Thread: unuasal tasmanian timber (pics)

Wow. Good looking stuff - ship me some over ;-}

The latest issue of Australian Wood Review has an article on types of figure and what causes them. Your newsagent should have it.

Barry,

I know a couple of Luthiers who would give their right nut for some of that stuff. Is any for sale?

Sebastiaan

I saw a piece of Brown Barrel that had a similar thing. Don't know what causes it though.

I am reasonably sure that it would be from epicormic buds after a fire. The fact that the log is charred gives some credence to the idea. Many eucalypts are able to form buds under the trunk bark after fire and the structure that forms looks much like what is on the picture.

We were given a peice of ironbark with a similar sort of growth pattern. My husband made a box out of it, I will take a pic and post it tomorow.

Donna

Originally Posted by PAH1

I am reasonably sure that it would be from epicormic buds after a fire. The fact that the log is charred gives some credence to the idea. Many eucalypts are able to form buds under the trunk bark after fire and the structure that forms looks much like what is on the picture.

Possibly, PAH, but it would have to have been scorched continually, since the figure appears to be evenly spread right through.

Hard to be certain from a pic, but it looks to me like 'birdseye' figure. Birdseye is said not to be due to epicormic shoots, and is more likely to be distributed evenly throughout the tree like this. Some species like the Maples produce this pattern a lot more commonly than anything in our part of the world. I've seen it in a few different species of Eucalypt. VERY rarely evenly through the whole log, more often restriced to a small area. These birdseyes are not as compact & tight as the common Maple ones. Nobody knows what the cause is, but the fact that some species do it more often suggets a genetic basis, though when I see it in just a small area, I wonder about some sort of external agent doing it, or p'raps helping it along.

It may be better used as flat boards than for musical instruments - birdseye maple is not considered good for bending, for example.

Cheers,

i thought birdseye comes from when the crown is damaged and water is able to penetrate the heartwood

G'day Barry,
Down in the valley here, (Derwent that is) the local Millers come across this sort of figure fairly often, They tell me it is caused by the log laying on the ground for any length of time usually in wet conditions.
They seem to think that the water is absorbed into the log and the figure is caused as the log dries.

May not be right but that is what they seem to think.

Catch ya
Ravlord

Hello,

No matter what it is, it looks just stunning cool to me. I'm jealous again, so many incredible woods you people have thereabouts. I'm in awe, again...

Here seems to be some expert information about birdseye pattern formation in maples:

http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/news/407

Birdseye maple is used in electric guitar solidbody tops and guitar necks. The latter usage is usually ok because there is also a truss rod or two inside the neck.

I understood that wood cells are essentially continuing over the birdseye spot, being different than for example with a root burl where is that "bark" kind of region in the middle of the discontinuities.

(I try to practice my english. If I sound silly, gimme feedback, will ya? )

kippis,

sumu

Originally Posted by dazzler

i thought birdseye comes from when the crown is damaged and water is able to penetrate the heartwood

thats how blackhert sassafras is formed so im told

What a gem !!! Just had to be in Tassie . I bought some birdseye blackwood turning blanks from the WWW show several years ago and havn't decided what to make of them yet; toss up between enclosed form or balloon profile bowls. I want to think it out well before attacking them because they're rare and expensive.
Good find, you've done well . That'll take a very high polish; perfect for table tops

Cheers, Evan