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design
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Wormy
™
Chestnut is the unusual name for a
timber that was once the Cinderella of
Victorian hardwoods. It was considered to
have low value and consigned to menial
tasks such as roofing tile battens.
But first some history.Wormy Chestnut was a
high-value American timber from trees that
were all but wiped out by a disease in the early
1900s.Today in the US, it usually available only
as reclaimed timber.
Auswest Timbers
®
recognised some of the
characteristics of this classic American timber
in several species of Victoria hardwood.
Wormy Chestnut is not perfect, and that’s its
attraction. It is timber with a very Australian
story to tell, from the sinuous trail left by
scribbly gum moth larvae as they search for
nutrients under the bark, the peppering of pin
holes by ambrosia beetles, and scorching by
fire and lashing by rain.
It’s all there, on display in the milled timber,
imparting a character and uniqueness that
cannot be manufactured or grown in
plantation timber.
No two pieces of Wormy Chestnut are alike.
The character marks vary in placement and
intensity (or indeed, presence) as does the
timber’s colour which ranges from browns
through pinks.
Wormy Chestnut is crown cut, a milling process
that emphasises its unique character marks.
The timber is very dense and requires air
drying before being kiln dried, to prevent
bowing. However it is still easily workable by
conventional woodworking machinery.
What is Wormy Chestnut? It’s not a single
species but a blend of three eucalypts native
to Victoria’s south-east.Their harvesting is
The distinctive character of Wormy
Chestnut is finding a home in furniture,
commercial fitouts, and flooring.
(Photos this opening courtesy
Total Bedroom, Britton Timbers,
NOWarchitecture,Auswest Timbers)