Red Gum???

[Scott Coffelt]

I saw some cabinets at the local Nebraska Furniture Mart that were quite interesting. The label said they were Birdseye Maple (Frames and Carcasses) and the panels were Red Gum. What was really interesting is that the panels were very streaked with dark strips and the base color was more lighter tan and white. I did some searches trying to find pics of this wood and nothing I have seen looks close.

Anyone familiar with this wood and its characteristics? I have plans to eventually redo my kitchen cabinets and may head this route.

[Chris Padilla]

Take some pictures next time...sounds interesting.

[Mike Mastin]

Scott,
Red Gum is the heartwood of a Sweet Gum tree. It was once used quite a bit in the furniture industry, but lost favor.
It is best to purchase quarter sawn Red Gum to insure that its movement will be minimized and this also brings out a similar ray fleck pattern to quarter sawn Sycamore.
It has bad reputation for twisting, warping and generally almost taking flight during the drying process, if it is not quarter sawn :-)
A really pretty wood that should still be more frequesntly used IMHO.

[Scott Coffelt]

I will try and remember to do that. The store is about 20 minutes from my house so its not quick trip, but I may try and scoot up there this weekend and snaps some digital pics. Besides, I do need to get a feel for the design again. Who knows they may run me out of the store, some furniture stores are that way. But since its not something they sell personally, they may let me by with it.

[Ed Falis]

Mike,

Was this ever used as flooring?

- Ed

[Mike Mastin]

Mike,

Was this ever used as flooring?

- Ed
Ed I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but I would imagine that it very well could have and can be used to produce some beautiful flooring!

[Ed Falis]

Ed I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but I would imagine that it very well could have and can be used to produce some beautiful flooring!

I ask because the house I bought last summer, built in 1908, has what looks like softwood floors. We've been guessing spruce, but really aren't sure. Has pronounced straight grain with variance of the base color. A place I lived in a few years back had gum wainscotting, and there is some similarity in look (but that was before I was into woodworking, so my attention never focused on it except to enjoy it).

- Ed

[Todd Burch]

Mike, is red gum not a popular, and quite common, tree in Australia and there abouts? Any video demos I've ever seen with portable circular mills show them cutting up a big red gum tree - so big I presume they are hard to tackle with any other kind of mill.

Do you stock any red gum?

I've cut several sweet gum trees myself, and have some up in the country, stickered and ready to use (if it's not started decaying already... I cut it back in '97)

[Mark Singer]

I believe it is a Eucalyuptus. That is Australian origin.

[Mike Mastin]

Mike, is red gum not a popular, and quite common, tree in Australia and there abouts? Any video demos I've ever seen with portable circular mills show them cutting up a big red gum tree - so big I presume they are hard to tackle with any other kind of mill.

Do you stock any red gum?

I've cut several sweet gum tress myself, and have some up in country, stickered and ready to use (if it's not started decaying already... I cut it back in '97)

Todd,

I totally forgot about the Australian Red Gum!

The Sweet Gum heartwood is a personal favorite of mine when it is sawn from a good tree. It is difficult at best to dry unless quarter sawn, but when good, I think it makes some very striking lumber. It can be streaky and have great ray fleck patterns that are somewhat similar to American Sycamore.

[Mike Mastin]

http://www.vdof.org/mgt/trees/gum-sweet.shtml

[Julie Wright]

Sounds like it would make some very pretty Pens!!