Spotted Gum
Spotted Gum is a strong and durable timber with a good amount of natural oils. The heartwood ranges from pale brown to dark chocolate brown, to deep red-brown, while the sapwood is white to light brown in colour. Spotted Gum is also a very attractive timber with a moderately course texture and a typically wavy grain. Many people favour Spotted Gum because of this wavy grain, which can produce an attractive fiddle-back figure. Care needs to be taken in drying Spotted gum for internal applications as the coarse nature of the timber can create surface checking if dried too quickly or too far.
- CategoryTimber, Wall Panels & Cladding , Timber Flooring
Botanical Name
Corymbia Maculata
Other Names
Lemon-scented gum, Eucalyptus maculata
Origin
Australia
Interior
- Furniture
- Flooring
Exterior
- Deck/Floor
- Wall/Cladding
Workability
Spotted Gum machines well due to its natural greasiness and there is no difficulty using the timber with standard fittings and fastenings. As with most high-density species, machining and surface preparation should be done immediately before gluing. Spotted Gum readily accepts paint, stains and polish. It has a lower tannin content than most other eucalyptus, therefore staining of paintwork or brickwork as a result of water running over unpainted timber surfaces is less likely to occur.
Common Applications
Spotted Gum has a long history of use in engineering applications such as wharf and bridge construction, railway sleepers, cross-arms and mining timbers. It is used for a variety of applications, including structural building members, such as posts and poles, and for framing, flooring, lining, decking and cladding. It is used in boat building and is the primary Australian timber used for the handles of tools and implements that are subject to high-impact forces. Spotted Gum is a suitable carving and wood-turning timber and is used in the manufacture of both indoor an outdoor furniture. Outdoor furniture in Spotted Gum has consistently won industry awards in Australia and is exported to destinations around the world.
Certifications Available
PEFC/40-31-26 Promoting Sustainable Forest Management
Seasoning
Satisfactorily dried using conventional air and kiln seasoning methods.
Working Qualities
Spotted Gum, despite its strength and density is a great timber to work with as it has a good level of natural oils which allow easy machining. It accepts oil and stain well, and has a lower tannin content than most other eucalyptus species. This means tannin staining and bleed-through are less of a problem. While it is excellent for machine work, Spotted Gum is also a good timber for carving and woodturning.
Uses
House framing, retaining walls, decking, fencing, landscaping, internal and external flooring, cladding, lining and joinery, indoor and outdoor furniture, plywood, veneer, bridge and wharf construction, poles and piles
Durability In Ground Moderately Durable
Durability Above Ground Durable
Density Air Dry 990 kg/m3
Density Green 1180 kg/m3
Shrinkage Radial 4.30 %
Shrinkage Tangental 6.1 %
Janka Hardness 11 kN
Modulus of Rupture 99(green), 150(dry) MPa
Modulus of Elasticity 18(green), 23(dry) GPa
Max Crush Strength 50(green), 74(dry) MPa
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About the
Seller
Timspec was established in 1990 as a wholesaler of specialty timber and was wholly New Zealand owned. In March 2019 Timspec was acquired by ITI Australia and became ITI Timspec LTD.
Today we import, export, and wholesale a huge range of timber to builders, joiners, home owners, floor layers, landscape builders and furniture manufacturers. We pride ourselves on being environmentally responsible and strive to source the most sustainable timber options available. Timber stocked includes species from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand's exotic as well as indigenous species.
The ITI Timspec team are extremely knowledgeable about the various types of timber, treatments and uses available and are happy to help you in choosing the right product for your project.
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