Swampbuggy and I have been talking about Florida's urban jungle. So I thought I would start a thread on the seemingly endless species of trees that have been planted here. Some are invasive and considered trash trees many more were miss named by Europeans when they landed in AU.
I will start with what I consider to be the most unique of Florida's trees. The Blue Mahoe Talipariti elatum (syn. Hibiscus elatus) The Blue Mahoe is known to be native to Cuba and in Jamaica where it is the National Tree and protected. Mahoe was used extensively for cording and back in the day Cuban cigars were tied and bundled together with Mahoe cording. The wood which can be blue, purple, yellow, red, green and/or brown or all of these mixed together. My experience is it is most often green and yellow but it will be blue close to saw cuts and injuries. Leading me to believe the blue come from the trees attempts to repair itself or "stop the bleeding".
Here is a Blue Mahoe guitar body on the left. The other one is spalted citrus I will post more about the citrus later.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/stine_bm_cit.jpg)
What Blue mahoe looks like after oxidation. This was cut about 3 days prior to the picture.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/blue_mahoe.jpg)
These slabs came from the logs pictured above. Slabs of this size are incredibly rare
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/383439_285175001571187_100002360692558_614376_1412861580_n_28129.jpg)
Now lets look at Ear tree or monkey pod Enterolobium cyclocarpum
These are of the S.A. variety. Ear trees get HUGE fast. The wood is comparable in color and figure to walnut. It is much much lighter in weight than walnut with an open grain similar to mahogany. The drying properties of Ear tree are nothing short of excellent. We experience little warpage and cracking is typically one or two cracks in large slabs and easily butterflied.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/big_mp_2.png)
More to come...
Rob, that is some beautiful wood, can't wait to see and here more about what you are doing.
One good thing about this, you don't have to go trekking though the rain forest to find some exotic woods :D
That Mahoe is certainly interesting. Coincidentally we have a tree called Mahoe here in NZ. No relation at all of course, just a random co-incidence as the name is from the pre European Maori language. The wood is nowhere near as interesting though.
Ian
The first one sure is pretty is it a hardwood ? Maybe make a great gun stock.
Quote from: Autocar on March 06, 2013, 01:17:45 PM
The first one sure is pretty is it a hardwood ? Maybe make a great gun stock.
It is a hard wood and smells so sweet when working. Rivals Cuban Mahogany for working properties imo.
A turned vase from Blue Mahoe
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/Blue_Mahoe_28finished29_28129.jpg)
Some "baby" blue mahoe. This was cut from a +/-6'' diam. branch. Not AS much color but still bad a$$ imo...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/Blue_mahoe_baby.jpg)
Do the colors keep when finished or do they fade out?
Great topic. :)
That would look pretty on Jeff's ceiling. ;D
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,18953.0.html
Quote from: pasbuild on March 06, 2013, 04:50:41 PM
Do the colors keep when finished or do they fade out?
When it is very blue like the top of the "baby". Boards it stays blue the bottom will probably be more of a deep burgundy. The yellow will fade from being that bright. Type of finish can effect it too. Clear sprayed on auto urethene has had the best results. Other finishes have turned it more of an odd brown/purple-ish and green color. Keeping it out of direct sunlight is going to help too. Oxidation will eventually like any wood fade or darken the color. Darkening seems to be the case here. This wood is so rare I have found nothing about finishing it so it has been trial and error. I welcome suggestions.
Have you tried a catalyzed conversion varnish?
Quote from: pasbuild on March 07, 2013, 01:16:20 PM
Have you tried a catalyzed conversion varnish?
I have not. But anything with any slight amber tone to it changes the color considerably. Does CCV have an amber tint?
Quote from: thecfarm on March 06, 2013, 05:25:48 PM
That would look pretty on Jeff's ceiling. ;D
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,18953.0.html
I agree.
As soon as I get the stupid virus out of my laptop smiley_computer_monitor and not have to post from my phone with the cracked screen (ran it over) at least it was on top of plenty of saw shavings... I'll get on that.
I had a woodshop in Key West for several years, back in the '90s. Did a lot of artsy-craftsy work for tourists with found local wood. Mahoe was one, along with many others. Some of the most interesting woods you could ever hope to work with! I wish I'd had a mill then, but all my stuff was cut small and bansawn into turning blanks or small pieces for little things like jewelry boxes, etc.
Quote from: Rob Bocik on March 07, 2013, 04:58:19 PM
I have not. But anything with any slight amber tone to it changes the color considerably. Does CCV have an amber tint?
