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If its milled near Brisbane (0n east coast somewhere and is a native rainforest tree) it COULD be brown tulip oak, or one of the other Tulip Oaks (from the fine rays in the middle pic). Botanically...

A southern eucalypt is my guess, Looks like it has gum veins & large birdseyes which occur in many species. I've seen it in shining gum (E.nitens) for example and have a narrow table which look a bit...

Species ?

Indeed, if you have a delivery of merbau decking, and its left on concrete after rain, you will know about it from the stain. Not a problem for indoor furniture etc

I occasionally offer figured panels and short figured boards suitable for boxes. PM if really interested. Very wide range of species from all over the country. When our lockdown ends, you are welcome...

If its Merbau the yellow stuff in its pores dissolves in alcohol or metho. (this yellow substance also stains concrete/ cement)
The yellow solution of a Merbau extract in alcohol fluoresces / glows...

I would say it looks like Jarrah too.

Here is an interesting test.. using a the ash left after combustion of a splinter of jarrah ..

"Karri closely resembles jarrah in structure and...

a local eucalypt (or Brush Box) I'd say with so little to go by .. one of the more weather resistant ones used for decking. Maybe ask a local decking supplier.

very nice work Peter! Nice choice of wood too. :)

Agree... looks like Qld Maple to me too.

Here are link to my best guess ....a Grevilea like these, Have a look at these

Grevillea nematophylla F.Muell. subsp. nematophylla: FloraBase: Flora of Western Australia
Grevillea nematophylla...

Its not a Melaleuca* IMO because NO melaceuca woods have the rays (what you call "grain") that are so obvious on the turned handle.
Its a Proteacea of some sort. Bark may resemble some paperbarks...

Yes very likely tropical ebony which are often with a striped streaked heartwood. There are a few ebony (Diopyros species) with striped woods like these.
Ebonies are favourite timbers for carving...

Hi Rick, I stand by my suggestions of Proteacea Family and likely a Grevillea or Hakea species imo.
Maybe Grass Leaf Hakea is another possibility. Any of these names sound familiar to you?
Lets...

Some ideas include

Water Tree - Grevillea nematophylla. (this is what it looks like most to me)
Beefwood (pale one) Grevillea sp.

Other vague possibilities include.....

a dryland Banksia...

Looks like its from the Proteaceae family eg a Grevilea, Hakea etc and there are many. They have many common names too (beefwoods, needlewoods to name some).

I may be able to suggest some from...

That's WILD! :U

Lovely tone Cal!
Thanks for taking us on the journey with you and sharing your joys and a few difficulties. :)
I do mostly appreciate them for their wood and your skills
Cheers, Euge

Hahaha... easy! :U

A bandsaw!!

From where its growing (Vic) its almost certainly Macrocarpa (Monterey Cyrpess) which is frequently grown in Vic (along fencelines for windbreaks, shade etc) and here grows to large size. It almost...

Tend to agree with Ian's comments above re possible id and wavy grain. Although it does look like Brushbox (colour and grain) its lacks the durability required. Satinay was used until it became...

WARNING this is an ancient 15 yo post!! Just came across it today and recognised that "gypsy" Al is talking about, didn't you Neil? :D

Oh, should contribute something useful to support my...

Not so, though I thought the same once.
The species name comes from the Greek word for PINE because of the trees pine-like foliage

:)

Wood toxicity is a complex subject Ambur. The biggest variable is not the woods used but more the person who works with the wood or uses it ie how sensitive you or they are eg to wood dust or...

My experience is only in labs not for stabilising wood with CJ. Neil has a lot of practical experience .. but that wont stop me from giving my opinion :-)

Acrylic crazing may be a result of...

I suggest HIGH PRESSURE Water (eg from a Kartcher etc) to remove sand, stones, included bark etc first.
Once clean and dry, you can consider the tools you may need, once you know what you want to...

Another LOW COST option for you to consider...

Eucalypt woods (with high tannin contents) incl. figured Red Gum, readily available from posts, firewood etc is very inexpensive in small sizes,...

A few more dark Australian woods you can consider for a Paper Weight

Burdekin Plum or Black Walnut (moderate price, easy to work, maybe not as dense as you'd like*)
Black Bean (as above* ) ...

I agree that darker woods would look good with a silver inlay. Consider ...

Ebony or better an inland acacia eg Gidgee, Western Myall etc (moderate pricing, though if figured can be pricey)
or...

Thanks, that's helpful, and it confirms the density as 720 kg /m3 (or 0.72 g / cc) which is exactly what its published for Red Siris in Qld Timbers Tech Pamphlet #2, a publication by Qld Forestry.
...

May be Mackay Cedar or Red Siris (tropical Qld wood with a very irritating dust). It usually has those yellow streaks through a coarse textured red wood. Used for furniture when available.

PS:...

Good onya Peter,

That's the way to revive flagging interest in the skill of pen making.... like you have, by example, showing a beauty like this.
Well done!!

Eugene

If you keep having problems DL (and are desperate) I can offer some spare Qld Beech, Qld and Pacific Kauri (blocks & slabs), Denhamia (block) & Huon boards. All these are softish. There are others. ...

Another consideration could be woods from the Citrus family, most with fine textured, hard white featureless wood.
Holly too. It a weed in some areas in Vic and is cleared. Pittosporum in Tas and...

Limewood / Basswood (Linden) is a cool climate wood and not found, grown or milled in Australia. Most would be imported.
There are a few suppliers of imported woods. Mathews & Trend are often...

Further to comments made above...

- cooking temp to trigger polymerisation of CJ .. again, lower temperature the better and whatever the resin requires to set it at the lowest temp. Temp and time...

Lots of good (tested and proven) methods / advice provided by Neil. Dry wood is essential its obvious. From my own experience, with wood chemistry, wood oils, using polymers and lab methods, using...

agree colour contrast looks great Cal :) :2tsup:

The colours posted here in images are duller than in reality Peter.
I'm unaware of any commercial purplehearts from Africa. I will send you a PM or email re your questions.
Regards, Eugene

PS:...

Thanks for the post Dave.

Your result looks good and your technique seems very thorough to me. The proof will be in the turning & appearance (absence holes voids and ease and quality of finish....

Yes Peter, it is disappointing to see this lack of interest by pen turners in this specialised skill. As a wood lover, I just enjoy the finished result. Its a great way of showing skill & design,...

Pete, those surfaces shown above were planed many years ago (20+ years) so the surface is MUCH darker than fresh surface becomes. They were shown to show the figure and a block of typical, unfigured...

Not sure who “Wife" is. Maybe a typo?

There are a number of Sth American commercial species called “Purpleheart". Some are from large Sth American trees and are milled and exported in large...

Dont you love how wood shows it beauty with those first coats? I do!

Great work Cal!

I have some in small sizes, quantities, some select & figured. What sizes do you need?
Contact me if commercial suppliers can't provide what you want. (My prices will be higher.)
Its imported and...

Very sad to hear of Vics death. Always friendly, always a gentleman and approachable to share views. He was admired for his unique designs and was part of the elite Yarra Turners group. He taught...

Aaaaaah, I agree!!
Well done Cal.. hope you are enjoying "the journey" as we are observing the results at milestones :) .
Thanks for sharing, especially via the excellent photography

Euge

Looks like a eucalypt to me... maybe River Red Gum

Its wood is a golden colour (hence its common name), has a fine texture and with fine rays.
Stable once dry but cracks and twists during drying (that;s only a problem in large sizes.) Look forward...

I agree with Ian.

it is definitely a native WA species from the SW corner of that state. It gets its common name from its association with Granite and granitic soil/ Here is a reference ......