Thread: Bulloak platter- how I discovered power sanding.

You are certainly more than just a tea lady!

"Buloke?" Isn't that a large bovine creature commonly eaten as beef?

Sorry that was awful. Cringeville even. Maybe that's why Cliff's mob call it "Beefwood." Sorry, sorry....

I was intrigued by the discussion and thought I'll look it up in Bootle's bible, but, to my despair, he only had Bull Oak listed (Casuarina luehmannii). Very hard as I think TL can testify (Janka 22kN. Compare to Ironbark @ 14kN and Gidgee @ 19kN) and ADD of 1050Kg/m3.

It's a force to be reckoned with and on top of that it has those beautiful rays (which I, like many others, still call medullary rays. Ern, "Rsser," explained that we don't call 'em that any more.: Just rays).

Now the other one, which from another book (my third attempt) seems to be Causarina glauca. It is apparantly very similar, but is has a different shaped canopy.

Then in another book I found C. glauca listed as swamp oak.

Clearly they are similar, as are most of the casuarinas and they are beautiful timbers if you can control them. I say this because most of the specimens I have cut develop chronic splitting, often in a spiral pattern, which renders them fit only for pen blanks and knife handles. My son tried to make a didgeridoo out of some recently and after he had drilled an 1800mm hole down the guts it split open about 10mm right down the length as if in some bizarre revenge frenzy. He was mightily pi55ed.

TL, you might have to examine this timber quite carefully, before turning on the lathe as it is a lot of work just to have it split on you. Still a really nice job by you.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

That looks like what we call Beefwood up here.

Don't you beef from bulls ?

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

Don't you beef from bulls ?

Might be a word missing there.

I wouldn't recommend beef from a bull... too tough.

Originally Posted by tea lady

Ah! So that is how you spell it.

Both ways are acceptable as the common name. My preference is buloke. Either way it refers to Allocasuarina luehmannii in the area where it primarily grows in SE SA, West Vic and SW NSW.

As for the cracks, they come with the other features of this beautiful wood. Unless it is going to fall apart, I'd call it a keeper.

Originally Posted by NeilS

Both ways are acceptable as the common name. My preference is buloke. Either way it refers to Allocasuarina luehmannii in the area where it primarily grows in SE SA, West Vic and SW NSW.

As for the cracks, they come with the other features of this beautiful wood. Unless it is going to fall apart, I'd call it a keeper.

Unfortunately the crack is from sanding I think! Heard it go "tink" and there is a little wiggly hair line crack on the bottom. I think I also went a bit thin trying to get rid of the tear out and the dimple. But it does actually mean I get to keep it! If it was good I'd have to sell it.