# Mystery Timber



## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

It was a street tree in Jerilderie, NSW, Australia. I'm told it had terrible spikes on it and I think they said it had a purple flower. The flower thing I'm not so sure of. 

When cut it has a somewhat unpleasant odour a bit like fish. Not sure if that is due to the environment where I've been drying it or of it is particular to the timber. 









I'm not sure, I was told what it was at the time, it could be some kind of acacia?

Dave The Turning Cowboy


----------



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

My first "sniff" from 8,000 miles (?) away is Acacia. They stink fishy, no two ways about it.
Acacia are related to garden peas, actually. Did you happen to notice what sorts of clusters
the flowers were in?


----------



## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

It is heading for about 2 urs since the shire cut the tree down, I asked for them not to take it all to the tip. I don't recall the flowers at all. It was a good shade tree, seeded the footpath and you could park under it.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


----------



## Catalina (Jun 11, 2010)

Dave, it looks like the Black locust tree we have here that has thorns. Some call it yellow locust but is the same. A quick web search turned up that it as well as honey locust (massive thorns/spikes) was introduced to you all and some hybrids were genereated as ornamentals. One site I found called the black/yellow locust a False Acacia. The black/yellow locust, unlike the Honey locust, is very dense and hard here in the States and has been used for years as fence post material as it is very rot resistant. I have cut some that didn't smell geat but don't think I would have associated a fish smell with it. Just a thought. Gene


----------



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Catalina: never thought of those!
My books say nothing about the smell of the wood. In both cases, the fruits are bean-like elongated pod things. Just from the bark, might be either one. Thorns are quite variable in length. I think that I have both of these in my microscope slide wood anatomy collection.

Honey-Locust (Thorny-locust) _Gleditsia triacanthos_

Black Locust (False acacia) _Robinia pseudoacacia_

Farrar: Trees in Canada (Canadian Forest Service) Fitzhenry & Whiteside 1995.
Just for the geography, don't forget that the southern end of the Niagara peninsula in Canada is, in fact, further south than the California/Oregon border.


----------



## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

I have used it as a head for a timber mallet and sent some it to the states. As soon as my recipient receives it they will post a pic and you will get to see some side grain.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


----------



## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

When I first saw the end grain/color my thought was that it was black locust too. Pretty wood. Here's a link to a guy I haven't seen in a while. He did a lot of projects in BL.


http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f6/new-bowl-18435/

P.S. Did you dry it in any way before you used it?


----------



## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

List been drying in the air for about 18 months.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


----------



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

DaveTTC said:


> It was a street tree in Jerilderie, NSW, Australia. I'm told it had terrible spikes on it and I think they said it had a purple flower. The flower thing I'm not so sure of.
> 
> When cut it has a somewhat unpleasant odour a bit like fish. *Not sure if that is due to the environment where I've been drying it* or of it is particular to the timber.
> 
> ...


I have no clue about australian wood species, I'm just wondering what kind of environment you're drying your wood in that might give it a fishy smell :laughing:


----------



## Tommie Hockett (Aug 26, 2012)

I have not a clue what it is but its kinda purty did you get any worth milling?


----------



## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

Longknife said:


> I have no clue about australian wood species, I'm just wondering what kind of environment you're drying your wood in that might give it a fishy smell :laughing:


I did wonder - I fess under a leaky roof is not a good idea.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


----------



## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

Tommie Hockett said:


> I have not a clue what it is but its kinda purty did you get any worth milling?


I have 6 lengths at 8' ranging from 3" to 8" diameter. 

My mallet was made from it, not sure if it is reviewed yet or not. Is almost 7am Saturday morn here, going they all my threads now.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


----------

