Thread: Beefwood

Vern's got a write up and pics on his website.

I don't think he likes it.

Maybe you should ask the question here https://www.woodworkforums.com/f14

Beef wood is a common name that refers to one of at least three trees of the grevillea family, grevillea glauce, a tree with very dark bark, roundish leaves. The seed is contained in a hard "pod" about 30mm in diameter, often called "the bushman's clothes peg". It is said that the seed pod was used as a clothes peg bur people living in isolated areas. The seed itself is about the size of nail on your index fingure, with a complete "wing" that allows the seed to float. The "pod is interesting to turn. The new leaves are a bronze colour. The second most common one is grevillea striata. It is similar in appearance but has a long thin leave with a seed and seed pod is similar to grevillea rubusta or southern silky oak. The tree is not a large tree. I have quite o lot of them growning here. THe wood is hard with a largish medullary ray and will split freely. When seasoned the wood is a dark red in colour, like a piece of meat, thst is the reason for the common name "beefwood".

Jim

Most probably it's the Grevillia, but being in Mackay there's a chance it might be Red Silky (Carnarvonia araliifolia or C. Montana). Neither grow close to Mackay but it's only a couple of hours drive north to where it does occur. Red, creamy sapwood, harder and heavier then Silky Oak, oak grain...

If it grows around Dingo it could just as easily be Silver Oak (Grevillea paralella) as there is probably more of that than there is Beefwood in the area. The timber is not usually as dark as Beefwood and the medulary ray is a little finer but once sawn and dried, it can be hard to pick the difference