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  1. 6th September 2020, 05:50 PM #1
    KahoyKutter's Avatar
    KahoyKutter
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    Default Timber ID please

    Hello everyone,

    Recently I bought a pile of pale/blonde timber on GT. The seller said it was an Australian Hardwood, possibly Blackbutt. I had my doubts when he delivered it as it isn't as dense/heavy as the Blackbutt or Spotted Gum that I'm used to. I went ahead with the sale because it looked like a decent pile of timber and it was still a good deal. The seller said he has had it stored in his shed for about 10 years and he initially intended to use it as the joists for his Mezzanine floor but changed his mind and decided to use gal steel instead. Below are a few pics before and after dressing a few lengths.


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    I was considering using the timber for the workbench that I'm building. I'm not too worried about the timber being too light as the base is heavy enough as it is, but I was worried that it might be too soft to stand up to the abuse I plan to put it through. To give me an idea of the hardness of the timber, I did a bit of a controlled test using my automatic centre punch. The photo below is a comparison with Blackbutt, Ironbark, Spotted Gum, and NG Rosewood.



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    IMO, the mystery timber is not as hard as BB, IB, or SG, but is harder than NG Rosewood. Hopefully these clues are enough for someone on here to ID this timber.



    Thanks in advance,

    Mike
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  3. 6th September 2020, 09:49 PM #2
    elanjacobs
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    Solely on appearance, that looks very much like Blackbutt to me. Probably plantation stuff which would explain why it's not as hard and dense as the (probably) old growth you're used to. Or it may just be from a warmer region where it grows a bit faster.

    I've certainly noticed a big difference between new and reclaimed Blackbutt, both in colour and hardness.
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  4. 6th September 2020, 10:36 PM #3
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    orraloon
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    It could be blackbutt. As to hardness for a bench,well my benchtop is pine and after about 6 years is holding up fine. Will likely see me out.
    Regards
    John
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  5. 6th September 2020, 10:54 PM #4
    riverbuilder
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    I was thinking maybe Messmate but it doesn’t have all the gum vein streaks in the photos, most likely blackbutt from a sandy soil area.
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  6. 6th September 2020, 11:16 PM #5
    Cgcc
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    On timber for a worktop... keep in mind a very hard wood will reverberate and may transmit instead of absorbing impact.

    I think Jay Bates has a video you can google on Youtube about hard vs soft worktops that is well thought out.
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  7. 7th September 2020, 02:43 PM #6
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    Thanks for the replies everyone. I worked on it a bit more today and this timber planes very well not like the IB, SG, and BB that I've been using lately. I'm starting to think it's one of the species that's sold as Tassie Oak. Here's another pic with the boards laminated and run through the jointer/thickie.


    20200907_132638.jpg
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  8. 7th September 2020, 02:50 PM #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cgcc View Post
    On timber for a worktop... keep in mind a very hard wood will reverberate and may transmit instead of absorbing impact.

    I think Jay Bates has a video you can google on Youtube about hard vs soft worktops that is well thought out.

    Thanks Cgcc. My current bench has a top made of laminated Acacia panels. I admit it's not as hard as SG or BB, but I've had no issues with it reverberating. Plus I'm planning to lay down some 3mm rubber sheet over the concrete slab which the bench will sit on. That should negate any reverberation. Cheers.
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  9. 7th September 2020, 04:12 PM #8
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    GraemeCook
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    That grain, colour and hardness - it could also be plantation blue gum - E globulus - not Sydney blue gum.

    Old growth and regrowth E globulus is a very hard timber; its plantation brethren are quite a lot softer, comparable to mountain ash.
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