Jarrah

The heartwood is a rich brownish-red, sometimes marked by short, dark brown radial flecks on the end grain and boat-shaped flecks on flatsawn surfaces. It often has black streaks, and occasionally bark inclusions. There is a moderate to high degree of colour variation, and the wood changes to a rich mahogany-red on exposure. The grainis often interlocked or wavy, with a moderately coarse, even texture. Gum pockets and veins are commonly present. The clearly defined sapwood is usually pale yellow, but can darken with age. Jarrah is very similar in appearance to karri (E. diversicolor).

Properties:

This dense, heavy, hard wood has medium bending and high crushing strength. It is satisfactory for steam bending. Jarrah is fairly difficult to work hand tools, and when machined it has a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges. The planer blade angle should be reduced to prevent tear-out on irregular-grained and figured stock. Pre-boring is recommended for nailing and screwing. Jarrah glues and turns well, and polishes very well.

Seasoning:

It needs careful drying, with partial air-drying before kilning. Broad stock may warp or check in drying, and collapse can occur. Movement in service is medium.

Durability:

The heartwood is extremely durable and resistant to termites and marine borers; it is also noted for being fire-resistant. It has high resistance to preservative treatment, whereas the sapwood is permeable.

Typical Uses:

Furniture, tool handles, flooring including parquet, shipbuilding and marine work, railway sleepers (railroad ties), shingles and weatherboards, joists and rafters, chemical vats, decks. Selected logs are also sliced for decorative veneers and panelling. Jarrah burr (burl) is prized by woodturners for artistic work.

Eucalyptus marginata (Myrtaceae)

Also called:

Swan River mahogany

Grows:

South-west Australia

Weight per Board Foot:

3.1 lbs

Typical dry weight:

60lb/ft3 (800kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

.80

Typical Height:

100-150ft (30-45m)

Trunk Diameter:

3-6ft (0.9-1.8m)