Is there such a species as australian beech?

[DFA]

Questions for timber gurus:

I'm thinking of using beech for my T&G timber flooring. This mill reckons they have this beech which is of the same species and not mixed (and most places sell mixed beech [light coloured timber] - like boral)

so is there such a species as australian beech? and what's the name of the species?

Cheers!

[glock40sw]

G'day.
Our Aussie Beech is a mix of Highland species.
Yellow stringybark
White Mahogany
Brown Stringybark
New England Blackbutt
Brown Gum
Manna Gum.

I know of no single specie hardwood called Australian Beech.

[DFA]

so this guy must be fibbing.

i did a search on the web on australian beech, and i get this 'northofagus moorei' not sure if it is generic as well.

[powderpost]

There is an Australian white beech and it was used for flooring. It is a tad soft but very durable. In fact I have a log that was in the ground as a fence post for more than forty years on a dairy farm. It is now very hard to get.
Jim

[DFA]

powder: would it be antarctic beech?

[powderpost]

The white beech I was refering to is gmelina leichardtii, a North Qld. rainforest species, antarctic beech is a different species, northofagus moorei. I am familiar with the first one, and research indicates the antarctic beech might be nearly as good, I can't tell from personal experience.
Jim

[DFA]

Thanx Jim,

so the antarctic beech is a single specie yeah?

I guess that answers my question then, that there is an Australian Beech afterall, and not a mixed selection of light coloured timber.

[journeyman Mick]

DFA,
I've worked with White Beech (highly sought after for boat decking) and know of Antartic Beech. Neither of these species is in plentiful supply (read: they're expensive!) and I doubt it is what the mill is trying to sell to you. Most likely, as Trevor points out, is a mix of Eucalypt species.

Mick

[Bob Willson]

Endeavour Timbers at Northgate have some Beech flooring at present.
The timber is very light in colour and when it is dressed it has a very waxy feel to it.

[DFA]

thanks Bob,

yeah the beech i was looking at has a light pale straw colour, a little bit of a golden tinge. do you mind if i what you mean by waxy look?

guys, i spoke with endeaver timber, they've got a nothofagus moorei for 80X19 flooring and selling at $4.50/m +GST, and this other place i looked at sells a 'manna gum [botanic name]' (apparently its a beech specie) at $3.78/m +GST.

is it reasonable, and anyone heard of this manna gum?

[Bleedin Thumb]

Wow, I'm really suprised that you can buy Nothofagus given that it grows in sub temprate rainforest. A fairly rare ecosystem. I would have thought that the last remnants of that would have been locked up as National Park ...unless it comes from Tassie:rolleyes: If thats the case at least your saving it from woodchip.;)

[Bob Willson]

thanks Bob,

yeah the beech i was looking at has a light pale straw colour, a little bit of a golden tinge. do you mind if i what you mean by waxy look?

guys, i spoke with endeaver timber, they've got a nothofagus moorei for 80X19 flooring and selling at $4.50/m +GST, and this other place i looked at sells a 'manna gum [botanic name]' (apparently its a beech specie) at $3.78/m +GST.

is it reasonable, and anyone heard of this manna gum?

Not a waxy look, a waxy feel. The raw timber feels as though it has already had a coat of wax floor paste applied to it.

[DFA]

G'day.
Our Aussie Beech is a mix of Highland species.
Yellow stringybark
White Mahogany
Brown Stringybark
New England Blackbutt
Brown Gum
Manna Gum.

I know of no single specie hardwood called Australian Beech.

G'day trevor,

Thanx for your reply...i'm learning a lot about timber these days and especially this forum, it's fantastic. Thanks to everyone advise, i hope to repay it one day from my experiences.

Since my 1st post, i spoke with the mill i'm thinking of buying their so called 'beech', the sales guy actually told me it's manna gum. Which is the one specie and will give me consistent colouring [that's what i want, not a bunch of mixed species].

Does anyone know the hardness of manna gum and is it suitable for flooring?

thanks

[E. maculata]

Hey DFA, as my esteemed colleague Trevor the wise has stated:p , Aust Beech is a trade name for several (up to a dozen or so) look alike Eucs that are all pale in appearance, Manna gun is one of them. However not the best IMHO it can be a tad softer than the others and carries a bit more of a pinkish tinge than I'm comfortable with in this mix. Otherwise if you can get it a reasonable price it is acceptable............... I suppose;) .

Manna Gum (exudes gum like substance sometimes, ie; "Manna from above"
Ribbon Gum
Viminalis
Vim
Brownbarrel
all the same species just known by different names in differing regions
real name
Euc Viminalis, very wide spread along the eastern side of the isle.

[glock40sw]

G'day Bruce.
Long time no talk.
Had a pissin competition with Bob in Melbourne last week.

Ask him about the chinese bloke with subtitles.

Also ask him about the bloke who thought he worked for us.
And about my training style.

