On my way home from my latest trip I decided to call in to Terry and Christie at Tex Timbers (https://www.facebook.com/Tex-Timbers-205967532752614/). A beautiful patch of paradise nestled in the foothills of the QLD/NSW border ranges with beautiful timbers as far as the eye can see. Terry took me on a tour of the place showing me the mouth watering timbers they have on the property, Camphor/Black Sheoak/Flooded Gum/Ironbark/Swamp Mahogany/Stringy/Spotted Gum/Cockspur/Apple Gum to name a few and of course my favourite Rose Sheoak, plus a few of his favourite tranquil areas hidden around the natural streams running through the property. I also got to help with some back-burning, a regular program he undertakes, to protect the timber treasures and remove the weeds.

He had an order for some Ironbark slabs so we fossicked around the bush to find a suitable log he cut down years ago. To get to it I convinced him he should push of a nasty old Rose Sheoak that was in the way . He pulled the two logs out with the tractor, but against my advice (and tears), left behind the top end of the Rose Sheoak (~3m of dia 400 )

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His Lucas Mill already had some Eucalypt set up for milling so we had to do it first. I've forgotten the species but it was a beautiful red. We then loaded up some of the Ironwood with some small other logs to fill the slabbing area (why do just one when you can do 2 logs). By the end of the day we had a heap of 50mm slabs cut ready for pick up by his client.

While he fed the animals and did a bit of watering I sneaked away some largish chunks of the Rose Sheoak to his bandsaw that I proceeded to cut up into ~15 pepper grinder and casting blanks (80sqx400) that were quickly sealed then found their way to my already very full trailer

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The next day we got stuck into the log of Rose Sheoak that we cut into 3. The logs had a fair bit of internal termite mud in between the trunk florets and the milling was slow going as the chain dulled and the bar took a nose dive (especially with someone pushing a bit hard on the mill ). The mill was then stopped and the slab portion cut off before resetting the mill and starting again. I was grateful though, a 1.2mx0.6mx80mm slab isn't light let along a 3m length. Plenty of sweat and oil and we had it slabbed up into ~80mm pieces of various length that could be then broken down into turning/box blanks when dry. All now stocked and stickered on a pallet.

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slabs2.jpg slabs4.jpg all the RS slabs stacked and stickered.jpg

I've already made plans to come back ASAP for more. If anyone wants some of Terry's gold I'm sure you can contact him via his Facebook page I gave above at what can be described only as very cheap (going on what the client paid for the ironwood slabs ).

I had a ball over the few days I was there and am very grateful for the hospitality shown to me by Terry and his wife Christie who kept me fed and hydrated thank you