Eucalyptus Cladocalyx | Sugar Gum
Sugar gum timber has few defects and is prized for its durability and attractive blond to tan, yellow to brown, honey colour decorative finish, making it an excellent choice for both interior features and exterior construction.
Scientific Name: Eucalyptus Cladocalyx
Preferred Common Names: Sugar Gum
Description
The Eucalypt originates in South Australia, it has been planted in South Africa since the mid 1800's. It has been planted widely through Southern Africa and has been found to grow successfully for saw log production in the forestall regions of the Western and Eastern Cape.
The species is found in previously owned state plantations and privately owned farm woodlots, windbreaks and tree lined avenue’s.
The specie yields a beautiful blond to tan, yellow to brown, honey colour timber. It is classified as a "Class 1 Heavy Hardwood" of exceptional durability and is well suited to heavy marine applications and external building applications. It , unlike many other Eucalypts, is relatively stable in drying, if cut correctly, free of pith. Timber harvested from Eucalyptus Cladocalyx has little defect and is prized for its durability.
Uses
It is particularly suited to situations requiring high strength where appearance is also important. If left untreated externally it will turn a silvery grey colour overtime. Sugar Gum polishes to an elegant finish sometimes displaying characteristics such as fiddle back and beeswing. It has a fine interlocked grain.
The timber as with some other hardwoods is known to sometimes leach. It is suggested to use stainless steel fastenings and brackets when used externally in high end carpentry applications as the tannins in the timber react with ferrous metals which can cause dark markings. Any initial markings left from leaching or a reaction with ferrous metals will disappear over time.
The specie is very well suited as a replacement to previously imported tropical Hardwood used in external applications such as Balua, Ekki, Tali, Greenheart etc. IT is far superior in external applications to the likes of Meranti, Iroko, Mahogany, Limbali, Sapele etc.
-
Decking
-
Exterior Stairs
-
External Cladding
-
Sleepers
-
Docking Blocks
-
Harbour Fenders
-
Pergolas
-
Outdoor Furniture
-
Bollards
-
Fencing
Properties
An extract from " The Mechanical Properties of Timbers - With particular reference to those grown in the Republic of South Africa" published by C.H. Banks (South African Forestry Research Institute).
Dry Mass per kg
Modulus of rupture
Fibre stress at P.L. (Point Load)
Modulas of elastisity
Compresstion parallel to grain
Compression perpendiccular to grain
Shear parallel to grain
Impact Bending
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1005 kg/m3 (Wet density 1200 - 1300kg/m3)
140 MPa
81 MPa
18415 MPa
78.3 MPa (Maximum crushing strengh)
39.1 MPa (Stress at 2.54mm deflection)
19.6 MPA (Stress at Point Load)
16.5 MPa (Maximum shearing strengh)
30.8 MPa (Toughness)