Brush Box 

Lophostemon confertus

Description

This large coastal hardwood grows from the central coast of NSW into Qld. The heartwood varies from pink to a rich red brown. The sapwood is much paler. This fine grained timber often has a rich fiddleback. Due to drying difficulties is also shows a lot of surface checking at times.

Workability

Very tough to work. High silica contents will kill cutting edges dead. Difficult to glue. Polishes well.

Applications

Makes an excellent polished floor. Also used in cabinetwork and high end joinery.

Availability

Generally good.

Hardness

Janka 9.5 900kg/m3.

Durability

Not very durable. No longer available as decking.

At a Glance

Turning:		Good
Machining:		Machines to a good finish but very hard on tools
Bending:		Good
Sanding:		Good
Nailing/Screwing:		Can split
Glueing:		Very difficult.  Best results with polyurethane.
Timber Coating:		Can be a problem with adhesion of some coatings.
Oil:		Oils well
Note 1		This timber is challenging but worth the effort.
Note 2