Hi from Ireland

[Doyler]

I am a production woodturner, salad , fruit bowls etc. My wife is Aussie and we are looking at the possibility of moving to Melbourne over the next year or so. Just wondered what are the issues as regards drying wood,ie how much humidity, effects of heat etc. Do people mostly air dry? Here I operate a drying kiln for all turned work and have to have a dehumidifier in main workshop all year round.
I use mainly ash and beech. I know there are some amazing timbers in Oz but would like to know what are the accepted staples at reasonable prices for production turning, salad servers, chopping boards etc.?

[rsser]

G'day Doyler. Welcome to the forum.

Humidity in Melb is generally fairly low. Air drying without mould is possible if you have the time to wait. And an average size rough turned green bowl is good to go in several months.

A production turner with a network can source enough free timber from lopped trees etc to keep going though there is a worrying trend for urban authorities to woodchip downed trees.

I can't help you with prices of seasoned stuff in common species - suggest you send a PM to about that. You'll find his posts on the turning sub-forum.

[Doyler]

Hi Rsser, ta for that. Just wondered what are the common species with good supply?

[artme]

Not an expert on Melbourne but every time I go there it rains, it blows, it gets very cold and then it gets bloody hot a few days later.Must be a bugger to dry timber there.:roll::roll:

[hughie]

Not sure if this is what your after but it will give somewhere to start from.



http://www.timberlinedesigns.com.au/pages/timbervases.htm


http://www.australianwoodwork.com.au/

http://www.turningwoodintoart.com/index.php?snap_gallery/showGallery::show_gallery&gallery_id=2

http://www.lingerinwood.com.au/tn_gallery/tn_gallery_01.htm

http://www.daintreetimbergallery.com/

http://www.pinnata.com.au/wood.html

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/vicwood.html

and weather

http://www.bom.gov.au/

[Rocker]

Here you go for Melbourne's climate stats:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_086282.shtml

Rocker

[rsser]

Off the top of the head:

Mrytle Beech, Huon Pine (expensive), Blackwood, Mountain Ash (one of three species lumped together as Tasmanian Oak), Pinus Radiata, Redgum, Silky Oak, Cypress Pine, Sassafras, Jarrah, Brushbox.

Fairly common lopped amenity trees that you can expect to score free in or near Melb. from time to time include Plane Tree (P. Hybridus I think it is), Silky Oak, Silver Birch, English Elm, Claret and Desert Ash, Brushbox, Bluegum, Cypress, Norfolk Island Pine, White and Red Oak, Camphor Laurel.

There are a few salvage operators from whom you can get these green at source.

For some pics as well as retail prices of dried blanks at the top end of the market see http://www.thewoodsmith.com.au/thewoodsmith/wood01.htm

Also see http://www.mathewstimber.com.au/store/page.pl?id=284

Species and their turning qualities are listed here though not all are commonly available:
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=81048&highlight=qualities+turning+timbers

[Rum Pig]

Humidity Melbourne would not know what humidity was :U:D:q:doh:come up to the tropics:U 90%+ now that is humidty:roll:

[rsser]

The bigger risk in Melb is a string of 40 degree + days over summer; with timber in a shed with a metal roof you don't need a kiln.

[Doyler]

Thank you guys for all the info. It's helpful to try and get an overall picture.