G'day all,

[redridge]

Well I've visited many times, and become wiser for the experience. Now at this late hour I know I'm not going to attempt Blue Gum benchtops again. I am however getting sick of the old door bench tops that are filling the gaps at the moment, so I'll have to make a decision soon. Well at least I've taken the plunge and joined the forum, looking forward to asking my own questions and learning from "the wise and experienced" amongst you all.
p.s oh yer, I am a sheila and have been a manual arts teacher (amongst other things) for about 20 years and all I've learnt so far, is that I have a lot to learn!

[artme]

G'day RR and welcome to the fountain of knowledge.

What happened to the Blue Gum? Move about a bit?

[munruben]

Welcome RR We have quite a few "Sheila's" here I'm pleased to say.

[masoth]

G'day right back Red, and welcome. Tell us what sort of things you're interested in (particularly).

soth

[Woodwould]

Welcome RR!

[Ed Reiss]

Hi Redridge...welcome

....take it that Blue Gum isn't worth a tinkers damn for benchtops??

[bullfright]

Welcome Redridge and dont forget that not all of us belong to the "The wise and experienced" class.

[redridge]

Hi all, just a quick reply, I should be mowing the lawn...
The benchtops were a bit of a mammoth first expedition into the world of slabs, I picked them up from a block on his way to Brisbane, he thought it pretty strange that a 'girl' wanted these big lumps of timber. I managed to blow up 2 planes on the kitchen tops before I had the laundry bench machined by a mate. They looked fantastic, however he had told me to glue and screw, so I did, now I know better. The kitchen tops I left at about 4", the laundry 3.5. The kitchen benches cupped quiet a bit before I sold the house about 6 months later, too scared to find out what they have done since.
Am half way through my second kitchen,(have been for about 2 years now), too many jobs on the list.
Someone asked about interests, well timber of course, want to find the time to do some slab furniture, bought 350 acres about 3 years ago and there's logs laying everywhere. Piles of second cut flitches that I keep finding and a lot of good stuff still in the ground, spotted gum, ironbark, bloodwood and blueis mainly.
However have to finish renovating 2 old Qlders, organise my sheds, and finish fencing, so by 2060 I should be nearly finished! ( I am also building a meat goat stud, run about 200 at the moment)
Some picccies of the benchtops below (if I can work out how to attach)

[redridge]

Hey can anyone tell me anything about pencil cedar, have just found some benchtops on ebay (laminated), new and sanded to 180 for $380 for 4m, sound easy!

[artme]

I think it will most probably be quite soft, not really suitable,IMHO, for a kitchen bench top.

[terry arnold]

Welcome Red
I have only been on the forum a week or so and have already learned how much I don't know.


enjoy
Terry

[Ed Reiss]

...getting tired just reading about all the stuff you're doing

Nice kitchen and laundry center...very impressive

[redridge]

Glad to hear it, otherwise I would be feeling pretty lonely

[redridge]

Thanks for the praise on Kitch and laundry, the way I'm going I'll never get the lawns finished let alone the second lot of bench tops!

[redridge]

FYI, have found ot that the pencil cedar in question is a NG hardwood similiar to NG rosewood, have bought some for next lot of benchtops