Eucalyptus

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airrat

airrat

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May 17, 2005
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Location
chandler, az, USA.
Hastur(Robert) and I picked up about 2/3 of the tree today, will get the rest tomorrow. I didnt know the color of this wood until today. Alot of pink to purple/deep red. Anyone turned any before?



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Here is the full story. This tree was in a friends backyard. It was over 40ft tall (Robert can correct me if wrong). They had to cut it down due to a neighbor complaining it was making a mess of his pool. With the height of it we couldnt do it it. They said they would get a company to come out and do it. We asked her to see if they would leave the trunk of the tree as long as possible and we would be happy to remove it. Well they didnt listen and cut it down and started to remove it. We were away for a week in Lake Havasu. We got back yesterday and went right over. We had to trim about 1 1/2" off each end to get rid of the cracking. Today we go pick up the rest probably another 10 pieces(I think).

They are now sealed and we need to start cutting them down into pen blanks and bowl blanks.

The really good part IS she has another Eucalyptus tree on the other side that needs to come down. Slightly smaller then this one. The first tree had round leaves and the still standing one has the long ones. Im excited to see what color that one is.
 
Good thing I now know where the stash is. [}:)][}:)]
I haven't turned any of it but I have seen some pieces and it is great stuff.
I think I'd have told the guy with the pool, "too bad".
 
Robert, (Hastur) it is my understanding that Eucalyptus is very resistant to decay, therefore it's unlikely that the dark like is splating. I will gladly stand corrected and if I'm wrong you guys have a wonderful haul.
 
OK, so do you plan on sharing this awesome find with your best friends here? [:D] just joking, isn't it great when you find something like this, can't wait to see what you do with it.
Janet
 
Its raining in AZ again. Can you believe it. We are going to pick up the rest of it soon. Yeah If we can ever figure out how to mill pen blanks properly, we plan on sharing.
 
That is some pretty wood. I'm not familiar with eucalyptus, but I do know a little about spaulting and that it is a symptom of fungal decay. That wood looks healthy to me. Spault lines occur randomly within a piece and not in a uniform circle. This looks like a boundary line between the heartwood and the sapwood.
 
I harvested a eucalytpus tree during cleanup after one of the hurricanea a summer or so ago along here, the names all blur together. To be honest in my case it wasn't worth the trouble. Cracks and shrinks like crazy. I cut a bunch into pen blanks to make as post-hurricane gifts for the folks who lost the tree. Cut them 1" x 1" by 6", thinking after drying they would still be big enough. Maybe one out of ten was big enough to still use when dried. Then it is hard as steel once dried. If I think of it later I will take some photos of the dried blanks, I kept some just for conversation pieces.

In other words, good luck with it. Hope yours turns out better than mine did-[:(]
 
What beautiful wood! I'd be interested in some blanks. Would it be better to seal the ends and let them dry for a month or so? Arrid Zona is probally better with the lower humidity... [:D]
 
I got some from my Brother in California. For him it is just firewood. He broght me some burl. I turned one piece but it was not dry enough yet so it took on a leather feel to the pen. Now I am just waiting for it to dry.

Good Luck
 
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