Thread: Ever seen Rubber Tree like this?

Certainly is spectacular. Pity it won't stay that colour.

There is a timber in Brazil called Tatajuba that is that same yellow colour, but it turns brownish after
prolonged exposure to light .

but does it bounce?

Well it is all sliced up into bowl/pepper grinder/carving/handle blanks, plus a few small slabs for pen blanks that showed some potential where there was a very small burl on the side, but most was fairly plain grain wise. All sitting in a large container of Borax solution at the moment.

Hi Neil,
Many yrs. ago I was given some " Italian Buckthorn ". It came from the Island ( Golf Course ) at Queenscliffe, Vic. Stayed Yellow. Great to turn as I remember.
Vern might like a bit of that or he may have some?.

I hadn't seen Rubber Tree (ficus elastica) timber until now but it's much the same colour as Sandpaper Fig (ficus opposita). I found that the Sandpaper Fig held it's colour if it got enough air - eg: rough it out close to desired size and dry it without it touching anything that will stop the air getting to it. Any of it that I left in chunks all went dirty brown and mouldy

Good luck with it

The leftover scraps may still be a bit yellow, but the pen blanks in the dehydrator, and the other bigger stuff I put in the Borax solution have lost their yellow and turned what I consider to be a normal light brown rubber tree

Will post some more pics after a bit more drying.

I have no reason to doubt your nursery friend buit that looks a lot like Ossage Orange. Some call it mock orange. beautiful timber. I've got some smallish well seasoned pieces in the shed someplace. Kinda small to be doing much with but to big to throw out if you know what i mean.

Originally Posted by dadpad

I have no reason to doubt your nursery friend buit that looks a lot like Ossage Orange....

No, it's not OO, I have 6 logs of that myself. For future rocking chair, plus left overs for bows and turning blanks etc