thumbsucker
6th February 2007, 03:54 PM
This post has come from a thread on finding grey ironbark (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=44279). From which I became aware of timbers that are not sold widely through the usual commercial channels. These timber species are native or grow extensively in Victoria. Thanks to some PM I became aware of Bovalino Fine Furniture & Timbers - 38 Albert Street Maryborough Victoria 3465 Australia (http://www.bfft.com.au/furniture_timber.htm) who stock:
Sugar Gum (eucalyptus cladocalyx)
Red Ironbark (eucalyptus tricarpa)
Yellow Gum (eucalyptus leucoxylon)
River Red Gum (eucalyptus camaldulensis)
Grey Box (eucalyptus microcarpa)
Yellow Box (eucalyptus melliodora)
Red Box (eucalyptus polyanthemos)
Silky Oak (grevillea robusta)
Of particular interest is the Sugar Gum (eucalyptus cladocalyx) and the Grey Box (eucalyptus microcarpa). The birds eye varieties are most beautiful. Sugar Gum is also very successful Plantation timber with a huge growth potential as a furniture and and renewable firewood timber.
Regrettable Maryborough is past Ballarat and as city dweller with no car, it impossible to get to.
I managed to find smartimbers (http://www.smartimbers.com.au/) whose site states - Many farmers and small-scale landholders are growing a wide range of wonderful native trees and local species that are unknown and unappreciated. In central Victoria, farm foresters have combined to set up a co-operative SMARTimbers,which stands for Sustainable Managed Australian Regional Timbers. The co-operative will market small quantities of their unique eucalypts and wattles, casuarinas or cypress, for high quality furniture or appearance products.
However again Smartimbers are in Ballarat. They also only seems to deal with Panelling/Cladding, Flooring, and Decking. Interestingly, they over air dried timber and even green timber. Prices are under $10 a lm for select grade. I have sent email for further details.
Other timbers of Victorian origin is Southern Mahogany and Stringy Yellow Bark. However again the only supplier found was Radial Timber in Dandenong (http://www.radialtimber.com/)
I have however not been able to find a supplier of Victorian Timbers, inside of Melbourne. Mathews Timber, Mountain Timbers, both say that its impossible to find.
I am therefore hoping that someone can point me in the direction of someone who shares my interest in Victorian Timbers and can supply these timber for me. Can anyone give a justification as to why Victorian Timber are Undervalued? I was reading that their is going to be an attempt to sell Sugar Gum, as Murray Teak, however personally teak is a bland boring timber, and does no justice to the Sugar Gum's character, or even indicate the appearance of the golden yellow satin finished timber like Sugar Gum.
Lets not even start about Tasmanian Oak. I has not even the slightest inkling of an oak.
Why is it that Australian timbers must change their name in an attempt to somehow be categories to what European's or American's value names like Oak's, Ash, Maple, and Teak etc etc? Are Australian's still children of their norther ancestors?
The reason for my interested in local timber is because of Krenov (I can hear the :roll: :roll: :roll: ), in his younger days Krenov used to hunt for exotic timbers, the last tree of its kind of timber. However Krenov realized that all timber had a story and the furniture maker must find that story. Therefore he now uses only a limited number of local species from his local forests. How dark would the world be if all we ever used was the exotic. Or maybe I am just showing some local pride.
Sugar Gum (eucalyptus cladocalyx)
Red Ironbark (eucalyptus tricarpa)
Yellow Gum (eucalyptus leucoxylon)
River Red Gum (eucalyptus camaldulensis)
Grey Box (eucalyptus microcarpa)
Yellow Box (eucalyptus melliodora)
Red Box (eucalyptus polyanthemos)
Silky Oak (grevillea robusta)
Of particular interest is the Sugar Gum (eucalyptus cladocalyx) and the Grey Box (eucalyptus microcarpa). The birds eye varieties are most beautiful. Sugar Gum is also very successful Plantation timber with a huge growth potential as a furniture and and renewable firewood timber.
Regrettable Maryborough is past Ballarat and as city dweller with no car, it impossible to get to.
I managed to find smartimbers (http://www.smartimbers.com.au/) whose site states - Many farmers and small-scale landholders are growing a wide range of wonderful native trees and local species that are unknown and unappreciated. In central Victoria, farm foresters have combined to set up a co-operative SMARTimbers,which stands for Sustainable Managed Australian Regional Timbers. The co-operative will market small quantities of their unique eucalypts and wattles, casuarinas or cypress, for high quality furniture or appearance products.
However again Smartimbers are in Ballarat. They also only seems to deal with Panelling/Cladding, Flooring, and Decking. Interestingly, they over air dried timber and even green timber. Prices are under $10 a lm for select grade. I have sent email for further details.
Other timbers of Victorian origin is Southern Mahogany and Stringy Yellow Bark. However again the only supplier found was Radial Timber in Dandenong (http://www.radialtimber.com/)
I have however not been able to find a supplier of Victorian Timbers, inside of Melbourne. Mathews Timber, Mountain Timbers, both say that its impossible to find.
I am therefore hoping that someone can point me in the direction of someone who shares my interest in Victorian Timbers and can supply these timber for me. Can anyone give a justification as to why Victorian Timber are Undervalued? I was reading that their is going to be an attempt to sell Sugar Gum, as Murray Teak, however personally teak is a bland boring timber, and does no justice to the Sugar Gum's character, or even indicate the appearance of the golden yellow satin finished timber like Sugar Gum.
Lets not even start about Tasmanian Oak. I has not even the slightest inkling of an oak.
Why is it that Australian timbers must change their name in an attempt to somehow be categories to what European's or American's value names like Oak's, Ash, Maple, and Teak etc etc? Are Australian's still children of their norther ancestors?
The reason for my interested in local timber is because of Krenov (I can hear the :roll: :roll: :roll: ), in his younger days Krenov used to hunt for exotic timbers, the last tree of its kind of timber. However Krenov realized that all timber had a story and the furniture maker must find that story. Therefore he now uses only a limited number of local species from his local forests. How dark would the world be if all we ever used was the exotic. Or maybe I am just showing some local pride.