At Australian Heirloom Timber we not only care about delivering fine service and excellent products; we also genuinely care about the environment.
Australian Heirloom Timber holds a Private Nature Forest Logging License which allows us to selectively log certain forests an hinterlands in the mid north coast of Australia. Our primary concern is about the sustainable growth of countries hardwood trees. We place a great deal of importance on selectively logging only the smallest number of trees. In fact, we only log one single hardwood tree for every one hundred acres per year.
We regularly and tirelessly undertake consistent nurturing of the environment with the germination of new sees to the planting and growing of new trees. We continually maintain close relationships with the local community, neighbors and ‘old timers’ to obtain a greater understanding of the local area.
BRIEF
At Australian Heirloom Timber our timber is home grown from the mid north coast hinterland of Australia, which is home to some of the worlds finest trees.
For over 300 years red cedar, blackbutt, tallowood, silky oak, red gum, she oak, brush box and blue gum, bloodwood have grown abundantly and continue to grow sustainably in cycle.
The first step in creating our signature furniture involves felling a selected tree. The log is the cut into slabs of different sizes where the tree is felled.
The second step is to transport the cut slabs back to the work site, where the timber is stacked and battened to dry.
Natural timber drying time can take up to 2.5 to 4 years, but here at Australian Heirloom Timber we can shorten the timber drying process by up to 80%. We air dry the timber then kiln dry it to get the moisture rate down to 10% – 12% making it ready for manufacture; this taking our timber drying time down to less than 5 months.
Your timber is then selected from the dried stacks for milling into your requested furniture piece. Your timber slab is then planed by an overhead router then sanded all over with dry sand paper 7 times starting at 40 grit (a very coarse sand paper) and working our way up to a 400 grit (a finer sand paper) We lovingly sand your timber slab to eradicate any little imperfections making it smooth and perfect for oiling.
Our first coat of tongue oil is then applied to the timber and left for 24 hours to be absorbed. Sanding of you slab in is the commenced again using 500 grit wet and dry sand paper. The process of sanding and oiling is then repeated another 7 times.
A natural resin forms over the wood which is then rubbed into the timber to provide a smooth and protective finish.
It may seem a lengthy process, however the final result is an amazing refined glass mirror finish which is smooth and soft. The natural beauty, smell and feel of the timber is preserved, so the soul of the tree is not lost.
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PROCESS SNAPSHOT
Soil management
Germination
Re pot the seedling
Hand plant the small tree
Maintenance, add fertilizer, weeding
Back burn to keep the fuel down to protect the forest from fire.
Select the tree
Fell the tree
Cut into correct lengths
Slab logs
Stack to air dry, seasoning timber
Select timber for use
Milling and manufacturing to design required using traditional joinery methods.
Supply to client