Gidgee.

[daryl@kit-chens]

Hi everyone. I need a bit of feedback. Can anyone tell me what Gidgee is like to work with. I'm in a position to purchase some Gidgee at a fairly good price. But apart from knowing it is pretty hard, I know very little about it's properties and if it is suitable for making furniture.

Can anyone shed some light on this Australian timber.

Thank you Daryl. 😎

[Bushmiller]

Gidgee is one of the densest hardwoods there is and is highly regarded amongst toolmakers for such items as hand planes and other items requiring only relatively small dimensions (knife scales, chisel handles marking knife handles etc.). The main problem, and barrier, as far as furniture making is concerned is acquiring it in large enough sizes for furniture.

Regards
Paul

[Toymaker Len]

Gidgee is not just hard and heavy but also quite brittle and subject to hairline cracking. I've used a lot of it in small pieces with liberal added epoxy and super-glue. If you could get it in good quality pieces it would make spectacular furniture.

[doug3030]

Gidgee is indeed very hard and brittle. But it looks great when finished well. Doing anything with gidgee takes a long time. you have to take several small passes on the tablesaw to cut it, rout off only a small bit at a time. Jointer or thicknesser must be set to only take a very fine shaving.

I like using gidgee, but it would drive me crazy if I had to work so slowly and carefully all the time. I once made a set of wooden hinges from gidgee - never again.

But when you take the time to do it right the results can be spectacular. Most of the desert timbers are like this to some extent.

Cheers

Doug