Score! Free Ironwood and gumwood...

[Flitch]

I hired an old mechanic at work this week and when we got to talking about wood boats, he said he had been waiting since 1979 for someone like me to come along... He was the maintenance foreman at a mill that went broke and his job had included maintaining two 53' forestry boats. He said the company sold both boats to the states and he got the leftover hardwood. Long story short I went to his house and he gave me 4 pieces of 3" x 4" ironwood 12' long and 35 pieces of 1x3 gumwood 12' long... nice score eh? He had them in his rafters since 1979.
I ran them through the planer today and they are in great shape. Now, what to do with them? I need rub rails but they are shaped from 2x8 28' each so that won't work. I plan on replacing part of my anchor guard on the port side with the gumwood.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/3011775774_7d78c0779b_b.jpg

[Jim Ledger]

That's a lucky find. Nice looking pieces of wood.

Either it works for a certain piece or it doesn't. If it doesn't work out right for rubrails, soon enough a better use will come along. I've got a couple of ideas for it already.

[Flitch]

Oh do tell Jim. I would think I should use it for structural puposes exposed to the elements although I could resaw it to 3" or 4" wide boards and use it for many things. Looking for ideas. A piece of it will definitely go to that caulking mallet I want to turn...

[BBSebens]

Wow.. nice. I'm curious how it was running the ironwood through the planer. Must have done a number on your blades...

Throw it up in your rafters for that perfect project.

[rddrappo]

Lucky man. Isn't it wonderful the way we think? We can find a use and project for anything!

[Flitch]

I just skimmed it one light kiss at a time with the planer and did a couple passes to see the wood... I fed it slow and didn't get any nicks at all... a few seasoning checks but I can deal with that. My new friend figures this wood was sawn over 50 years ago so you can bet it's dry.

[Larks]

It must be quite different to the ironwood that we get over her, in the Northern Territory in Oz. We use it for fence posts but if it's not worked while it's still green you can't even touch it with a chain saw (without wrecking the chain in the first inch).

[mizzenman]

Larks,
How do you get the trees down in the first place?

[Larks]

chainsaw, then trim them and cut to length pretty well straight away while still green, they turn to "iron" pretty well overnight.

[Flitch]

I'm a softwood guy and am just going by my friend's description of it as ironwood. It is very possible that its another hardwood and I will post better pics when I clean it up more. I have some genuine lignum vitae samples to compare. For now I just know its very heavy for it's size which rules out everything indigenous to my area...

[kelety]

Since you're on the subject of ironwood, I've got a question. How well does this wood hold varnish? My new Atkins Eric has lots of exterior ironwood that has no finish. It presently looks like greyed teak. I'm told it's not worth the trouble of varnishing. This true? Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks,
Jeff

[StevenBauer]

I've heard Ipe called ironwood around here. Looks like it could be. When you cut it is the sawdust yellow?


Steven

[J. A.Tones]

Flitch - there be only one thing to do with that useless wood and that is to tie it securely to the roof racks of your SUV and transport it down here so that I can dispose of it in a humane and ecological sound manner. You Kootenay types just don't have the necessary soul to tackle material like this ! VBG
Penta

[Flitch]

In your dreams Tones! (But you know I'll share if you have a better idea than I do for it...)... It's in the rafters now but it won't take me 30 years to find a use for it even if I turn it all into caulking hammers (and sell them on Craig's List or Ebay for $160).
Steven, nope, no yellow sawdust... more the colour of western red cedar or larch... a tan brown. The timbers are ungodly heavy compared to what I am used to.

[Pagie]

If it was down here in south east aus I would have said it was redgum or jara.