Timber Species

Information on the the many species of timber

Victorian Ash - VIC Australia

Figure 1. Living Styles. 2020.

Workability and common applications

• Overall, easy to work with hand tools and machinery

• Glues, turns, and finishes well

• Used for veneer, plywood, turned objects, joinery and furniture

• Also used in construction, flooring and framing

• Used for veneer, plywood, turned objects, joinery and furniture.

• Also used in construction, flooring and framing

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Britton Timbers

• Mathew's Timber

• Timber Lord

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $14.00

  • 38x150 - $23.00

  • 50x150 - $40.00

Tasmanian Oak - TAS Australia

Figure 2. Lemon, Chelsea. Chelsea Lemon Design. 2016.

Workability and common applications

• Overall, easy to work with hand tools and machinery

• Glues, turns, and finishes well

• Used for veneer, plywood, turned objects, joinery and furniture

• Also used in construction, flooring and framing

• Used for veneer, plywood, turned objects, joinery and furniture.

• Also used in construction, flooring and framing

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Urban Salvage

• Mathew's Timber

• Britton Timbers

• Timber Lord

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $13.00

  • 25x200 - $14.00

  • 38x150 - $22.00

Blackbutt - NSW, QLD Australia

Figure 3. Lacewood. 2020.

Workability and common applications

• Machines well

• Does not react well to steam bending

• Can be prone to gum veins, pockets and surface checking

• Versatile timber, strong and durable

• Fire resistant

• Ideal for structural applications e.g. framework construction, flooring, cladding or fencing

• Also used in joinery and furniture

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Britton Timbers

• Mathew's Timber

• Urban Salvage

• Timber Lord

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $25.00

  • 38x150 - $38.00

  • 50x150 - $51.00

Jarrah - WA Australia

Figure 4. Street, Dave, Viv. Ironwood Studio. 1992.

Workability and common applications

• Difficult to machine due to high density, coarse texture and interlocked grain

• Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges

• Very durable as and highly resistant to termite/insect attack

• Glues and finishes well

• Ok to steam bend

• Great for outdoor applications

• Also used in joinery and furniture

• Prized for turning with tight knots, swirling gran and rich colours. Used in flooring, veneer and cabinetry

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Timber Lord

• Britton Timbers

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $13.00

  • 25x200 - $19.00

  • 38x150 - $21.00

  • 38x200 - $31.00

Tasmanian Blackwood - TAS Australia

Figure 5. Coglan, James. ExLab. 2019.

Workability and common applications

• Overall, easy to work with hand tools and machine.

• Glues, turns, carves, and finishes well.

• Great for steam bending

• Important that safety precautions are taken when sanding, as the wood dust can cause irritations.

• Not ideal for external applications – low durability

• Ideal for making furniture and joinery, internal veneers and paneling.

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Britton Timbers

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $17.00

  • 38x150 - $30.00

Spotted Gum - NSW, QLD Australia

Figure 6. Markowitz, Adam. Markowitz Design. 2015.

Workability and common applications

• Overall, is easy to work with hand tools and machine

• Attractive fiddle-back appearance

• Great fire resistant rating, strength and resilience

• One of the most widely available recycled timber in Australia today

• Best used as structural and external applications, e.g. wharfs, framing, flooring, decking and cladding

• Can also used in joinery and furniture

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Mathew's Timber

Cypress - VIC, NSW, QLD Australia

Figure 7. Outdoor Furniture Online. 2017.

Workability and common applications

• Reasonably hard timber

• Can be satisfactorily machined and turned to a smooth finish

• Special techniques, such as surface roughening, are required for gluing

• Great for outdoor use, usually used in framework construction, flooring, cladding or for fencing oyster stakes and jetty piles in low-salinity environments, as well as beehives.

• Not as often used in indoor applications but ok for furniture, turnery, joinery, carving, parquetry and linings

Suppliers

• Bowens

Jelutong - Asia Pacific

Figure 8. Kaptein, Paul. My Modern MET. 2019.