No it doesn't , super hard finish that doesn't yellow, the stuff I use doesn't have the UV inhibitor so the wood is subject to fading in direct sun light.
Quote from: pasbuild on March 07, 2013, 09:11:10 PM
Quote from: Rob Bocik on March 07, 2013, 04:58:19 PM
I have not. But anything with any slight amber tone to it changes the color considerably. Does CCV have an amber tint?
No it doesn't , super hard finish that doesn't yellow, the stuff I use doesn't have the UV inhibitor so the wood is subject to fading in direct sun light.
Thanks for the tip
Today's tree is Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) Not an oak tree but like many AU trees early Europeans misclassified them based on how the tree or the lumber looked. The Silky Oak has strong medullary rays which is how it got classified as an oak. Commonly used as window frames and fence post prior to the availability of aluminum and galvanized steel. It is rot and bug resistant but the PPB will attack the sap wood. Current uses include veneer, cabinets, guitars and drums.
The "silky" comes from the silky feeling the sanded wood leaves on your hands. Although rare it can cause severe allergic reaction. I have personally known two individuals that had to be hospitalized from reactions to silky oak dust.
Silky oak is sometimes sold as a lace wood because of it strong lace pattern when quarter sawn. Some of the exotic wood collectors here may recognize Silky's cousin the beefwood grevillea striata
Here are a couple of table my wife Zoe built for a local restaurant Cafe Alma.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/cafe_alma2.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/cafe_zoe%7E0.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/cafe_alma.jpg)
These are Silky Oak guitar blanks. One of the many unique guitar wood species we sell
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/silky_guitar%7E0.jpg)
Silky in our front yard
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/silk_oak_3.jpg)
Hi anyone have info on golden rain tree? I cut a large one from my yard and using it for fire wood. It seemed pretty hard for a fast growing tree. Any experience with milling it
alas, Im too far north for most of these species.
Australian Pine, She-oak, Beefwood, sheoak, common iron wood, bull oak
Family - Allocasuarina
Description - Introduced to Florida in the 1800's, the Australian pine is listed as a category 1 invasive plant and is illegal to plant in many parts of Florida. Australian pine is not a pine at all cut_tree and the "needles" are actually segmented branchlets - the leaves are very tiny, scale-like and are produced in whorls at the joints of these branchlets.
Considered a junk wood by most sawyers because of it's susceptibility to crack. I personally think she oak lumber has gotten a bad wrap, it is widely used in AU and widely used back in the British colonial days. When milled immediately after felling it can produce an amazingly beautiful and strong lumber with little degrade. Although there are a number of different Allocasuarina and it has been said to inter breed making it difficult to determine one from the other.
It is heavy and very hard, difficult to work with hand tools but sands and finishes very well. Very susceptible Lyctinae attack in the sap wood. The sap wood will produce a subtle black line spalt. The ''birds eye lace'' is the most sought after figure, the one I have yet to find :( however, the "plane'' lace she oak is striking in it own right.
An outstanding fire_smiley wood that burns hot with very little pure white ash remaining. The ash was once used as a bleaching material due to it's stark white ash. Said to be a great smoking wood too digin_2 .
If any of the AU members would like to chime in and add some info or correct any of mine please do.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/she-oak.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/sheoak_new.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32134/sheoak_1.jpg)
Quote from: Jdmoak on March 13, 2013, 08:12:51 AM
Hi anyone have info on golden rain tree? I cut a large one from my yard and using it for fire wood. It seemed pretty hard for a fast growing tree. Any experience with milling it
I used to have one. Never milled it. Came with it's own bug.
Those guitar bodies are amazeing ! { I love guitars } as for the wood over all I can only dream of ever getting to work with something so beautiful !
Quote from: scully on March 25, 2013, 12:02:45 PM
Those guitar bodies are amazeing ! { I love guitars } as for the wood over all I can only dream of ever getting to work with something so beautiful !
Thanks. I cut some more bodies yesterday I'll post some pics and info on the wood later in the week.
Great thread. Up here in the north, we get none of these species.....I would love to get my hands on some of this stuff for furniture building.
Jeff
Quote from: woodworker9 on March 31, 2013, 11:06:22 AM
Great thread. Up here in the north, we get none of these species.....I would love to get my hands on some of this stuff for furniture building.
Jeff
If there is anything in particular your interested in I can post in the for sale section or you can view our small but growing web site. wood.funktionhouse.com If you do by from the website please let me know so I can contribute 5% to FF.