Thread: milled pictures of Casuarina glauca (swamp she oak) ?

still looking for a pic, should anyone have one.

A have one pic but like to see more to confirm

cheers
Jake

Casuarinas can be very difficult to point to differences in timbers, especially the ones you mention. Unfortunately the timbers can vary depending on where they are planted, but also the timber can vary between the male and female trees.

River Sheoak for example can vary considerably from little to no medullary ray grain, The stuff I've had plus other stuff I've seen from southern NSW, to full blown beautiful stuff others have had. Here what I had - https://www.woodworkforums.com/43161-sheaok-vase/ (see posts 1 and 16 for photos). It had basically no medullary grain.

As for Swamp Sheoak, here are the only photo I could find: Timber Sample - Swamp Oak, Casuarina glauca, Victoria, 1885 - Museum Victoria

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Casuarinas can be very difficult to point to differences in timbers, especially the ones you mention. Unfortunately the timbers can vary depending on where they are planted, but also the timber can vary between the male and female trees.

River Sheoak for example can vary considerably from little to no medullary ray grain, The stuff I've had plus other stuff I've seen from southern NSW, to full blown beautiful stuff others have had. Here what I had - https://www.woodworkforums.com/43161-sheaok-vase/ (see posts 1 and 16 for photos). It had basically no medullary grain.

As for Swamp Sheoak, here are the only photo I could find: Timber Sample - Swamp Oak, Casuarina glauca, Victoria, 1885 - Museum Victoria

Thanks for your effort Neil on something tricky. At least I find tricky. The timber in the pictures look too dark to the timber I'm comparing, as though maybe its taken a finish….

I'm actually after info on casuarina species with little medullary ray grain pattern. Am thinking its the swamp oak species in general….. and thinking the timber that does have more fleck, is a hybrid with river oak (casuarina cunninghamiana). Apparently where the species meet the hybrids grow. But if you say you've seen swamp oak with full blown beautiful fleck I'm not sure.

Am wondering also how the male and female trees differ in the look of the timber. Does the sex of the tree influence the size of the fleck ?

appreciate any thoughts.

ta.

I milled some back in 2008.

There are some pics in this thread (you will have to scroll down past the Robinia pics to see them)
https://www.woodworkforums.com/74121-robinia/

Most of the swamp oak slabs I cut turned to pretzels.

Originally Posted by BobL

I milled some back in 2008.
.

Thanks Bob.

shot in the dark…..but you wouldn't happen to have a pic of the end grain ?

Originally Posted by apricotripper

Thanks for your effort Neil on something tricky. At least I find tricky. The timber in the pictures look too dark to the timber I'm comparing, as though maybe its taken a finish…. My River Sheoak wasn't finished, but yes quite dark

I'm actually after info on casuarina species with little medullary ray grain pattern. My experience is that both the species have limited medullary ray Am thinking its the swamp oak species in general….. and thinking the timber that does have more fleck, is a hybrid with river oak (casuarina cunninghamiana). Apparently where the species meet the hybrids grow. But if you say you've seen swamp oak with full blown beautiful fleck I'm not sure No, my experience is that neither have much, but others I know have said their River Sheoak (ie not swamp) had some.

Am wondering also how the male and female trees differ in the look of the timber. Does the sex of the tree influence the size of the fleck ? My experience is yes, fleck and colour, but my experience is limited so could have been just coincidence

appreciate any thoughts.

ta.

Cheers

thanks Neil.

Originally Posted by apricotripper

Thanks Bob.

shot in the dark…..but you wouldn't happen to have a pic of the end grain ?

I had a look but all the pics with end grain in them show I careful painted the ends with house paint.
It wouldn't have been of much use because the end grain is rough (chainsaw) sawn.

I think I have a piece under house. If you really want a pic I can recut the end of and sand up the end grain and take a picture.

Cheers

Originally Posted by apricotripper

Thanks Bob.

shot in the dark…..but you wouldn't happen to have a pic of the end grain ?

I have some polished/sanded swamp oak slices from my own trees - I have few of them. I used to make knobs out of them.
Will find them tomorrow and take a picture for you.

Originally Posted by BobL

I had a look but all the pics with end grain in them show I careful painted the ends with house paint.
It wouldn't have been of much use because the end grain is rough (chainsaw) sawn.

I think I have a piece under house. If you really want a pic I can recut the end of and sand up the end grain and take a picture.

Cheers

that would be appreciated. but I don't want you going out of your way too much. uno, only if your doing something else in that area that day. Don't want you digging forever to find it.
cheers

Originally Posted by gms002a

I have some polished/sanded swamp oak slices from my own trees - I have few of them. I used to make knobs out of them.
Will find them tomorrow and take a picture for you.

thanks mate…. in return, if you like, I can send you some offcuts for your knobs making etc… I got a lot of offcuts that are too good to throw away, that I try sell off occasionally as pen blanks etc, but never really eventuates...

cheers