Gidgee

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Gidgee (Acacia cambagei)
Gidgee (Acacia cambagei)

Common Name(s): Gidgee, stinking wattle, purple gidgee

Scientific Name: Acacia cambagei

Distribution: Endemic to Australia

Tree Size: 20-40 ft (6-12 m) tall,

                 1 ft (.3 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 72 lbs/ft3 (1,150 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .93, 1.15

Janka Hardness: 4,270 lbf (18,990 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 18,850 lbf/in2 (130.0 MPa)*

Elastic Modulus: 2,683,000 lbf/in2 (18.50 GPa)*

Crushing Strength: 10,150 lbf/in2 (70.0 MPa)*

*Conservative values based on strength group/bracket

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.0%, Tangential: 5.1%,

                  Volumetric: 9.2%, T/R Ratio: 1.3

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is medium to dark reddish brown, sometimes with darker streaks. Sharply demarcated sapwood is yellow. Curly figuring is also seen on some pieces, and is called “ringed gidgee.”

Grain/Texture: No data available.

Rot Resistance: No data available.

Workability: No data available.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, no further health reactions have been associated with gidgee. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: No data available.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.


Common Uses: No data available.

Comments: None.

Images: Drag the slider up/down to toggle between raw and finished wood. (A special thanks to Steve Earis for providing the wood sample of this wood species.)


[caption id="attachment_22047" align="alignleft" width="300"]Gidgee (Acacia cambagei) Gidgee (Acacia cambagei)[/caption]

Identification: See the article on Hardwood Anatomy for definitions of endgrain features.

Gidgee (endgrain 10x)
Gidgee (endgrain 1x)
Gidgee (endgrain 1x)

Porosity: diffuse porous

Arrangement: solitary and radial multiples

Vessels: medium to large, few to moderately numerous; tyloses and mineral/gum deposits common

Parenchyma: vasicentric, banded

Rays: narrow, normal spacing

Lookalikes/Substitutes: No data available.

Notes: Heartwood fluoresces under blacklight.

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Filip

Acacia cambagei vs desert ironwood

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Filip

Gidgee wood is similar to Desert ironwood form USA, but much much harder ! Vessels (pores) are visible by naked eye, but are really small (smaller than finger prints) ;Desert ironwood has invisible pores. These pores when turning wood (due to its extreme hardness) can cause micro-fractures. To avoid this, I first use very sharp knives, then use a metal file, then sandpaper 300, 400, 1000, 2000. Then I polish the surface with a smooth, durable stone (nephrite).After such polishing, the surface looks like under varnish. Interesting fact for wood lovers: Leaves and bark have a very unpleasant smell that… Read more »

Daemon Singer

I have what’s described as gidgee locally but it doesn’t look like the exemplars. Can anyone identify this for me please?

Sam

This looks like a gumtree mate.

Mim

Cadagi

Davor Mackic

Good luck with your tools if they’re not top notch. Hard as anything

Graham King

It is being used as a great hardwood for guitar fretboards.

Bryan Scandrett

Workability – hard as steel.
Durability – lasts outside for decades.
Uses – posts and rails, wood turning.
Excellent firewood, long burning, excellent coals.

Eugene Dimitriadis

Acacia cambagei is the most common species commercially avaialble in smaller sizes. It has a high luster and when figured compares at least as well as Arizona ironwood as a knife handle material.

Eugene Dimitriadis

Many dryland Aust. acacias have that floral / violet smell.