Thread: Yellowbox slabs

Apart from firewood the only other use I've encountered for Yellow Box (Euc. Meliodora) is for apiarists.

Don't know a lot about its properties and uses as a timber.

I hope you like discos, Yellowbox does move a fair bit when drying. Keep the slabs as thick as possible and be prepared to lose the lot to the splitting/warping and bowing. It is good firewood once dry . . . . in 10 years time

Properly stickered, protected from the weather, ends sealed and then resealed, you might get lucky.

Generally trees from the Blue Mountains are quite twisted from high winds which may well magnify what Pat said.

Melliodora is pretty much THE best firewood you can get, equal or better than ironbark, which is unfortunately (due to logistical reasons) how the beasty big log ended up today (apart from a couple of 700 x 800 x 60mm hand slabbed chopping boards). It was the biggest yellowbox barrel I think I've seen, and over the years as a tree climber I've seen a few, probly removed 80+ from the western sydney area. From where I sit I see so much useable timber turned to either mulch or firewood- pretty much comes down to a logistics thing. At some stage I imagine these big old logs will be of great value, lets hope there will be some left by then. If I had a place to store them I'd have 100's of tonnes of them!

Also just to clarify, in regards to Saplings post, whilst its true there are a few places in the blue mountains where the trees/timber ARE quite twisted from high winds, I'd have to say in my experience this is the exception rather than the norm.

thanks all for the replies.

Originally Posted by Jezupatree

Melliodora is pretty much THE best firewood you can get, equal or better than ironbark, which is unfortunately (due to logistical reasons) how the beasty big log ended up today (apart from a couple of 700 x 800 x 60mm hand slabbed chopping boards). It was the biggest yellowbox barrel I think I've seen, and over the years as a tree climber I've seen a few, probly removed 80+ from the western sydney area. From where I sit I see so much useable timber turned to either mulch or firewood- pretty much comes down to a logistics thing. At some stage I imagine these big old logs will be of great value, lets hope there will be some left by then. If I had a place to store them I'd have 100's of tonnes of them!

Also just to clarify, in regards to Saplings post, whilst its true there are a few places in the blue mountains where the trees/timber ARE quite twisted from high winds, I'd have to say in my experience this is the exception rather than the norm.

thanks all for the replies.

BUGGER, good yellowbox is actually very good timber for a lot of things. It takes a very high polish and often has some very nice grain and pattern. bet ya had to sharpen your saw more than a couple of times cutting it up! and I hope you split it soon after cutting as it gets harder and harder to split by the day after it is cut.

"Tis indeed good firewood but research done in Vic. shows that River Red Gum EUC. Camaldulensis has more heat. It also burns Cleaner. I know this from experience.

On a complete side note. I do think that the finest honey is made from yellowbox. A very light colour. Some might not like the slightest tang.

Originally Posted by artme

"Tis indeed good firewood but research done in Vic. shows that River Red Gum EUC. Camaldulensis has more heat. It also burns Cleaner. I know this from experience.

Yes redgum burns hotter but yellowbox burns for longer and should really be mixed with something like redgum to make it burn. when made into charcoal the yellow box will burn at a higher heat than redgum and honestly mallee stumps are probably the only thing to rival it once charcoaled. as a timber depending on where it came from it will finish almost plastic like when polished and the burl timber can look extremely nice.

Yep Malle roots are great firewood but who would burn them these days?

As someone who has 15 years experience using yellow box, I've read the above posts with dismay. firewood bloody firewood - I tend to think we have some serious wood snobs amongst us.

Slab the Yellow box, cut to size and then rack to dry. Absolutely gorgeous as a furniture timber.

I've used Yellow box for the last 15 years - love the lustre of polished wood. Before you listen to the wood snobs, try a small polish job yourself. You have nothing to lose but a huge amount of lovely wood.

Brosh

Originally Posted by Pat

I hope you like discos, Yellowbox does move a fair bit when drying. Keep the slabs as thick as possible and be prepared to lose the lot to the splitting/warping and bowing. It is good firewood once dry . . . . in 10 years time

Properly stickered, protected from the weather, ends sealed and then resealed, you might get lucky.

My experience with Yellowbox is the other way around, usually I find it fairly stable, Redgum is usually gives me more grief than Yellowbox

Originally Posted by Brosh

As someone who has 15 years experience using yellow box, I've read the above posts with dismay. firewood bloody firewood - I tend to think we have some serious wood snobs amongst us.

Slab the Yellow box, cut to size and then rack to dry. Absolutely gorgeous as a furniture timber.

I've used Yellow box for the last 15 years - love the lustre of polished wood. Before you listen to the wood snobs, try a small polish job yourself. You have nothing to lose but a huge amount of lovely wood.

Brosh

Yep I agree Brosh as you saw above I was dismayed when I heard it was being cut up for firewood. and at the risk of sounding like I forgot what I wrote, It POLISHES to a plastic finish and has some very interesting figure despite its rather plain colour. there is another post in the small milling forum claiming balckbutt as our most valuable timber, honestly good yellowbox is probably better in many regards. and I agree on the drying I find it drys well with little degrade or distortion usually. Although it is not my favourite aussie timber I have learned to appreciate it greatly.

Originally Posted by artme

Yep Malle roots are great firewood but who would burn them these days?

I WOULD, into charcoal if I could for forging damascus, and I know of plenty of other people who would and still probably do, they also have some very good wood in them for making things like boxes and knife handles and other stuff.