Comments on: Blue Gum

By: Vala Magnúsdóttir

Vala Magnúsdóttir — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:27:39 +0000

In reply to Mike Stafford. This is a beautiful piece

By: Mike Stafford

Mike Stafford — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 21:28:23 +0000

A box in blue gum

By: Phil Watkins

Phil Watkins — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 22:38:35 +0000

I brought some blue gum back to the US from Chile 31 years ago. It had warped during the drying so I had to level it out but after 31 years of air drying it is dry. I made this bench with it and it is really solid and heavy. Pure tung oil for finish.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 14:23:46 +0000

I’m trying to determine the species of this wood baseboard I plan on refinishing. Looks like Blue Gumwood but would like a pro opinion. Thanks in advance.

By: Konstantin

Konstantin — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 23:46:53 +0000

Does not glue well though. Where’d that come from?

By: Marcelle

Marcelle — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 12:20:35 +0000

Hello. I bought sculptures made from Blue gum wood and they are cracking and changing colour. Please advise on how I can treat the sculptures.
Many thanks

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 08:32:09 +0000

Are Blue gums any good for bridge beams?

By: Mick

Mick — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:54:03 +0000

Hi
My experience with bluegum from southern Tas is that is yellow(ish), but some pink at times. I haven’t used it for doors or furniture, but older bluegum is very hard and being quite cross-grained and good oil content, is great for decking timber (I leave mine rough sawn on top).

By: Kleinmuis

Kleinmuis — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 11:27:52 +0000

It says that it has some stability issues, I have about seven 50mm thick slabs cut for me, and Im planing to make a guitar out of one of them. Do you think if would be able to withstand the tension, or would it deform/bend? Btw the bluegum wood I have is a south-africa species, im not sure if that would make it easier.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:39:02 +0000

In reply to Paul. Yes, I have probably about 50 more species of Eucalyptus that I've yet to add to the site, so at some point this will probably get renamed to the more precise "Southern blue gum."

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 04:46:33 +0000

In reply to Eric. Around here (Northern NSW) Blue Gum is always red or red/pink and refers to Eucalyptus saligna. Not a criticism, just letting you know.

By: Varsha Negi

Varsha Negi — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:26:22 +0000

Hi, kindly suggest which is best species of Eucalyptus for Furniture and door frame.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 13 May 2020 06:57:18 +0000

In reply to Alex Siegel. You will want to seal the ends with something, preferably wax, or even paint or glue would work.

By: Alex Siegel

Alex Siegel — Sun, 10 May 2020 21:38:28 +0000

Hi Everyone!

I’m new to the world of arborists. There was a large Blue Gum Eucalyptus that fell two weeks ago. I had some pretty large pieces (80″ x 50″) brought back to my property to get milled. I have x7 2.5″ slabs stacked now. I’m wondering if there’s any special treatment I should do while it dries? I notice some cracks forming on the ends.

Thanks!

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 09:36:57 +0000

In reply to Tim.

Maybe we are not talking about the same species? Keith Bootle describes this wood as “Heartwood pale brown, sometimes with a pinkish tinge” in Wood in Australia. Also, Martin Chudnoff’s Tropical Timbers book describes the color and durability as I have it on this page. https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/TechSheets/Chudnoff/SEAsian_Oceanic/htmlDocs_SEAsian/Eucalyptusglobulus.html

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 08:44:50 +0000

This article is incorrect. Blue Gum is a red timber and very durable. I work with it daily and the picture above is not consistent with what I look at daily for the past 10 years

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 23:34:21 +0000

In reply to Cill. The eucalyptus smell is from the leaves, I've not found that this odor translates to the wood itself. Are you basing the ID of your floor boards on the odor? With the exception of some closely related species of Corymbia (which can smell like lemons) most eucalypts do not have a strong smell.

By: Cill

Cill — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 23:28:12 +0000

Why wouldn’t there be a characteristic eucalypt smell with all the eucalypt woods????
I assumed my floor boards were pine, till I started sanding- then it was obvious they were some kind of (very light fairly knotty) eucalyptus…. the smell was very strong.

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 17:16:45 +0000

Please can someone tell me how Bluegum should be drie at home in small quantities? If cut into small 300mm rounds with endgrain up, quick dried? Thanks.

By: Pär Wiberg

Pär Wiberg — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 10:32:05 +0000

As all eucalyptus species this species, known as blue gum are difficult to dry. Especially when MC is above FSP. This is because of the small pith openings and enormus variation in density across the year ring. The level of under-pressure due to small pith openings developed during too high drying rate is causing cell collapse. Because of enomeous tension due to cell collaps and low density with low resistance to tension in the early wood this can lead to honeycombing and internal cracks.