Wood that Greg
uses
Rimu
Red Pine, Dacrydium cupressinum.
One of New Zealand's most beautiful
trees, found throughout the three islands but
mainly in the South Island.
The Rimu has a life span of 800-900
years. At full maturity it stands approximately
60-110 feet with a 2 to 5 foot diameter.
Indiginous to New Zealand, Rimu is a
striaght grained workable wood that is often
figured. The sapwood is soft with light brown
tone, the heartwood is hard and strong with a
reddish brown and occasionally yellow tone.
The leaves are olive green, small,
close set and scale like. Seeding accurs from
March.
The bark of the Rimu tree is dark
greyish brown which sheds in irregular flakes
leaving a wave pattern around the trunk.
Captain James Cook made spuce beer
from its young branches as a remedy for scurvy,
the scourge of long voyages of his day. The
Maoris used its bark and gum for medicinal
purposes, and made torches from strips of timber.
Balding early European settlers tried the juice
from its stems as a hair-restorer.
Rimu is the wood that Greg
predominantly uses, because of its availability
(Greg only sources recycled or fallen wood), its
turning qualities and the high quality of its
finish.
Greg will work with most wood suited
to turning, creating beautiful products using
Rimu, Matai, Yew, Mulberry and Walnut.
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