Brown mallee

[Penpal]

As promised Brown Mallee Burl as I only know it ,ie I have selectively bought over 40 yrs. In fact the larger Cue Stick piece and the other pen blank must be in the order of that old cut,well dried prior to this. I find it photographs shyly with a slight cast . However this is the (IMHO) the Prince of Aussie Burl. Where I used to work forever ago the experts at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific Research Organisation) I disproved this common name for Broad Leafed Mallee after submitting to the worlds experts I knew well samples of buds,leaves,flowers and timber. The best salesman traded this timber as Brown Mallee Burl as long as including today.

The larger piece about 18 inches long was part of a shipment to the USA, gathered by my mate the Burl Getter just down the road in town where I live. He still has many many tons in his dual occupancy house yard. He like me is ageing.

My initial favourite has stood for me the test of time,real easy to handle,cut and polish,completely stable and more beautiful in the flesh. It has as a timber the uncanny cast of few burls.The camera in the shaky hands of yours truly, the both pieces came from South Australia where for some bottanical reason you can find black lines and excitement in every stick. Never think my proximity to the timber is a laid down Mazare in wood ,my mate finds me a good friend but pain in the rear with my likes and dislikes,I have seen shipping containers despatched around the world from his place.

Peter.

 

[Paul hd]

Hi Peter,
You have an amazing collection of wood.

All my best,
Paul.

 

[fortress]

That is a sight, wonderful Burl.

 

[wm460]

Very nice.

 

[Skil Phil]

Thanks Peter.
That is what I was asking about and am turning at the moment.
Nice contrast of colours.
Also got a 'yellow box burl' blank to try next.

Have not come across any burl wood in South Africa so it is nice to turn something
like this. Do get some spalted woods which are very pretty.

Phil

 

[Mark James]

That's a lovely bit of timber. Very nice.

Although I have been turning for only the last 8 years, I already acquired some wonderful stock - certainly more than I will ever use.

 

[Penpal]

Thanks Peter.
That is what I was asking about and am turning at the moment.
Nice contrast of colours.
Also got a 'yellow box burl' blank to try next.

Have not come across any burl wood in South Africa so it is nice to turn something
like this. Do get some spalted woods which are very pretty.

Phil

From when we moved to Canberra in 1941 the family used wood as a major source for heating,cooking,chip bath water heater etc.These days because the population then was 10,000 and now over 400,000 we are in a rift valley and subject to severe inversions in winter when the pollution can be excessive,the govt even pays subsidies to especially wood heaters to convert to Gas or Electricity. One of the favoured timbers was Yellow Box , Drawbacks were the weight is excessive,gnarly growth the very devil to slit and cut. YBB or Yellow Box Burl can be exciting.The tree lives to great age.

In answer to you with regard to spalted timbers ,yes but mostly exotic rather than indigenous. I tend to be cautious with spalting it is after all nasty if it passes on pathogens. Having said that a very famous example of a naturally spalted by nature timber is the world famous Black Hearted Sassafras (becoming rarer than ever now) that grows in Tasmania.In time my mateis collecting his smaller pieces as we speak of his special stuff,he is a world known woodworker.This with you in mind if your mutual friend of your wife sees you later on this year God willing with this Virus restriction.

I think of you often I used to be thrilled by a now passed mate who farmed out of Zimbabwe,he said it was early on just an extension of heaven for him and his family but Mau Mau activity and governing bodies forced him and his family to emigrate to Australia.

PS One of the street trees down the road is a heavily cut back Yellow Box Tree shooting away again after our disastrous drought,amazing what a little rain achieves. I will take a pic of it in the next while it must be two or 300 yrs of age.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[Skil Phil]

Hi Peter,
Thanks for the info. Looking forward to seeing the Black Hearted Sassafras whenever travel becomes normal again.
South Africa used to be heaven like Zimbabwe but we are going the same way as they went. Our land is destined to be taken just like it happened there.

Cheers
Phil

 

[Bill Mooney]