,,
Hold on that would be you:U , but then I got the GP from you
In the first place I think !

:laughing1:I thought that writing looked familiar :B

If your coming to Turnfest, you could always drop it off on your way and I could clean it up then cast it for you, then pick it up after Turnfest

WOODbTURNER

12th March 2019, 03:01 PM

smiife

12th March 2019, 07:38 PM

Cut heaps on a private coastal property up here in the N.T. The sap really clogs up the chainsaws and will stuff up one's eyes too! The colouring is much more darker than in the photo with much less "white" wood.

Hi woodb, maybe the stuff you have Is bigger , this piece was only about 75/85mm , certainly beautiful timber though:2tsup:

:laughing1:I thought that writing looked familiar :B

If your coming to Turnfest, you could always drop it off on your way and I could clean it up then cast it for you, then pick it up after Turnfest

Hi neil , sorry I haven, t replied sooner been a bit busy with work ......:~
Not sure I can make it on the thursday this year, finding It hard
to get a replacement driver,,, still will let you know closer to the day
If thats ok.....It would look good with some of that purple/blue resin

WOODbTURNER

12th March 2019, 08:09 PM

Smiife, the larger ones were around 450mm dia down to 200mm dia. A lot of the larger ones had tubes in them though. There are still a huge amount on that property but we only took the stuff that was on a new fence line.

Euge

12th March 2019, 10:48 PM

Hi WoodBturner,

I have sent you a PM re another matter, not GP.
Your hands-on experience cutting GP along fence lines was interesting especially about their size. Thanks. Glad you were careful not to rub your eyes when cutting it,

Euge

dai sensei

17th March 2019, 10:37 PM

Cut heaps on a private coastal property up here in the N.T. The sap really clogs up the chainsaws and will stuff up one's eyes too! The colouring is much more darker than in the photo with much less "white" wood.

Smiife, the larger ones were around 450mm dia down to 200mm dia. A lot of the larger ones had tubes in them though. There are still a huge amount on that property but we only took the stuff that was on a new fence line.

Careful, it's protected in the NT

WOODbTURNER

17th March 2019, 10:49 PM

10+ years ago mate and I'm pretty sure it wasn't under protection!

PS just spoke to my old work place mates out at the Govt herbarium(sp) and they said it's not a protected species up here as such. All trees are protected only from commercial loggers unless one has a licence.

dai sensei

18th March 2019, 12:46 PM

PS just spoke to my old work place mates out at the Govt herbarium(sp) and they said it's not a protected species up here as such. All trees are protected only from commercial loggers unless one has a licence.

Interesting, just checked my references and you are right, it's gone off list and so is Conkerberry. Never was on Qld's list.

BigBloke

22nd March 2019, 01:08 AM

That might be English Pinoak. I just had a huge one come down in a storm and have been cutting it up, looks similar.

Euge

22nd March 2019, 09:18 AM

That might be English Pinoak. I just had a huge one come down in a storm and have been cutting it up, looks similar.

Not likely, I doubt any English Oak would grow wild where Gutta Percha grows. But then Pigs can fly so I guess anything is possible. :U