Australian Hardwood Furniture
Hand Crafted from Rescued Timber
We hand-craft various items of furniture from rescued Australian hardwood timber. This page shows just a few of the items we have produced recently, these are sturdy and built to last – both inside, and when exposed to the harsh Australian outdoors.
What is “Rescued Timber”?
To make our Australian hardwood slab furniture we need trees of great size – most are perhaps hundreds of years old. This does not mean we cut down massive live trees. Most of the timber we use comes from very old trees that have been dead for a long time (and in most cases remain standing). Most timber milling operations cannot handle logs of this size and these long dead giants are typically cut up and burned. This is not only a terrible waste, but also results in the carbon locked up in these trees being released into the atmosphere – we all now know that this is not a good thing.
Logs of this size are very difficult to handle, they often weigh up to 50 tons – for most contractors they are just too hard to handle. We rescue these old trees and give them new life. Wood of this age is extremely hard and has wonderful character.
Not only will your piece of hardwood furniture look great (probably for longer than you will), but you can be proud to have rescued the old tree from becoming part of the climate change problem.
Caring for your Australian Hardwood Furniture
Our hardwood furniture is built strong and will endure either inside or outside for many many years. Like all natural timber, it will change over time – it will absorb moisture during wet and humid weather and will dry out during dry times. To enhance the natural beauty and aid in the protection of the wood we typically treat the furniture with a timber preservation product. This product enhances the natural color of the wood while maintaining a natural look and feel (you can still feel the grain of the wood).
This product can be reapplied every few years to maintain the color and protection qualities. A very light sand and a quick coat applied with a sponge takes just a few minutes – your furniture will again look like new. We typically apply this product to all our furniture – if you wish to use an alternate product, please let us know at the time of ordering.
Oils and Waxes
Alternatives to the timber preservation product include oils and waxes. These are extremely easy to apply (no sanding is required) and provide a good level of protection, there is a possibility that the wood will darken over time and some of the natural color will be lost. Some oils also leave the surface with slightly sticky feel. If your furniture is to spend its life outside, you will need to reapply the oil or wax treatment more often. Popular oils include linseed oil, tung oil and commercial decking oils. Bees wax is also used by some people.
Types of Timber Used
We select our timber for a number of qualities. We look for very large, long dead trees that have remained standing. The natural character and color of these old giants is always unique. The varieties that we most often select are as follows:
Blue Gum
Blue Gum trees are known to grow up to 90m tall. They have a natural deep red color with some parts of the tree displaying a yellow-brown color. The Blue Gums hardness and lasting qualities make it an ideal timber for outdoor furniture. Older trees often have a very unique interlocking grain which makes an amazing table surface.
Spotted Gum
Spotted Gum Trees typically grow to 50m tall and sometimes much taller. They tend to have quite straight trunks and timber is wheat colored and is often variegated with alternating light and darken patches. This provides very interesting patterns and an is an ideal timber for larger slab tables and matching chairs.
Iron bark
Iron bark is renowned for its ability to withstand extremely harsh conditions – so much so, it is the primary timber used in the construction of rail systems throughout Australia. The very best railway sleepers come from the ironbark tree. Ironbark has a rich dark chocolate color once treated and grain is normally very visible and pleasing to the eye.
Rescued Timber Furniture by Slab Happy
We carry furniture in stock and we also make furniture to order.
We deliver locally and are also able to arrange delivery almost anywhere within Australia.
All of our furniture is made from rescued Australian hardwood, skillfully hand crafted and built to last a lifetime.