Timbers we use
Here at Currumbin Woodworks we stock and love working with the following Australian timbers
Tasmanian Blackwood
Tasmanian Blackwood, Acacia Melanoxylon. As its name suggests it is an exotic and rare timber. It’s the perfect choice for crafting fine furniture and achieving a wonderful quality finish. It’s a hardwood that’s easily worked and is stable and long lasting with a unique character that just radiates a handsome beauty. Tones and colours vary quite a bit and that is usually the fascination for those who aspire to own a fine piece of Blackwood furniture. Colours range from a comfortable soft grey to streaks of black then degrees of variegated golden browns and even a wonderful rich red hue. Further, the grain varies from quite fine to a wavy coarse character and this produces furniture reflecting nature’s unlimited living creations. Tasmanian Blackwood furniture is truly different and variegated so each piece is absolutely unique in appearance. There is lustre and a presence which will captivate those who love nature and love quality furniture.
Victorian Ash is the industry name for both Alpine and Mountain Ash. Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus Regnans, is in fact the world’s tallest flowering plant. These are massive trees, at times exceeding 100 meters in height as they literally reach for the sky. This is a noble tree standing for centuries in southern Australian forests and one can only wonder just how magnificent the forests must have been two hundred years ago with these majestic flowering giants standing sentinel. The timber yields a beautifully understated finish in colour and texture.
Silvertop Ash, Eucalyptus Sieberi, overall Victorian Ash is world renown and forms the basis for the hardwood industry in Victoria. This timber is spread across a wide area of the state and southern parts of NSW and can be easily accessed because of its intrinsic presence in the forest. The timber is consistently available in length and characteristics such as grain and colour are fairly predictable. The colours are usually understated and range from light pink to straw and gentle variations in between. A particularly fine timber for the creation of a lighter coloured and more consistent furniture piece.
Queensland Araucaria, Araucariaceae or Hoop Pine is also called the Arakaria, Dorrigo Pine, Colonial pine or Norfolk island Pine. It’s a success story whereby it is grown successfully in natural plantations and is a sustainable product. The wood has a fine uniform grain and is sometimes called the blond wood because of its light and pretty appearance. However despite its name it is not a true pine. Arakaria is a soft wood with clean grain interspersed by knots. Careful selection can however create clear finished furniture where the knotted pieces can be used in drawers and backs if desired.
Rosegum
Rosegum, Eucalyptus grandis or Flooded Gum is a hardwood which is surprisingly not well recognised in Australia. Nonetheless this moderate to coarse grained timber finishes unlike any other into fine furniture producing a magnificent salmon red colour. It is nothing short of superb in terms of nature’s signature. It was once used for packing cases and we can only wonder how that could have been, but now with timber valued more highly, Rosegum is without doubt one of Australia’s natural furniture treasures. Interestingly the Scribbly Borer leaves marks which add significant character to the timber where once that was considered a flaw. It’s a good analogy for how man sees life at times and now we see unique beauty. The consistent colour and medium grain means finished furniture just radiates quality and without doubt Rosegum furniture will become sought after pieces for hundreds of years to come.
Jarrah
Jarrah, or Eucalyptus Marginate and sometimes called Swan River Mahogany is a very dense heavy Australian Hardwood. Some say it is a one of the crowning glories when it comes to timber and the result in fine furniture is simply stunning. It requires expertise to work but that applies to any precious timbers really. Colours vary quite significantly from rich browns to red browns and mahogany blacks. It is quite varied and the flashes of dark colour and black give a rich warm royal appeal to furniture. The only place in the world this majestic tree grows is the south western corner of Western Australia. In a couple of hundred years most of the forests have been destroyed by man and it’s now very hard to get good lengths of timber but well worth the effort if you can. Some trees are up to 1000 years old so the resource is as precious as is the furniture it creates. Just imagine how rare and beautiful a piece of Jarrah furniture will be in your families care.
We can also source the following rare and valuable timbers:
Australian Maple
Australian Maple, Flindersia Brayleyana is also known as Maple Silk wood or Scented Maple. It grows in Queensland and specifically in far north Queensland as a rainforest tree of significant proportions. However it is not a true Maple and more like African Mahogany in reality. Many of our trees have been tagged with European names because of the early botanists and explorers and that adds a certain colour and history to our unique timbers.
Australian Maple varies from light brown to pink and tends to darken with age as many timbers do. It has a wonderful silken luster with interlocked grain, which can be wavy and produces a variety of figures, including bird's eye, "watered-silk" moiré, ripple, block mottle, fiddleback and even striped. The timber makes a very fine choice for carpentry and furniture making and has a wide variety of uses including mouldings and even boat propellers and musical instruments. Queensland Maple is rare and to obtain large sections is difficult. Currumbin Wood works can source this timber through specialised timber getters and mills but patience is required as it comes on the market infrequently. Then again we find it a privilege to work with this timber and so are happy to help.
Australian Silky Oak
Australian Silky Oak, Grevillea Robusta is a native tree growing in coastal areas from NSW to Queensland. It is in fact not an oak, rather a member of the Grevillia family. Colours and hues include light tan brown through to a brown pink. The timber has many uses including fine furniture, musical instruments, flooring, panelling, plywood and heaven forbid packing cases…… well that was the case many years ago and now we know better. That was in fact the fate of many magnificent timbers around the world where they were used for menial purposes and not appreciated for the wonderful qualities on offer. The tree flowers with masses of golden flowers especially after dry periods and most Australian would know them by sight if not by name. Currumbin Woodworks can source the timber if required and obtain excellent standard examples through careful selection.
Cook Town Iron Wood
Cook Town Iron Wood or Erythropleum Chlorostachys is found in Far North Queensland around Cape York Peninsula. Ironwood is one of the hardest and densest timber's in the world. It grows in fairly dry open bush country and even when felled has a very low moisture content making it extremely stable. It has a beautiful red heart wood and a medium even texture with interlocking grain making it extremely stable and durable. On a hardness scale it is twice the hardness of Maple and nearly 50% harder than Jarrah giving it incredible acoustic properties as well as seemingly nearly indestructible. The timber is so dense it even sinks in water. Ironwood is light sensitive and in time darkens to a deep rich red colour with beautiful swirls in the grain on some pieces. Used as bush medicine by the Aboriginal people, Ironwood bark was used in infusions to treat spear wounds and its leaves boiled to treat headaches, although we think it is better used in fine furniture. When green, the resins are quite toxic and care is needed. Nonetheless this timber has a magnificent finished appearance and makes short work of the furniture makers tools. Currumbin Woodworks can source this rare and exciting timber by special order.
Hoop Pine
Victorian Ash
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