Callistemon

[Tod Gilding]

I am always looking for Australian native timbers that could be used in luthiery, so when I recently cut back a largish Calistemon Viminalis (weeping Bottlebrush) I started wondering if I should throw it in the fire or in the shed.

It's not big enough for back and side sets but I was thinking possibly necks, binding,bridges.

it appears to be a hard wood, although I'm not set up to do a Janka test and I can't find anything online except that it was used in ship building,wagon wheels and mallets,so I'm really just fishing here for information if someone can help.

Is It the Fire or the Shed ?

[curly]

I've only milled one Callistemon , I don't recall species , I'd have to look it up .
I milled this one particular urban salvage log as it had a good open fiddleback figure . It was a nice mid pink tan colour , from memory the movement in drying was fairly radical . It wasn't milled for musical so I couldn't comment on the tonal properties . Traditional knowledge says Callistemon and the closely related Melaleuca have high silica content , though modern carbide tools help alleviate the blunting effect .
In all honesty I wouldn't bother . Invariably the log will be heavily fluted ( a sort of flower shape on the log end ) and the recovery will be low and the true quarter sawn sections narrow . It'll be awkward to dry and likely blunting on your tools . In the end what you end up will look sort of like mountain ash or shining gum , nothing so special . The tap would want to be awesome . I reckon firewood it but keep a couple of bits as possible bridge blanks , they could be ebonised if there's not much figure .
Pete

[Tod Gilding]

Thanks Pete. when I couldn't find anything on the WWW I guessed it would be firewood .