Howdy from Maryvale, Qld

[BoomerangInfo]

Hi All,

My name's Russell. I've recently moved from Brisbane to Maryvale, near Warwick, QLD. Now that we're in a rural area, and I've got more than a tiny garage and no storage area, I can look at being a bit more ambitious with my woodworking.

Most of my time in the shed is spent making boomerangs, but I'd love to be able to spend more time working on my many started but not finished Intarsia pieces, and I'm just looking into doing some scrolling as well.

Anyone living near Warwick/Toowoomba, I'd love to hear what the wood supply situation is around here. The crumby pine at Bunnings is hardly choice wood. I still have small stocks of timbers I purchased at Lazarides & the Brisbane Timber & Working with Wood show many, many years ago, but I'm hoping that will all disappear quickly as I get back into doing some real woodwork. Finding white timbers for Intarsia is my biggest problem it seems.

Anyway, glad to be aboard.

Russell.

[RufflyRustic]

Hiya Russell,

Welcome to the Forums and to the Darling Downs:)

I get my timber from a number of places, one being the sawmill at Highfields - Funky Chicken works there. Another place is Toowoomba Recycled Timber & Furniture in Water Street South, Toowoomba.

I buy a bit at the Bris Wood Show and also get some from fellow woodworkers, swap/buy etc. It's funny, but I actually get more timber from fellow forumites than from 'shops'.

Keep your eye on the Buy/Sell/Swap forum here. You never know what will turn up.

cheers
Wendy

[Stopper]

Hi Russell, Do you still do boomerangs and if so what type of timber and thickness material did you make them from? Lazarides timber rings a bell, I used to supply them in the early 90's. I am also new in this forum but enjoy it greatly. Hope you find some local supplies. Must be timber everywhere up there.
Regards
Steve

[BoomerangInfo]

Thanks Wendy,

You know any good clubs around here? I think Allora has one, but I haven't tried to contact them. The other issue is, my family situation doesn't let me get out at night really, and while I'm on extended leave from my Brissy job atm, I have to go back in November :(

I've got two months left to explore the local area before it's back to the grind.

And then the other issue - the pain with doing Intarsia, is trying to get some wood that's say, oh 2cm x 2cm x 5cm in just the right colour - you have to buy a $500 slab to get that tiny bit :)

I know there's heaps of local wood around, I'm just a bit inexperienced when it comes to finding it.

Russell.

[BoomerangInfo]

Hey Steve,

Yes I do still do boomerangs, sell some on Ebay, and others on my own web site, but wood for them is easy (but not necessarily cheap), as I need A-Grade marine ply to ensure dimensional stability, durability, and quality. Used to get it at the many different suppliers in Brisbane. My first sheet I ordered here in Warwick cost me almost 50% more than Brissy prices - ouch!

I make real returning sport boomerangs, not tourist souvenirs that don't fly, so looks are less important than function. Many people find it hard to imagine my boomerangs as boomerangs when they first see them, as they are painted rainbow flouro colours and are a more suitable flying shape, not the traditional aboriginal art on stained wood, wide angled elbow shapes.

Russell.

[BoomerangInfo]

Oh, and PS - yes Steve, I'm sure there is wood everywhere here, but I'm not the type of person who can walk up to some and say "Can I have your stuff please?" :) We actually live not far from the local dump (transfer station for rubbish, but recycle are for wood & metal). If I work up the nerve, I think I should go scrounge around up there, although I don't want to be the new guy stepping on all the locals toes.

I have some logs I got from an Intarsia mate in Cooroy many years ago - Camphor Laurel, a bit of She-Oak and something else I think (still hidden in the mess from moving, at the back of the shed) but getting it milled into something usable is the other problem. I need a chainsaw (not on my shopping list currently) and a planer/thicknesser (which is on my shopping list, but over budget currently) to get some of my old logs workable. Now we've got a fireplace as well, I'm eyeing off some of the firewood logs we had delivered, wondering how they'd go finished for working. Too many toys to buy, so little money...

Russell.

[RufflyRustic]

I'm pretty sure there is a club in Allora and Warwick, just unsure of where exactly and when or who to contact. There is a Triton Club in Twmba. They meet out at the Showgrounds. There is here:D
and maybe you might be interested in a Get Together in a couple of weeks, more details here. (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?p=798442#post798442)

I have to agree, white timber is hard to find. The closest I've got is jacaranda and even that isn't very white. What about some silver ash? :?

You sound like you prefer dressed timber, rather than breaking down a slab of eg camphor laurel yourself?

cheers
Wendy

[BoomerangInfo]

No, I would much prefer milling my own, just don;t have the equipment. I resawed one of my smaller camphor logs on the bandsaw, then sanded it with a combo of my multi-tool & an orbital sander *which now has all the velcro loops on the pad worn off), but that didn't give a very even thickness as a result. it's good enough for Intarsia, as the bits are all chopped up anyway, but if I want to do some scrolling, I need some more consitently thicknessed & dressed wood, hence why a thicknesser is on my shopping list when I can get the funds.

Meet sounds interesting, although another of those things I'm not good at. I'll check it out.

I do have a small board of Silver ash. Chopped it up to make Gekko Timber's Egret mirror for my sisters wedding. Still haven't finished it - she's been married about, oh, 10 years now...

Russell.

[RufflyRustic]

.....
Meet sounds interesting, although another of those things I'm not good at. I'll check it out.


Not a problem, in your own time.


Still haven't finished it - she's been married about, oh, 10 years now... Russell.:D You are so not alone in that happening :D I don't dare count uop the projects I've started and not finished :innocent:

[dai sensei]

Welcome aboard Russell


Meet sounds interesting, although another of those things I'm not good at. I'll check it out. ...

Come on down and join us, we are a very friendy bunch and don't bite. It's always good to have someone else with a different interest.

Cheers

[BoomerangInfo]

Welcome aboard Russell
Come on down and join us, we are a very friendy bunch and don't bite. It's always good to have someone else with a different interest.
Cheers

Different? I thought we all had a common interest here :) I do fly model planes as well though (when the wind isn't blowing), so I guess that's different too.

Russell.