Thank you to Vern & Ern

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Yesterday Ern dropped off some wood sent down by Vern... so thank you fellas! 'Tis mightily appreciated! :D And good to finally meet you too, Ern, hope the traffic wasn't too bad on the flip. :)

I lost half an hour in the shed this morning, when I set up for the days' work. Just sat there fondling the Dead Finish, trying to work out what it's destined to be. But it's not talking to me yet... I think it's still busy gossiping with the other pieces scattered around and hasn't made up its' mind. Somehow I suspect it's destined for the Penthouse Shelf with all the other blanks I can't bring myself to mutilate. :o

[baxter]

Skew I had a similar problem with my first piece of dead finish, so I brought another piece to keep it company. Now I can't bear to separate them.

[TTIT]

Skew - You're welcome! - just appreciation for all the valuable advice you give on the forum. :) I thought it just had to be a goblet! - or 1/2 dozen pens maybe?!

[RufflyRustic]

:D Hi Skew,

I too am a very lucky recipient of a few pieces from Vern's stash, and yep, my dead finish isn't talking to me much yet either :rolleyes: . But it will, it will :D

cheers
Wendy

[lubbing5cherubs]

Skew - You're welcome! - just appreciation for all the valuable advice you give on the forum. :) ?!
I agree I know he alway been a great help to me. I am glad you gave him top wood for a top bloke. Good on you TITT
Toni

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I thought it just had to be a goblet! - or 1/2 dozen pens maybe?!

Hehe! The first thing I said to Ern when I saw it (besides Ooh! & Aah!) was "It'll make a lovely goblet... or maybe a few pens" :D Probably a goblet, as the Inland Rosewood blanks will assuage my pen habit for a while.

I'd never heard of Inland RW before now, it looks like being another underrated timber. Fencepost material? :eek: Beautiful stuff.

Thanks again Vern! :) (And Ern, of course!)

[ss_11000]

those desert woods are brilliant aren't they.

[Skewpid]

Errm .. what's Dead Finish? .. any pics????

Sounds kinda cool actually:o

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Here's a couple of pix, Vern's blank (probably a goblet eventually) with a closeup, along with a pen blank. I don't have any finished items to hand at the mo, they walk out the door pretty quickly when finished. ;)

There's a heap of different stories about why it has the name. (http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL14/jun99-2.html)

[powderpost]

Dead finish, (eucalyptus cloeziana) also commonly known as Gympie messmate and yellow messmate. Nice reddish brown heartwood about 15mm of sapwood, hard on chisels. How do I know?.......... got seven of the suckers in my front yard, 25 years old and ready to attack.... It aint gonna happen, because I planted them. But........... a large branch just might fall off one? :D
Jim

[Tornatus]

Here we go with the old Common Names problem again .....

According to my references (including the Australian National Botanic Gardens), there are four species of tree attracting the common name "Dead Finish". The name usually refers to Acacia carnei, a rare and endangered species, but there are also A. tetragonophylla, Archidendropsis basaltica, and the afore-mentioned Eucalyptus cloeziana.

So the same name can be applied to four species of trees from three different genera. I suspect that, as usual, it has a lot to do with which part of the country the trees (and the namers) come from.

I realize that a lot of people will just say "Who cares, as long as it looks good?", but it matters to some people, including myself, because I am trying to learn as much as I can about our native timbers, which I think are among the best in the world for woodworking.

So which finish is this particular dead one? :confused:

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

So which finish is this particular dead one? :confused:

Who knows?

I'd say both of the ones in my pix are the same species as they're almost identical in colour, grain & features even though they came from different sources. (TTIT and Rowie) The reason I grabbed the pen blank was 'cos to my mind Dead Finish's heartwood is usually much darker, more like a greyish Boree, so I went rummaging thru my blanks to check. I was a tad surprised to see they were the same.

I'd hazard to say that the last lot to pass through my hands was darker and possibly one of the other types. Or it may simply have been a case of age... they were old when I got them and sat on my shelves for a few years before turning. [shrug]

[martrix]

Here we go with the old Common Names problem again .....

