Thread: When You Say "Cypress Pine"...

Try "Australian Cypress Pine" in the search Luke.

It gave me this:
Cypress Pine' is a collective name for several native Australian tree species of the genus Callitris (Callitris glauca, Callitris columellaris, etc). Of these, White Cypress is the main commercially-exploited tree.

Good stuff for everything except nailing (needs to be green for that). Machines and finishes very nicely, and plenty of character. Especially good under a hand plane, and the shavings make wicked fire starters.

Not particularly hard (a little harder than Douglas Fir) so will ding easily.

Termite resistant, in ground life around 25 years, above ground 40.

Colours from chocolate and caramel swirl right through to straight blond. Rare to get a board without some kind of knot.

I have a large stack of 60 yo floorboards that are quite brittle but come up well. Even the nails coming out will split it.

as Brett says, the most commonly sawn species is White Cypress... CAllitris glauca. However a pack of "white cypress" can also include brush cypress C.macleayana, coast cypress C. columellaris, and dune cypress C. rhomboidea.

Theres another Cypress that we occasionally saw - Northern Cypress Callitris intratropica that grows in patches across FNQ/NT/ to the Kimberly region of WA. Its a fair bit stronger then White Cypess - structural #1 will go F17 against the F11 of white cypress. Its considered the most valued local timber in the Territory.

Also a Black Cypress Callitris endlicheri that is sawn far less then either of the above.

Then we got a new thing of calling Monterey Cypress Hespercyparis macrocarpa "Cypress Mac", because y'know if we label it right people might buy it, calling it macrocarpa like the kiwis do wont work, and saying its monterey anything means people might only want to pay for it like its a $h!t plantation pine - which it is. Good marketing, and its working, but if its coming out of Vic or NZ and labelled cypress thats what it most surely is.

Confused now? Me too... call it white cypress!!

Thanks, fellas.

John, I had a feeling someone would give me an answer like that one. I figured it was kind of localized.

I went to a wood merchant in Christchurch and asked for something distinctly Kiwi for a spoon blank. Like a souvenir from the trip. They sold me a stick of Macrocarpa. I'd heard about it here so I was a bit skeptical and asked him if he was "100% sure" it was a native NZ wood. He assured me. Turns out it's neither Kiwi nor Aussie but an American wood!!?? Luckily we got a small piece of NZ Red Beech (one of the Nothofagus down there) so that will make something worth having.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Cheers,
Luke

Ian did something with some Red Beech a few years back.

Not sure if it's antarctica or moorei. Antarctica is an interesting species shared by NZ, Oz and Argentina from when they were all Gondwanaland. Northernmost area in Oz in Barrington Tops just above the Hunter Valley. Absolutely beautiful trees in the misty forests - so ancient looking.

This one is a Kiwi endemic. Formerly Nothofagus (now Fuscospora) fusca. They're similar in growth to the cunninghamii (Myrtle Beech) in Tassie and the moorei (Antarctic Beech) on the mainland. The wood is fairly straightforward, but is a nice, reddish color and should make a decent spoon or spatula for the new crib in Seattle

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Northernmost area in Oz in Barrington Tops just above the Hunter Valley. Absolutely beautiful trees in the misty forests - so ancient looking.

There are at least a few Antarctic Beech here in the Gold Coast Hinterland. One on the short walk to the Best Of All lookout is a majestic sprawling specimen 2000 years old.

Yeah, I've seen that one and also the ones in Lamington at Tullawalal (sp?). I'd say both locations are highlights of my Queensland experience.