Eucalyptus wood?

[kmealy]

I am thinking I probably cannot buy the wood for what they want for this.  But I have no idea how the wood holds up under weather.  Sheltered from rain, but full sun for more than half the day.  It might need a top coat sooner rather than later.

https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/patio-furniture/patio-benches-swings/backyard-creations-reg-wood-patio-bench/302004-29/p-9967014799102715-c-13018.htm?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13D3-2021(1)&utm_content=Wood-Patio-Furniture&spMailingID=33193666&spUserID=MjU4NTYyOTUyNzAS1&spJobID=1904190266&spReportId=MTkwNDE5MDI2NgS2

[lew]

Here's a member who can answer your questions, Hey @Jari!

[AndrewB]

I would think it would be quite expensive per board foot seeing that it would have to be imported.  I found one site that may sell it.

 

https://www.advantagelumber.com/eucalyptus.htm

Edited March 26, 2021 by AndrewB

[Jari]

Greetings All

 

Eucalyptus wood is also especially resistant to rotting and decay. It’s got a high oil content that makes it stand up easily to moisture. 

Eucalyptus furniture also needs to be sealed annually to protect it from moisture and keep it looking fresh.

 

This part I had to Google up. "eucalyptus patio furniture will lose some durability after prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures. If you live in a cold climate and, you should consider some other materials or find a place to store your furniture when winter arrives", so depending where you live, hotter the better for wood, doesn't like cold climate too much.

[Jari]

3 minutes ago, AndrewB said:

I would think it would be quite expensive per board foot seeing that it would have to be imported.  I found one site that may sell it.

 

https://www.advantagelumber.com/eucalyptus.htm

 

I just took truck load of it to local council tip as we had it just laying around.  I just wish I had some of your guys Northern Hemisphere woods here in Australia, or we do but it will cost you arm and leg.  

[AndrewB]

23 minutes ago, Jari said:

or we do but it will cost you arm and leg.

Not to mention the horrid time of waiting 3 to 4 weeks while it crosses the Pacific and then another couple of weeks sitting and waiting in customs.

[Larry Buskirk]

Must be like working with Teak.

[Smallpatch]

Andrew use to all the fence rows in Southern California was Eucalyptus trees when we lived there from 1941 to 1951. Those and the tall palm trees are common and are still lots of them still growing out there and in the middle of the state.

[lew]

1 hour ago, AndrewB said:

I would think it would be quite expensive per board foot seeing that it would have to be imported.  I found one site that may sell it.

 

https://www.advantagelumber.com/eucalyptus.htm

It is pretty common in California. Saw lots of it when I visited my brother in the Silicone  Valley area 

[Cal]

I planted a eucalyptus about 30 years ago.  It did ok in the yard, but I never could keep it growing straight up so I ended up cutting it down.

I thought I was smart when I planted it, the internet was new (to me) and I went online to a library in Australia looking for growing tips.  Seems that everything was called eucalyptus.  If it had a woody stem, it was eucalyptus!  Maybe like oak is here, we only have a few hundred varieties of "oaks".

[DuckSoup]

15 hours ago, kmealy said:

It might need a top coat sooner rather than later.

 

 Sounds more like sooner & later according to the "special features",

 Made in Brazil, It is recommended to treat wood at least twice a year to maintain appearance and durability

[PeteM]

13 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

Andrew use to all the fence rows in Southern California was Eucalyptus trees when we lived there from 1941 to 1951. Those and the tall palm trees are common and are still lots of them still growing out there and in the middle of the state.

The rest of the story:  as a botanist told me, the Euc's imported to CA were an inferior variety to the ones more often used in Australia.  Found this article that expounds more.  I grew up in SoCal, and remember well the thousands of Euc trees, including dozens on my FIL's farm, which he roundly cursed.

https://www.independent.com/2011/01/15/how-eucalyptus-came-california/#:~:text=The blue gum%2C a mid,sheds off in long strips.

[kmealy]

4 hours ago, Cal said:

I planted a eucalyptus about 30 years ago.  It did ok in the yard, but I never could keep it growing straight up so I ended up cutting it down.

I thought I was smart when I planted it, the internet was new (to me) and I went online to a library in Australia looking for growing tips.  Seems that everything was called eucalyptus.  If it had a woody stem, it was eucalyptus!  Maybe like oak is here, we only have a few hundred varieties of "oaks".

 I seem to remember that when talking to some of my Aussie co-workers.

 

The other thing they talked about was the bush fires.   The trees have a lot of oil in their leaves and they burn like crazy.   The tree survives and just goes on.

[kmealy]

A shop shutting down gave me some Lyptus wood.  It apparently is a trademarked hybrid.   I've used it for a couple of projects.  Pinkish wood that's hard and heavy, grown in Brazil.   I wonder if that's what it really is, just not grown by the company that owns the trademark.

https://www.wood-database.com/lyptus/

[John Morris]

Yep, got tons of it out my way, always blowing down in the high winds. We have abundant slab lumber sold by local sawyers and urban reclamation programs.

[kmealy]

2 hours ago, John Morris said:

 always blowing down in the high winds. We have abundant slab lumber sold by local sawyers and urban reclamation programs.

We have Bradford Pear around here that fills that role.  Officially now an invasive species.  Brittle, blossoms stink, and drops dirty berries all over.  Took two down last year so they didn't fall on house or vehicles.  One more to go.  Supposed to be sterile, but cross-bred and now you see them along the highways.

[Gunny]

23 minutes ago, kmealy said:

We have Bradford Pear around here that fills that role. 

 

Had two for 20 years.  Finally had enough and cut them down.

[Larry Buskirk]

1 hour ago, kmealy said:

We have Bradford Pear around here that fills that role.

 

 ... Would have to say it's a tossup between Hop Hornbeam, and Mulberry around here. WEED TREES 

[kmealy]

1 hour ago, Larry Buskirk said:

 

 ... Would have to say it's a tossup between Hop Hornbeam, and Mulberry around here. WEED TREES 

South of the river, they call Hop Hornbeam "Arnwood" (iron wood).

 

Mulberry is terrible if you have a car or building nearby.  You'll end up with purple "bird splotches."

[Gerald]

Bradford Pear makes great turning wood and sometimes is so red it looks a great deal like cherry