A Timber Species Stable in the Round.

**Bob Whitworth** · 26th January 2021, 08:00 PM

One of the people I supply wood to is a wheel wright. A part of the wheel is the hub where he requires a rather small diameter short log. He drills out the centre for the axle and the spokes go into the outside. The wood needs to be tough and durable and to not split as it dries out. Hoop Pine is stable in the round as it dries out but is not tough. Eucs occasionally can be stable but this is the exception. Most rainforest species also split but I like to think that I have discovered one that is suitable, that is tough, durable, and stable that is Native Olive, Olea paniculata. Maybe there are some other species as well? Being stable in the round makes it suitable for other jobs as well.
I do have some photos and will upload them as soon as I can overcome some technical issues.

**Bob Whitworth** · 28th January 2021, 08:26 PM

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**Bob Whitworth** · 28th January 2021, 08:40 PM

I think I have uploaded two photos but really I have no idea.
If it has happened, one photo has a picture of two biscuits about 2 inches thick. These were cut about a year ago. They were painted with log sealant and as can be seen, they have not cracked at all.
The other photo with just the one log end in it, is of a log that was cut about 20 years ago? Well that is my guess, it could have been even longer. I know that it has cracked a bit but considering that it wouldn't have had its ends sealed, it seems pretty good to me. There are also no longitudinal cracks going along the log. It has been stored in a shed which is a bit milder drying conditions that if it was just left in the open. I also had another old log like this which I recently had sawn up .
The wood is very dense for a rainforest species. Morris in his book, Aust. Rainforest Woods gives it a density of 915kg/m3 but I thought my other book, if I could find it, gave it a bit more dense.

**Mr Fiddleback** · 29th January 2021, 08:53 PM

Hi Bob
Have you any pics of some milled timber of this species?
Apparently reaches a girth at maturity around 900mm...that's a decent size tree
A recognised 'pioneer' species too
Good to see you have found a use for it
Would it be suitable for handles?
Turnery even
Just a thought
Mr Fiddleback

**Bob Whitworth** · 30th January 2021, 08:32 PM

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**Bob Whitworth** · 30th January 2021, 08:36 PM

Native Olive.
Here is a piece of dressed and oiled Native Olive. It is a very close grained and dense wood. I'm sure that it could be used for many tasks including outside. This board is right beside the pith and it has not cracked.
The little chest of draws was made by my wood working neighbour. When I told him about the stability properties of the wood, he took just a random little log and made this with his newly acquired scroll saw just as a bit of practice. For many months it had not cracked but just today when we found it ,it has cracked a little but if you look closely, you can see that it has mostly cracked along some existing faults which perhaps indicate he should have chosen more carefully a piece of wood to use.

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