Thread: huon pine

Could I suggest
www.ubeaut.com.au
as a good place to start.

But since it's a rocking horse and I assume will be getting some heavy duty wear, why not a wipe-on poly like Minwax (available at Bunnies). It mightn;t be what you want but it might be the best for the use.

Gumby, Thanks for the suggestion, have had a look at ubeaut.com and have sent them an email asking for further info. Will attend at the 'temple' as soon as I get a day free.
Ta!

Huon Pine being as soft as it is are you gluing rubber strips under the rockers

Personally With huon pine the timber has such a great aroma that I usually go for a finish with good Tung oil or huon oil itself (heat to apply ) works well
and won't cause problems if bitten on/chewed on etc
Also re-coating is a dream
Unfortunately the only place I have found Huon pine oil was at the markets at Hobart



Ham and eggs. A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

Thanks Ashore,

The Huon Pine came from Macquarie Harbour and the mill on the dock at Strahan in Tas. when we were there earlier this year. Seemed a good buy and brought it back on the ferry from D'port. I've got as far as preparing the timber to size and about to begin shaping and joining... The horse itself is in undercoat and hope to do the dapple grey traditional colour finish soon.
Will post a pic when its all together

I hope you got your huon from the bloke who owns the sawmill and not the shop next door.The guy who runs the mill or did last time I was down there is a 3rd generation wookcutter a loves a yarn , a cold six pack helps, can't think of his name must be getting old. but he will tell you about how plentyful huon is but the forestry won't release it .
anyway get talking to him tell him what your making and he will usually give you a great deal on the timber, the old machinary in the mill is Great too,
The only problem is putting up with SHMBO on the way back home when the car is loaded up with wood.




They call it PMS because "mad cow disease" was already taken.

I've just been down there and brought back a trailer load of huon...cost all of $350 for nearly a ton all up (nearly killed the Subaru). The softwoods mill outside Strahan had a heap and old Bob Crane is a wonderful character, the forestry salvage yard in Strahn was so full you could hardly fit another billet in (see Chris) and the mill over at Queenstown has about three acres four metres deep in huon salvage. Beautiful. The general salvage price is about $400 per cubic metre but in practice everyone casts an eye over the piece you want to buy and then gives you a price accurate to within 5% of a weighed price then they drop the price for the next piece and so on. The first time I went to Bob Crane many years ago I had spent hours picking out pieces of driftwood and a small amout of milled huon...He came over and carefully measured the cut timber and totted up the bill and said "Well that comes to fifty three dollars..." and he looked at my pile of driftwood..."and you can have that..." This time it was the same and by sheer coincidence we had seen a documentary on the 'piners' the night before featuring none other than Bob Crane still fit enough to take part in a tree chopping race and working well into his eighties.
A word of caution when buying huon from the mills though. It is considered very bad form to haggle in the tassie timber industry so whatever the first price offered you either take it or leave it but you don't make a counter offer. Then you proceed to the next piece. You will find as the deal proceeds many sweeteners will be thrown if they like you. If they don't like you or if you haggle the price may double on the spot. So just shoot the breeze, adopt some country manners take your time and enjoy being there. P.S. Visit Tasman, he was good for half a dozen myrtle burls and of course threw in four or five other unusual bits and pieces. SWMBO wants to buy a house there and that means it is really good.

I bought some huon down at Strahan 15 years ago and sounds like the same old guy, does anyone know the name and phone number of the mill as I wouldn't mind getting some more?

Island Nomad

15 years ago might have been Charlie an old mate of the present onwers father, he use to live in a van at the mill but unfortunately he died some years ago. A shame because he could spin a yarn with the best , even kept wife and daughters engrossed with his stories.

You might get the number for Bob Cranes 'Softwoods Mill' from Strahan tourist information or maybe the yellow pages. The mill at Queenstown is the biggest with the most wood and it is called Bradshaws, (proper name Tasmanian Special Timbers pty ltd) though I think it is a combination of both Bradshaws and Morrisons now. Phone 0364712510.