Iain
Member
Hi All, first time on the forum, so hello form N.Wales. I have been asked to make some furniture from Black Bean, has anyone used it before and where can you get it from?
Black Bean?
- Thread starter Iain
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Woodmagnet
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Welcome to the forum Iain, :wink: someone should be along soon to offer advice, personally i have'nt a clue. :lol:
dedee
Established Member
Iain
Welcome. A wee search on google shows that Black Bean is an Australian timber otherwise known an Australian Chestnut (Castanospermum australe). Can't source a UK supply though, sorry
BTW your website link appears to be not working.
Andy
Welcome. A wee search on google shows that Black Bean is an Australian timber otherwise known an Australian Chestnut (Castanospermum australe). Can't source a UK supply though, sorry
BTW your website link appears to be not working.
Andy
tim
Established Member
Pretty sure John Boddy has it. Never used it myself though - be interested to hear how you get on. What are you making? and welcome!
Cheers
Tim
Cheers
Tim
CHJ
Established Member
Welcome to the forum Iain, Have a look through the listing in my signature it might give you some company names worth e-mailing to check if the stock it.
David C
In Memorium
Black Bean was used by Edward Barnsley in the 50's/60's ?
Alan Peters told me that the dust was so bad that the unions more or less got import banned.
I would be surprised if you could find it today except perhaps as turning sticks, but I would like to learn otherwise.
David C
Alan Peters told me that the dust was so bad that the unions more or less got import banned.
I would be surprised if you could find it today except perhaps as turning sticks, but I would like to learn otherwise.
David C
Iain
Member
Thanks for your welcome folks, John Boddy no joy, the speakers chair in the house of commons is also made from it, present from Australia!! Clients are looking for a dining table made from it as they used to live in Papua New Guinea about 20yrs ago and there was plenty of it. so will keep on looking. Perhaps I might have to go out there to have a look!!!
IanW
Member
Dedee is spot-on. Black Bean (Castanospermum australe) is a rainforest tree that grows to a decent size in the wetter parts of Quensland and Northern NSW. I don't have any pics myself, (even though there are lots around me, including two seedlings in pots that I keep meaning to plant out along the creek!). It's a much-planted street and specimen tree, with attractive foliage, and is a great attractor of nectar-eating birds like Lorrikeets when flowering. There are pics at this site:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002 ... trale.html
The wood is heavy, dark-brown, coarse-textured and not often highly figured. At ~700Kg/M* it's moderately dense, but fairly easy to work. It suffered from excess popularity in the mid 60s to 70s, as our local answer to teak - you can still find the odd old boardroom round here fitted out with Bean panelling and Bean furniture (in the Danish Modern style, of course). Prior to that, it was mostly used for fence-posts (yes, that is correct!) and flooring, where I grew up. It has pretty-well been cut out as a result of its brief, but too intense moment in the spotlight. Curse those Danes! :wink:
And yes, it's a nice wood, if you want something very dark brown, but has a nasty sting in the tail - most people become highly sensitised to it after quite brief exposure, so if you did manage to source some, plan your piece and get it made in a couple of days and you'll probably be ok!
The only thing I have made from Black Bean in the last 10 years is a little double-radiused plane I use for scooping out chair seats, etc. I'd post a pic, but I'm a newbie here, and haven't figured out how to post pics on this BB, yet.
Cheers,
Ian
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002 ... trale.html
The wood is heavy, dark-brown, coarse-textured and not often highly figured. At ~700Kg/M* it's moderately dense, but fairly easy to work. It suffered from excess popularity in the mid 60s to 70s, as our local answer to teak - you can still find the odd old boardroom round here fitted out with Bean panelling and Bean furniture (in the Danish Modern style, of course). Prior to that, it was mostly used for fence-posts (yes, that is correct!) and flooring, where I grew up. It has pretty-well been cut out as a result of its brief, but too intense moment in the spotlight. Curse those Danes! :wink:
And yes, it's a nice wood, if you want something very dark brown, but has a nasty sting in the tail - most people become highly sensitised to it after quite brief exposure, so if you did manage to source some, plan your piece and get it made in a couple of days and you'll probably be ok!
The only thing I have made from Black Bean in the last 10 years is a little double-radiused plane I use for scooping out chair seats, etc. I'd post a pic, but I'm a newbie here, and haven't figured out how to post pics on this BB, yet.
Cheers,
Ian
Iain
Member
Thanks Andy, been have technical problems with hosting and all that, and thanks to Ian W for all your info, will certainly take heed on the dust front, that is of course if I can find any. Will keep you all posted on progress.
Cheers
Iain
Cheers
Iain
