Banksia wood, not the pods

[Worthing]

Anyone have any idea where to get this stuff? It has a really cool ray pattern like sycamore, but with better color contrast with a light and dark brown. I have a pen blank that I can't figure out where I got it from. I'd really like to get some more, but my Googlefu and eBay searches are coming up short. Almost seems word of mouth is needed.

Here's an example: http://www.woodworkforums.com/f14/banksia-wood-51496

TIA,
Shane

[Johneone]

I'll be watching this thread - I saw that post also and have not found anywhere that has the wood, just the pods.

[ianab]

Likewise, never seen it for sale commercially. Never seen one with a straight enough trunk to be called a "saw log".

Probably something you have to come across when a tree is being removed and salvage it yourself.

If they grow in your area you could try a tree service, but you might only get 2ft lengths of it.

[Wild Turkey]

As mentioned it doesn't get very big, and is only found "Down Under"
Wikipedia info:

Quote:

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Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up to 30 metres tall.

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Quote:

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Woodworking
Banksia wood is reddish in color with an attractive grain but it is rarely used as it warps badly on drying. It is occasionally used for ornamental purposes in wood turning and cabinet paneling. It has also been used to make keels for small boats. Historically, the wood of certain species such as B. serrata was used for yokes and boat parts.[18] The large "cones" or seed pods of B. grandis are used for woodturning projects. They are also sliced up and sold as drink coasters; these are generally marketed as souvenirs for international tourists. Woodturners throughout the world value Banksia pods for making ornamental objects.

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