Redgum floating shelf with live edge

[Coogara]

Small floating shelf in Australian Redgum with live edge. Finished with Minwax wipe-on poly.

Top panel is mountain scene from Design & Make. Bottom panel is the ivy texture that comes with Aspire.

Mounted using commercial brackets.

[Savannahdan]

Bet you had fun cutting the boards and putting the shelf system together. Really nice.

[dwilli9013]

Very nice work. Especially like the texturing throughout. Thanks for sharing.

[WNC_Ed]

Looks great.
And functional too.
Well done!

[Coogara]

Positioning of the back boards was complicated by the step created by the tiles, above which the shelf is positioned. Additionally, the project was rather drawn out after needing to replace collet and collet nut due to a bit partially (and repeatedly) dropping out of the collet, gouging into the spoil board. It only happened on profile cutout, but potentially losing hours of work was unappealing, so had to await replacement parts.

[Todd Bailey]

Really like that one.

Thanks for sharing!

[Savannahdan]

I had something similar when cutting some spalted persimmon a month ago. Although in my case the bit went into the 3d carving that had taken a few hours to cut. After the bit took a dive I saw that the collet nut was in pretty bad shape on the inside and I could tell it wasn't going to hold a collet properly. Ordered replacement parts from Precise Bits. How does the red gum cut compared to other woods, like oak, maple and walnut?

[adze_cnc]

I like the applied Quick-Grip clamp decoration.

[Coogara]

I kind of liked the 'industrial' look of the clamps but conceded they couldn't stay

I love working with Redgum. It's a very hard hardwood.

Our Tasmanian Oak is probably similar to your Oak. Redgum is harder than that. I'm sure maple varies and I don't have a lot of experience with it. Redgum cuts very cleanly - very little cleanup required after CNC.

[scottp55]

Savannahdan,
Remember this is "River Red Gum" from Australia...almost twice as dense, and more than twice the hardness of what Americans call "Red Gum"
https://www.wood-database.com/river-red-gum/
https://www.wood-database.com/sweetgum/
Whole different Genus.
It doesn't cut quite like anything except maybe Bloodwood/Cocobolo in 3Ds Thinking maybe Macassar Ebony/and Indian Rosewood would come close, but haven't done a 3D on them yet.
Only done 4 cuts on River Red Gum, and VERY close to what Coogara said as far as finishing after a cut.
You can almost see the sheen in this finishing toolpath with my 3" long .25mmTBN. Only sanding was on the mill marks on the steep edges which lower stepover would have helped. BUT I had to sand the difference in my "Flip" anyways, as I wanted the "Scrap" for other things, so didn't use index pins for alignment.

SHOULD be too, as he brought mine to me in his suitcase(same board? Same Tree?:) when he and his wife visited me for a few days a couple years ago
Closest to a domestic American hardwood in 3D cutting characteristics would probably be Claro Walnut, or Black Walnut with dense growth rings (as in highly figured or around knots).
The Heart on Firewood is almost finished, as Mom didn't like the soft sheen of Beeswax, so multi-coats of oil underway.

The pic with the MUNGO tabs(which were machined off after the 7 names were engraved) was just brushed off with a Stiff brush that still had a hair of Linseed/Beeswax "Butter", from another project I was finishing while the Heart was cutting.

The RED comes right back at you when you finish it.

I found my pieces were slightly prone to internal stress cracks like Macassar Ebony, but that may just be my limited pieces.
Coogara mentioned to me that the Really Primo figured River Red Gum, was usually sent to North America for custom gun stocks.

NICE end result G. !!!
scott

OH..IF anybody has carved any of the "Related Species" in wood database Eucalyptus genus...and it's available in NA generally...could you mention how it cuts? Just curious!

[ZipperHead55]

Love it! It's quite the spectacular (and expensive, I'm guessing) mug holder!! Perfect for the man cave, or the cabin. It gives me a perfect idea for my friends RV though (we go camping together a lot, and alcohol and caffeine are consumed in great quanitities, so a mug full of 50/50 liquor coffee mix would be perfect!).

Allan

[scottp55]

While looking at other Eucalyptus species other than River Red Gum....I stumbled across a US distributor for it that imports logs and saws it here;
https://www.advantagelumber.com/eucalyptus.htm

Not Ridiculously priced, and some good pics to drool over
Anybody lucky enough to live near the resaw location Florida(CA?) would be able to pick their pieces
Just mentioning, as the River Red Gum seems to be so much denser and harder than other Eucalyptus species I glanced at.
Also I noted that whatever pest makes the holes in the bark, there's a good chance for internal cracks near the hole for a couple inches in and around(uneven drying?).
Coogara said my 2 pieces came from the same slab as this project, so not a whole lot of varied experience:)
scott

[Savannahdan]

Scott, I figured it was the Redgum from down-under. I use to troll one of the forums where folks talked about cutting their own lumber. My backyard has stacks from my efforts to do just that. I always loved watching the videos of folks down-under cutting redgum with a swing-blade mill (Lucas), which is what I had. It would be nice to have some to experience cutting it.

[WNC_Ed]

Scott, great link - I see their NC yard isn't too far away - I might have to wander down there and check it out.

[scottp55]

Savannahdan,
Hadn't heard of that rig before, so Googled it and saw them chunking up a LOG of River Red Gum and cruising right along cutting 8X8"s (?) !!
I saw the slab cutting attachment,but not in action.
Did yours use the Big saw blades? Curious about what species you cut up for your "Stash"?
Any of your projects cut from that wood on this Forum?

WNC_Ed,
THAT will be an interesting trip:)
Mind going slightly out of your way and picking me up?
Thick boards/thin boards/Exotics
8/4 Bloodwood!!! (Pick me up a slab...check is in the mail ).
Got a chunk of African Blackwood a Scottish Shortpipe maker
https://www.pinchbeckpipes.com/sound
gifted me for a morning in my shop learning about his new Desktop, and been saving....$100bf!!!
I'll save it till I'm Positive I know what it wants to be!!
Chris knew more about working Exotics than I probably EVER will!!
Wonder what the NC shop cuts and has in stock...wish we had a place like that close to me!
I'd absolutely be checking out their Shorts and waste bin!!
Have a good trip:)
scott