According to my references (including the Australian National Botanic Gardens), there are four species of tree attracting the common name "Dead Finish". The name usually refers to Acacia carnei, a rare and endangered species, but there are also A. tetragonophylla, Archidendropsis basaltica, and the afore-mentioned Eucalyptus cloeziana.

So the same name can be applied to four species of trees from three different genera. I suspect that, as usual, it has a lot to do with which part of the country the trees (and the namers) come from.

I realize that a lot of people will just say "Who cares, as long as it looks good?", but it matters to some people, including myself, because I am trying to learn as much as I can about our native timbers, which I think are among the best in the world for woodworking.

So which finish is this particular dead one? :confused:
Yes, i tend to agree with you.
I have a piece of Acacia Carnei which I thought was also called 'Dead Finish' or 'Purple Wattle Wood' .
It is the purple piece on the right.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=32977&d=1161516972


The one below is Acacia Havilandi or 'Havilands Wattle' or 'Needle Wattle'.....beautiful desert timbers.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=32978&d=1161516972

[madmix]

The non pointy end of my avatar is dead finish,
I believe it is the acacia variety. actually thought
there were about seven different ones.
In raw form, mine closely resembles mulga.

cheers Mick

[TTIT]

So which finish is this particular dead one? :confused:
Dead finish - Eastern Dead finish - Red lancewood - Archidendropsis Basaltica (what a bloody mouthful! :eek: ) Didn't know there was so many Dead-finishes about?!

The Inland Rosewood is Acacia Rhodoxylon. Absolutely beautiful once finished - just hard getting there!

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Thanks for that TTIT.

Not being familiar with Inland Rosewood I googled it and got back Heterodendrum oleifolium so I would've been working under the wrong impression. Not that that would be anything new. :rolleyes:

I gather that this is the same wood you used in the collar of your little pot? Mmmm... that should make for a damned nice pen!

[TTIT]

I gather that this is the same wood you used in the collar of your little pot? Mmmm... that should make for a damned nice pen!
Actually Skew, the collar would have been Gidgee - the Rosewood is even better!:)

[Touchwood]

I have a piece of Acacia Carnei which I thought was also called 'Dead Finish' or 'Purple Wattle Wood' .
It is the purple piece on the right
Wow, these woods are certainly beautiful ... another case of 'don't judge a book by its cover' ... who'd have thought a grey ordinary looking piece of wood could look like that inside!

A trip to the desert with the chainsaw might be in order ....

JD

[hughie]

Ah ha now I know what and why TTIT goes on about, great looking piece to turn.

[powderpost]

Inland rosewood (the hard variety) grows around Collinsville west of Bowen. My wife's uncle had a catte property in that area and built his cattle yards out of it. I witnessed a full grown brahman bull charge the rails and bounced back in his blot big time. Queensland rail also used it for fence posts because of it's durability. Even saw some termites at the dentist getting a new set of hardened false teeth :D.
Jim

[soundman]

I recon there should be a third set of names for timber.

Official botanical name.

Common name

and my new name
Woodworkers explanitory.
like

Eucaliptus...blunt chisel.
acacia...grain to die for.
then you could inrtoduce smiles into the names.
like
gravilia...:eek: holy snappin....
quirkis....:D ohh ahhh.

what do you recon?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Actually Skew, the collar would have been Gidgee - the Rosewood is even better!:)

[sigh] I should know better than to rely on my memory. (But it's such a happier place. ;))

[rsser]

Skew, it was a pleasure to catch up with you face to face.

It wasn't a pleasure to see off that piece of Dead finish - never seen a timber with such a fine range of colouring ... very tasty!

And I owe Vern a vote of thanks too for the timber swap - awesome mate!

Soundman, you're on to something there.

When I'm out riding with my mates and we stop for a break and they ask me 'Ern, what's that tree over there?' I casually say, 'Ah, that's a Eucalyptus nondifferentiata' ;-}

In that spirit:

Blackwood (figured): Acacia mongrelata (ack to )
Redgum: Euc sinusitus
Horizontal: Biglandulosum crookus (just joking - I'm not out, just down)
Huon: Pinus butterii

[Edit, yes: Quercus robur ... a strange cuppa!]

