Eucalyptus tree - worth planking?

[gidon]

Hello all,
We need to get a Eucalyptus tree felled - a fairly substantial one at that (~3ft trunk). The tree surgeon has offered to plank it for me - or at least help me get it planked. But I really know very little about the wood - for furniture making at least (I do know that it's very capable of sucking our front garden dry and wrecking our house's foundations!).
Does anyone reckon it'll be worthwhile? Any tips if it is?
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Philly]

Hi Mate!
Good to hear off you-bad news, though....
I was offered a freshly cut log of E recently. Slabbed it out ASAP and stored it away nicely stickered. Well-it just was amazing to watch...
Shakes, twisted, cupped-you name it, this did it. The whole lot was unusable, and I really tried.
So have a go, but don't get your hopes up.
Cheers
Philly
P.s. Hows the little one??

 

[gidon]

Hey Philly!
It does feel a long time since I've been here! But have managed to get to my shed a little more just recently. Have lots and lots of threads to catch up with! Little one is ok thanks - 8 months old today and great fun!
Thanks for the advice - I know this isn't going to be an easy decision - would be sorry to see all that (good) wood go to waste ... It's not meant to even be any use for the fire or so I'm told (spits a lot).
Hope you're well and enjoying life as a woodworking writer! (Excellent work and congratulations by the way!)
All the best,
Gidon

 

[tim]

Gidon

It can be done - in fact a local woodsman has offered me a pile of seasoned planks - I just haven't got round to seeing them yet. He says they are good and I know he knows his stuff.

In a way, the question to ask is what have you got to lose - although I suppose the planking won't be free.

Not sure if I've been any help at all!

Cheers

Tim

 

[Alf]

Hey up, stranger. As it happens there's just been a thread on this very thing on The Porch recently here and here (got split up for some reason). Seems to me it must be worth a try. I've got some much smaller pieces in the potting shed to see if I can dry them off sufficiently to use them on the lathe - at worst I'll have seasoned firewood. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

:roll: I don't know about planking, but I've used it on the lathe with great success.
I just left it in the round and waxed both ends and then left it in a cool, dry, airy place for about two hundred years :^o
Gives you some idea about my age!
Figuring is superb.
Old Yorkshire saying. "If it costs nowt, then it's got to be worth 'avin'

 

[gidon]

Tim - thanks - it will cost me to get the boards planked. And I'll need space in the garden to dry them. But I still think I may come out on top - hopefully ...

Hey Alf - great thread you dug out there - ta very much.

Well Jack you've summed it up - will probably give it a go and report back ....

Thanks all of you.

Cheers

Gidon

 

[llangatwgnedd]

Hope you're well and enjoying life as a woodworking writer! (Excellent work and congratulations by the way!)

Philly, is that your mahogany table in next months issue of GWW ?

 

[Philly]

Might be :wink:
SecretivePhilly :lol:
(Oh, and my coffee table is in next months The Woodworker. Yes, I am a mediawhore tm :roll: )