Common trade names: Grey Ironbark, Black Ironbark, Red Ironbark.
Genus: Eucalyptus paniculata
Janka Hardness (pounds-force): 2862-3664*
Description: Very hard to work. Quite heavy and dense. Heart wood is brown to red-brown. The Ironbarks, by their colorfully marketable names, are used quite a bit in outdoor applications in their native Austrialia. *There is some ambiguity to the specific scientific properties of this species. In any event, there is consensus that this species is extremely dense and hard.
Location: Australia and Oceania.
Common Aliases: Paniculata gum, ironbark Iron Bark.
Performance: Tungsten/Carbide tipped saws should be used in working Ironwood. Blunting is severe in the machining process, boring and cutting are difficult, so exercise care with very sharp tools. There are multiple mentions of planing being quite difficult for this species, and for finer works, that it was somewhat difficult to navigate. I would tend to believe the upper realm of the hardness scale range for this species.
Acclimation: Allow adequate time for the species to equalize its moisture content to your environment.
Common Uses: Agricultural implements, boats, bridges, cabinets, floors, decks, tool handles, rail ties, vehicle parts, wharf construction.
From: The Wood Explorer and Australian Hardwood Network
Common Name(s): Grey Ironbark, Black Ironbark
Scientific Name: Eucalyptus paniculata
Distribution: SE Australia, especially coastal
Tree Size: 20-30 ft (6-9 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 82 lbs/ft3 (1,310 kg/m3)
Basic Specific Gravity: 1.138*
Hardness: 2,862 lbf (16,300 N)
Elastic Strength: 25,113 lbf/in2
Crushing Strength: 12,223 lbf/in2
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.5%, Tangential: 7.5%, T/R Ratio: 1.67
*From Scientific American, 1881, Supplement, Vol. 12
Hi All
ReplyDeleteThere are several species that are Ironbark. All are dense, heavy and tough. The two species generally referred to are Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus Crebra) and Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus Paniculata). They have a Janna hardness rating of 13 and 14 respectively. Both are prone to opening up as they season but in my opinion, are well worth the effort required as they are very beautiful when a good piece of timber is selected and well worked. They are also 7ncrddibly durable. Happy woodworking!