[TTIT]

A dozer driver I offsided for once could name for every tree I asked about - within 10 metres of water = river gum, everything else was mountain ash! :rolleyes::D

[Tornatus]

Thanks for the clarification, TTIT - now having seen Skewch's sample, which I understand he obtained from you, I will have to revisit the piece I have which may have been misidentified. This wood ID business is getting to be as bad as researching the family tree - I've had a few branches there which have turned out to be a real surprise, too!

[Cliff Rogers]

Here are the names I come up with...
Dead Finish Acacia carnei
Dead Finish Acacia tetragonophylla
Dead Finish Archidendropsis basaltica
Dead Finish Eucalyptus cloeziana
Dead-finish Albizia basaltica

I used some Dead-finish heartwood for the handle on this piece.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=28407&d=1155463334

[TTIT]

Here are the names I come up with...
Dead Finish Acacia carnei
Dead Finish Acacia tetragonophylla
Dead Finish Archidendropsis basaltica
Dead Finish Eucalyptus cloeziana
Dead-finish Albizia basaltica

I used some Dead-finish heartwood for the handle on this piece.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=28407&d=1155463334
Yeah - OK - but which one Cliff!? :rolleyes: :D

[Baz]

The" Dead Finish "I bought many years ago was a deep purple, bloody hard and took a beautiful fininsh but turned brown after a short time.

The "Inland Rosewood " I had many years ago was absolutely beautiful, swirls of rich chocolate brown and orange with a very wide white sapwood. Don't know if it is the same one you have but I sure would like some more.

Cheers
Barry

[Cliff Rogers]

Yeah - OK - but which one Cliff!? :rolleyes: :D
The one with the - in it... (I think) :cool:

[dai sensei]

Dead finish - Eastern Dead finish - Red lancewood - Archidendropsis Basaltica

Here's a piece of mine from a few years back - still have a few small branches.

[TTIT]

The one with the - in it... (I think) :cool:Yep, same stuff - I'm pretty sure that Albizia Basaltica was renamed to Archidendropsis Basaltica because it's nothing like the 'Albizia' group.


Here's a piece of mine from a few years back - still have a few small branches. Perfect example Neil! When you use a piece near some rot you also get streaks and patches of pink, yellow, green, orange, black.......

[OGYT]

I realize that a lot of people will just say "Who cares, as long as it looks good?", but it matters to some people, including myself, because I am trying to learn as much as I can about our native timbers, which I think are among the best in the world for woodworking.

Matters to me too! My thick head is having a hard time remembering the Oz wood. I think the wood I get to see in the pics on this forum is among the best looking wood in the world. :D You blokes from down under have it all over us in the upover. :D :p

[tashammer]

might be to do with climate, relatively speaking. if we are the driest continent on the planet then that means most of our growing things have to be prudent with their moisture unlike those countries where higher moisture levels are reflected in sappier growth; that would suggest that cells would be a larger in high water areas and smaller in trees native to low water areas. (no, don't include cactii and succulents).

[Tornatus]

Matters to me too! My thick head is having a hard time remembering the Oz wood. I think the wood I get to see in the pics on this forum is among the best looking wood in the world. :D You blokes from down under have it all over us in the upover. :D :p

G'day Al

It might help if I mention some very useful references, which Cliff and I have described elsewhere - I find these a great source of info, even if it's only a start-point for further detecting:

http://www.aussiewoods.com - the Australian Woodworkers' Database (has a lot of photos of wood samples and finished objects)
http://www.anbg.gov.au/common.names - the Australian National Botanic Gardens database of common names
http://www.vwa.org.au/list_ta_abc.htm - Trees of Australia ABC, an alphabetical list of just about every tree ever found in Australia

My only problem with using these sources is that every time I go there I find something else interesting to pursue, but they don't tell me where I can obtain these wonderful woods!