kabobs...!, anyone...???

[robutacion]

Hi peoples,

I've got some interesting stuff that grows in my own yard and that this year it finally produced enough to make a few pen blanks that will be Resifills (resin filled) when done. These were picked-up last Saturday, today I picked-up enough for another 2 blanks and I'm expecting to get a few more for another 2 or 3 blanks, in the next couple of days so, I should get about 12 blanks or so and than hope that the tree does well for next year's yield...!

There are 33 of these "things" on each bamboo stick (full size pen blanks), I used about 40 of them to complete each "kabob" each piece has to be drilled and they break easily...!



I actually already cast 2, different colours and turn them into samples to have a look of how they will look, however, I only went from square to round, the samples are still about 20mm or better so, is obvious that I didn't turn deep/thin enough (to average pen size) as I want those samples to be used to make pens and waste nothing...!



I will offer 1 (one) blank to the person that guesses what they are or what they have come from, I can say that, they are produced by a tree once every year, just around this time, here in South Australia so, name the tree species name, and 1 cast blank with colour of your choice (at this point) is yours free of charge...!:wink::biggrin:

Good luck,
Cheers
George

 

[Tage]

My guess is Rainbow Eucalyptus.....Eucalyptus deglupta
Looks like it sheds its bark.

Nevermind......just took a closer look at the picture.

 

[Russknan]

George, I have no clue. Since you are always looking from the "bottom up" (at us) ;-) your trees grow very differently. The closest thing I can think of to what we have here would be miniature petals from a dogwood tree. Certainly, that can't even be close. Fun contest! Russ

 

[stonepecker]

Just a guess........Eucalyptus Resinifera.

 

[GrahamColwell]

My guess is...
Brush Teak Toechima tenax Other names: Pitted-leaf Steelwood
Specifically the husk of the fruit.

 

[BW Design Works]

Looks like Plumeria to me.

 

[scottsheapens]

Looks like "upside down beauteous magnificenteous" blossoms. Will make a magnificent pen.

 

[ALexG]

poppys?

 

[ianjwebster]

No idea what they are - but I really like the blanks you made. Congrats!

 

[Russknan]

Another guess: The rare Australian Parrotwood - but just the "beak" part! Russ

 

[ltkrause]

My guess... Illyarrie, aka Red Cap Gum OR Eucalyptus eryhrocorys

 

[gimpy]

Hakea laurina (Pincushion Hakea) ??

 

[Younka]

Dried Orbilia subgenus Hemiorbilia

 

[pensbydesign]

not a clue but i should get one anyway

 

[robutacion]

Wow, and we have a winner...! but before I announce this persons' name, let me tell you a little more about this tree...!

When I moved to this house 8 years ago, I had a large area, (the front and backyards), with some trees (including fruit trees) and plants but, they all went wild as they weren't looked after, after planted so all looked pretty "bushy". I got it all sorted but, this tree on the front yard and not far from the powerline lines direction that, was growing too tall and too skinny, it looked like those very tall coconut tree with half a dozen leafs on its top (canopy).

I wasn't familiar with that type of tree (Gum) but I didn't like the way it was growing, the wind would break it sooner or later or the Power guys would chop its top off if would get any closer to the lines. I had another type of Gum (fence Gum) in that same front yard that was butchered, some months prior because it was planted in the wrong place and people forget that trees grow bigger...!



Anyway, I decided to do some major work on the fence Gum, instead of pulling it out, as I should have but, I decided to see it I could bring it back to life. I did and 3 years later I had a pretty tree growing like wildfire but, a wind storm come through and snapped if off, beyond repair.



I had to cut it down right to my original repair cut but, that Gum has never developed any new shoots again so, it will be ripped out, one day...!

As for the "special Gum" I let it grow a little more as it was but, it went only up and little canopy showing so, when I removed the broken top on the fence Gum, I decided that was time to do a major job on the special Gum, which its called Pollarding or, select a certain location in the main trunk and cut it there, so, you lose the tree top and you endup with a trunk. This only can be done in certain times of the year (dormant) and not all trees survive to such dramatic cut. This was about 4 1/2 years ago...! (I've got pics but I don't seem to find them, right now, not something that is that much exciting to see, a trunk sticking out of the ground, 5" up...!