Workability and common applications

• Vow density rating lends itself to ease of workability

• Plain grain and fine texture make it extremely popular with carvers and pattern-makers

• Very easy to turn and carve

• Used for architectural models, drawing boards, picture frames, wooden shoes (clogs), furniture parts, doorknobs, dowels and pencils

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Britton Timbers - prices as of Feb 2019

• Timber Lord

• General cost per meter

  • 25x300 - $26.00

  • 38x300 - $39.00

  • 50x300 - $51.00

  • 75x150 - $39.00

American Walnut - North America

Figure 9. Inoda, Svedje. Inoda + Sveje Design. 2014.

Workability and common applications

• Works easily with hand and machine tools

• Glues well

• Can be polished to an exceptional finish

• Good for steam bending

• Dark heartwood will lighten over time with exposure to UV light

• Used in high end furniture, cabinet making, architectural interiors, joinery, doors, flooring and paneling,

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Mathew's timber

• Britton Timbers

• Timber Lord

  • 25x150 - $26.00

  • 38x150 - $41.00

  • 38x200 - $55.00

  • 50x150 - $58.00

American Maple / Rock Maple - North America

Figure 10. Li, Grant, ExLab. 2019.

Workability and common applications

• Dries slowly with a large shrinkage, so can be susceptible to movement

• Very hard with a tight smooth grain, with care it machine fine

• Turns well, glues fine and can be polished to an outstanding finish

• Good for steam bending

• The lighter coloured sapwood tends to darken over time with exposure to the UV light.

• Used in Furniture, paneling, kitchen cabinets, workshops and table tops, interior joinery, architectural features.

• Hard wearing properties make this timber ideal for high traffic applications

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Mathew's timber

• Britton Timbers

• Timber Lord

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $17.00

  • 38x150 - $30.00

  • 50x150 - $45.00

White Oak - North America

Figure 11. Crowe, Duncan. ExLab. 2019.

Workability and common applications

• A hard and heavy wood, with low stiffness and medium crushing and bending strength.

• Resulting in extremely good steam bending properties

• Easy to machine, glue and finish

• As a slow-drying wood has a high shrinkage rate, making it prone to checking and susceptible to some movement.

• Used in making of vats for spirits and wine

• In Australia is mostly used for flooring, joinery and furniture

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Urban Salvage

• Mathew's timber

• Britton Timbers

• Timber Lord

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $15.00

  • 38x150 - $31.00

  • 50x150 - $48.00

American Ash - North America

Figure 12. Turtle, Sophia. ExLab. 2019.

Workability and common applications

• Ok to steam bend

• Fine outdoors as highly durable to external factors

• Highly workable, takes to glue well and polishes to a very high finish.

• Responds well to steam bending

• Excellent woodturning timber

• Versatile timber used in a range of interior applications, e.g. flooring, furniture, joinery, mouldings, sports equipment etc.

• Available as a thermally modified to be suitable in outdoor applications e.g. cladding and decking

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Mathew's Timber

• Britton

• Timber Lord

• General cost per meter

  • 25x150 - $14.00

  • 38x150 - $22.00

  • 50x150 - $31.00

  • 75x150 - $57.00

Pine

Figure 13. Traylen, Alex. ExLab. 2019.

Workability and common applications

• Pine can be worked easily by hand or machine

• Lightweight, straight, grained and lacks figure often with knots.

• Pine grows very fast therefore is a more sustainable timber option

• Very cheap

• Usually used in building and construction, prototyping, mould making, wood and paper pulp, masts and poles and other construction needs.

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Bunnings

  • Standard construction pine sold at set lengths (not per meter)

  • Prices ranging between $4 for 1.2m, and $37 for 2.4 in different widths and thicknesses

Reclaimed Timber

Figure 14. Recycled Timber Furniture. 2020.

Workability and common applications

• Properties subjective to type of species

• Often have many defects e.g. screw holes, staining, nail holes

• Be aware nails may left in timber therefore material cannot be machined

• Most sustainable timber option

Suppliers and pricing per meter

• Urban Salvage

• Timber Revival

• Prices will vary