Grey gum
Very hard and durable, with warm pink through to deep red brown tones and interlocked grain. Works well for tables, benches, chopping boards and heavier furniture that needs to hold its shape.
Timber & Process
On our Bucketty property, every Fallen Timbers piece starts with a tree that has already come down – storm damage, age, or essential safety work on private land. We recover those logs, mill them on our own small mill, and stack them to season slowly in the air for eighteen months to two years before they’re shaped. This page walks through the native species we work with, and the steps that take each log from salvage to finished piece.
Our approach to working with timber
We work with the shape of each log instead of forcing it into a neat straight line. Knots, spalting, insect traces and old fire scars become part of the story of the piece. When a log holds hollows or nesting sites, those sections are left where they are, so habitat remains in place.
Once cut, the slabs are stacked, stickered and left to settle. Air movement and time do the slow work of drying and stabilising the timber. Most pieces rest for at least eighteen months, and larger sections can sit for close to two years before they are shaped. Finishes are chosen to suit the use of the piece – food safe oils and natural waxes for boards and bowls, and tougher hybrid finishes where everyday wear demands it.
Common species we work with
Turpentine
Deep chocolate red heartwood with a fine even texture. Naturally resistant to decay and insect attack. Ideal for outdoor settings, benches and high wear applications where strength matters.
Red bloodwood
Known for gum veins and strong colour shifts from soft pink to deep red. The contrasts suit sculptural pieces, feature slabs and boards where the timber is meant to do the talking.
Yellow bloodwood
Honey gold tones with dramatic knots and figure. Under oil it often shows a soft shimmer when the light moves across the surface. Suits bowls, small tables and natural edge work.
Bucketty stringybark
A very local timber, full of personality. Earthy ochre and soft red tones, with grain that rarely behaves itself. Perfect for rustic pieces, live edge slabs and furniture that is meant to look like it came from the bush.
Sheoak (Casuarina)
Common along the ridges and creek lines around Bucketty. Often collected as fallen limbs or wind thrown stems. Fine grain with a strong medullary ray pattern, well suited to smaller work such as spoons, whittled pieces, handles, keepsake boxes and other detailed items.
From log to finished piece
1. Salvage
Timber is recovered after storms, natural falls or necessary safety work on private properties. Logs are selected carefully and moved with as little disturbance as possible. Where hollows or habitat trees are involved, the living sections are left in place.
2. Milling and seasoning
Logs are sawn on our own mill into slabs, boards and blocks. Each piece is stacked and stickered to allow air to move freely. Most stock sits for eighteen months to two years before it is considered ready, so movement and checking have a chance to settle.
3. Shaping and finishing
Once seasoned, the timber is trimmed, jointed, shaped and sanded by hand. Edges may be refined or left natural, depending on the piece. Oils, waxes and other finishes are chosen to suit how the item will be used, with a focus on touch, durability and easy care.