There are 2 things that are normally done with that trunk, one is to graft a new shoot in it or, allow the tree to develop its own new shoots and have the tree canopy to form the "broccoli" shape, where the trunk height determines how far from the ground you want the canopy to grow, I like it at eye level if possible.

Was that exact broccoli effect that I wanted on both trees, nothing too tall nor too wide...!
There is one type of black worm that target these Gum species more than any other, they simply eat the leafs and mess the whole canopy in no time so, twice each year I had to spray it to get rid of those buggers. This will be an ongoing thing while this tree is alive however, a well worth effort when you see it bloom, like now...!



So, Mr. ltkrause, you have named the Gum species correctly, it is indeed the Illyarrie, aka Red Cap Gum OR Eucalyptus eryhrocorys, congratulations...!:wink::biggrin:

You have won 1 (one) Resifill blank made/cast with these caps, you can select one of the 2 colours I have already made and shown here or you can have it made with a colour of your preference.

Due to the multitude of colours available, and if you prefer a color that is not any of the 2 blanks made, to make things a little easier for both of us, I would suggest you go to my eBay store (address on my signature, below) and look under the pen blanks Resifills section for a listing called " Australia New Banksia pods PEN blanks Resifills 45-SM mix", there are 13 colours in there and those will be the colours I would have in stock so, take your pick...!

Also, provide your postal details info via PM to me, please...!

Thanks everyone, for participating on this small challenge and for being a good sport, thank you...!

PS: I'm not a gardener but, spend sufficient years working with trees and other vegetation, wood is my passion but, the raw product has to come from somewhere so trees are highly regarded, in my books...!:wink::biggrin:

Cheers
George

 

[ltkrause]

I have to admit, it took a little while to find that one on Google . That is a really neat tree! It reminds me a lot of a Mimosa tree that grew outside my window when I was growing up.

 

[robutacion]

I have to admit, it took a little while to find that one on Google . That is a really neat tree! It reminds me a lot of a Mimosa tree that grew outside my window when I was growing up.

What was the wording you used to find it, when I never mentioned the word "GUM"..?

And here I was thinking that, the thread/challenge would run so some time...! wrong George, wrong...!

I also thought that, with Bob Wemm being away (sorry mate), I had some chance of letting it go for a weeks or so but, not only things happen fast around here but, even the new IAP members quickly learn that, if they want to get a chance here, they have to be smart and be very quick, damn...!:wink::biggrin:

I'm going to cast this weekend the blank that I will sent to our winner "ltkrause", there will be other stuff but, I will let that for winner to "divulge", if he so wishes when he gets the parcel...!:biggrin:

Well done, mate...!

Cheers
George

 

[robutacion]

Well ltkrause, your Kabob blank is done is a 4 colour mix, and looks like this,


The teardrops are there but, rounding the blank it changes considerably, most of the resin effect disappear but then, the "red caps" show up so, the pen should look more like this considering that, the pen diameter will be far thinner than my sample so, the effect will change again but we get the idea, anyway...!


All will be posted in Monday...!

Good luck,
Cheers
George

 

[Bob Wemm]

Cant wait to see them George.
I was thinking Illyarrie but not having seen any close up lately I thought the bud caps were a bit more pointy, but there is no mistaking the flowers. They are beautiful, and congratulations on the save.

Bob.

 

[ltkrause]

What was the wording you used to find it, when I never mentioned the word "GUM"..?

I did a google image search for "red flower tree australia" and went through the results until I found the closest match.

 

[ltkrause]

I finally turned the awesome blank from George! The Le ROI wasn't my first choice, but the part I was going to use on a Jr Gent II cap exploded during drilling :frown:. It's still a little short but I'll fix it with spacers later. This one's staying in my collection anyway. I love the way it turned out to have yellow on one side and blue on the other!

 

[robutacion]

Wow, that is very pretty indeed...!

Shame that your plans for that blank didn't work as you wanted, I wonder if you ever wrapped the blank with masking tape, prior to drilling, with fragile blanks, I never take the chance however, you seem to be able to utilised the damaged barrel, as for the piece you used on this kit, you done a great job, the finish is very good...!

Thank you for showing us what you did with it, I bet you had a few nerves stirred with the fear of buggering up the blank, being the only one, that would be almost unavoidable however and as I always say, its only a pen blank and not the end of the world, in fact, your blank has another 3 identical brothers, the 4 were cast at the same time so, they will be all very similar, if you want to try some more...!

Thank you,
Cheers
George