Thread: Mid North Coast Iron Bark

Hi metal guy
our neighbours tree (silky oak) got hit a few days ago and the arborist was saying the wood crystalizes soft wood not so bad hard wood goes very hard.
i dont know how it would go burning perhaps google lightning struck trees and see what turns up,you would get some nice slabs from it
if you are stuck for firewood i have a couple of loads of sheoak 2 to 3 inches thick already cut up if you are ever in newcastle
good luck
greg

This one was lightening struck - have a look and judge if the wood is any good.

My understanding about lightening struck trees is that it's only if they get struck such that the the main current path is down the inner part of the tree that causes the sap to boil and can severely fracture the inside of the tree so it almost turns into splinters when its cut up. Sometimes this can completely blow the tree apart like a massive artillery shell. The strikes that run down the moisture gap between the bark and the sapwood tend to blow a wide strip of the bark off and do not always do as much damage to the wood itself.

Metal Guy, if it's gotta come down anyway, you'd probably need to do some crosscuts at the size you mentioned, so see how the crosscuts go and make a judgement from the look of the end grain as to if it's worth it.

I've heard all sorts of 'stories' about lightnig strikes, haven't had much personal experience to proove or disproove any of 'em

i illed a group of 6 ironbarks that had been struck by lightening.

not any harder than any dry ironbark logs i have cut.

i have also milled a big spotty that had died due to lightning and a big bluegum (1.2m diamiter) didnt notice any diferance in these either.

Yeah the old lightning strike story sounds a bit on the fence I reckon - could go either way...

I agree. I don't think it changes the timber at all.

cheers
Steve

Originally Posted by Stopper

I agree. I don't think it changes the timber at all.

cheers
Steve

except in ironbark and redgum it makes it not want to burn. I have seen it happen to a big redgum and 3 years later the wood would still not burn it would go black and hard like coal but wouldn't burn. like weissy said though it is probably no harder than dry timber of the same species may dull a chain a little quicker though. but hey if it is millable why not cut it up and if you make a nice bit of patio furniture or something with it you have an interesting story to tell the mates when you are sitting around it having a beer.

pity you didnt tie him to it & set fire to it, just to prove him right

It'd be great if Simeon like the CSIRO did a definitive study on the effects of lightning on mill timber - then we could all put it to rest....