Thread: Tea tree

Depending what you mean by Tea Tree they have it in NZ but its called manuka and its a very tough tree make good handles, axes pick handles etc, very hard when full seasoned.

Tea Tree also makes really hard wearing kitchen implements.

BTW If you want to eliminate all plants that contain oil you or native animals won't have much left to live on.
All seeds have oils so you will have to cook with animal fats but the animals that make those fats will die because they won't have anything to eat. Maybe try engine oil?
All Eucalyptus have oils so there goes 800 species off the planet and you will have to work with pine - no wait that has oil too!

Small retail amounts (eg 50mL) of Eucalyptus oil goes for about $140/L and is highly prized by the pharmaceutical industry so instead of eliminating Eucs we should be looking for cheaper ways to process the waste leaves (which is where most of the oils are). BTW it is poisonous (S6) and Euc oil MSDS have warnings all over them but interestingly no one has done the research on how much is needed to knock someone off or what the maximum exposure limits are. Kids are especially vulnerable. Low does long term in adults will do your kidneys in.

Depends on which Tea Tree, there are a few, but they do take a long time to dry due to the oil content (similar issues with Olive). Take some photos

Years ago I knew an old Bushy Bloke who made plaited stock whips. He would give me (I think I am right) Tea Tree branches that I would turn them down to (from fuzzy memory) 400mm Long X Taper 10mm to 25mm for the handle. He had some one else turning some for him but who ever it was would not go down to 10mm, for fear of the stick jettisoning itself away from the lathe and hitting him. I remember it being particularly tough but not that difficult to turn. Old Mate has been dead now for many years and all that knowledge went with him




Big Event last week or so.....cracked the 2000 mark on my threads (BobL lookout I am coming to overtake your score)
The other big event.....I turned 68 (can not believe I am that old)