He loved it.
Hell, I should come and work with you blokes.

[rowie]

I thought nothofagus moorei was called Niggerhead Beech, oops, Negrohead Beech. I thought Antarctic Beech only grew in areas like Gippsland and Tasmania?

[ausdesign]

I thought Aus. Beech was the new marketing name for Blackbutt - eucalyptus pilularis - so I don't get a prize.

[Bleedin Thumb]

I thought nothofagus moorei was called Niggerhead Beech, oops, Negrohead Beech. I thought Antarctic Beech only grew in areas like Gippsland and Tasmania?

N. moorei's common name is Antarctic Beech or Australia Beech it has ovate, serrated leaves to about 100mm long, a bit like coachwood.
N. Cunninghamii is known as Tasmanian Beech or Myrtle Beech and I think it is what most people here describe as Tasmanian Myrtle. It has those small - 5mm long sharp triangular leaves in a fern like arrangement.

Never heard of nigrohead beech but there is a black beech in NZ.

[E. maculata]

I thought Aus. Beech was the new marketing name for Blackbutt - eucalyptus pilularis - so I don't get a prize.


Not entirely wrong, the lighter plantation pilularis timber occassionally finds its way into the beech mix.

Oy Trev on that note I thought you were already hired:confused: that's what I've been told.;)

[DFA]

Hey DFA, as my esteemed colleague Trevor the wise has stated:p , Aust Beech is a trade name for several (up to a dozen or so) look alike Eucs that are all pale in appearance, Manna gun is one of them. However not the best IMHO it can be a tad softer than the others and carries a bit more of a pinkish tinge than I'm comfortable with in this mix. Otherwise if you can get it a reasonable price it is acceptable............... I suppose;) .

Manna Gum (exudes gum like substance sometimes, ie; "Manna from above"
Ribbon Gum
Viminalis
Vim
Brownbarrel
all the same species just known by different names in differing regions

real name
Euc Viminalis, very wide spread along the eastern side of the isle.


G'day E. Maculata,

Thanks for your advise! I quite like the pale colour but yeah I guess it's a little soft at Janka 6ish compared to blackbutt at 9.1.

All depends on how deep the pocket is eh? I would've like to have a harder floor, but I guess if you dropped something heavy like a big mother of a book or some chopping boards and knifes on the kitchen floor (don't ask me why I would do such a thing, the missus can be a bit careless sometimes) both blackbutt and manna gum will dint isn't it?

One plus side I spose, is that manna gum is harder than tassie oak (trying to stay with the lighter colours and budget). Would you concur?

Cheers,

[glock40sw]

G'day.
Tas (Poxie) Oak and manna Gum are very similar in hardness.
Janka figures can be deceiving.

By dropping items on any floor can mark it.
Even Grey Ironbark and Grey Box will mark. And they are the hardest of them all.

[Bleedin Thumb]

G'day.
Tas (Poxie) Oak .

What do you have against Tas Oak. I sense some deep seated psychological dislike here.
Was it a childhood trauma or workplace related incident?:D

[E. maculata]

believe me young Trev there hates all non local timbers equally,EEO and all that, hell he even hates Brushbox, and it's our (& his companies as well) most sought after species.
Just spoilt I guess:p .

[glock40sw]

Poxie Oak is a blend of a number of different species.

It is not a single specie like Blackbutt or Grey IronBark.

If you want a great looking floor, stick with a single specie.

Had a look at a Parquetry floor being laid on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Blackbutt blocks with red Ironbark square inserts. Bloody fantastic floor.

Would put a horn on a jellyfish.

[DFA]

Hi everyone,

I very much appreciate all your advise, it's helped me a bit on deciding what to go for.

After much debate, i've decided to go for the manna gum, afterall anything will heavy dropped on the floor will dint anyway. I guess this is my first floor, and colour is one of my priorities, and budget as well. Just can't afford blackbut select even though it's only $1,500 more. i think i use that money for the deck and beers.

what would you use for your floor trev?

[glock40sw]

Select Blackbutt with Red Mahogany border laid at 45 degree.
19mm ply glued and splitz anchoured to the slab. glue and secret nail with porter power nailer and Ultraset glue.

Finish with oil modified urethane.

Rumpus room Blackbutt 260x65x19 block parquetry in a basket weave with red mahogany infill blocks.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Trevor, You didn't take a photo by any chance?

[glock40sw]

No photo as the job hasn't been started.
I have all the timber put aside.
Oh, the joy of working in a flooring manufacturing plant.
I can pick and choose whatever I need.

If you want some idea of how it looks, have a gander at the Hardwood Floors magazine from the USA. Those blokes really know how to lay impressive floors.

[Bob Willson]

I went into Endeavour Timbers yesterday and asked them about their Beech and they said that it a actually Silky Beech which is an import from PNG and is actually Villaresia Moorei