Lightning struck pines!
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Tree got struck by lightning near Brisbane a few days ago, silk oak, exploded and damaged houses for two blocks!
Steve...you a lightning rod or what!
I got a call to a lightning struck palm, cuban royal palm, bolt had hit the crownshaft at about 35'...big hole, several drooping fronds, then down at the bottom you could see a few charred roots, then a hibiscus about 5' away was dead and a chunk of tarmac blown out of the road on the other side of a stone wall. We took off the damaged fronds and the palm never missed a beat...at least not yet, got to be 4 yrs ago.
Fickle stuff lightning.
Steve...you a lightning rod or what!
I got a call to a lightning struck palm, cuban royal palm, bolt had hit the crownshaft at about 35'...big hole, several drooping fronds, then down at the bottom you could see a few charred roots, then a hibiscus about 5' away was dead and a chunk of tarmac blown out of the road on the other side of a stone wall. We took off the damaged fronds and the palm never missed a beat...at least not yet, got to be 4 yrs ago.
Fickle stuff lightning.
Steve Mack
Life Member.
I saw that in the news.
Silky Oaks really seem to attract lightning for some reason, I've seen more of them hit around here than any other tree.
Silky Oaks really seem to attract lightning for some reason, I've seen more of them hit around here than any other tree.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
KABLOOOY
flushcut
TreeHouser
A while back I worked a Honey Locust that got hit and blew half of it a 120yards away kinda crazy and there were witnesses to it.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Reading up on Silky Oak, I couldn't find anything mentioned about why it might be prone to lightning, other than one article saying it is due to obtaining large size. One bit of information on the tree growing in Kenya, apparently many have been introduced in Africa, is that some homesteads believe that it does attract lightning strikes. Seems like it could be something more than just size.
Steve Mack
Life Member.
It's really nice timber Jay you'd like working with it. Used a lot in building once, not much now though.
Only thing I can think of is that it doesn't burn. Well it will, but you have a hot fire to even get it going and then it just sits there. I haven't tried to burn any for years but I tried bit when I did that old stump a few weeks ago, just to prove it again. Couldn't get much drier and it just smouldered away.
1920's rocker, and very popular in old pubs.
Only thing I can think of is that it doesn't burn. Well it will, but you have a hot fire to even get it going and then it just sits there. I haven't tried to burn any for years but I tried bit when I did that old stump a few weeks ago, just to prove it again. Couldn't get much drier and it just smouldered away.
1920's rocker, and very popular in old pubs.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
I see it also goes under the name, "Lacewood". The timber was, maybe still is available in the states somewhat, I seem to recall that it might have been sold under the name, "Australian Lacewood". It can be very pretty, but I don't think I have ever worked with it. Looks somewhat like how Sycamore can sometimes get. Steve, i think that Sycamore may also kind of smolder as well when lit. Kind of spongy. So, the Silky Oak also gets used in construction, there must be a lot of it around then. It looks like some really nice grain in particular for the back spindles on that rocker. They do have a nice shine. Do you think the wood naturally aged to that color or was stained? 100 hundred years sure can add some nice color and patina to wood if something is well taken care of.
Steve Mack
Life Member.
I really don't know if it ages to that darker colour or whether it was just from the old big trees, but most of the old stuff I've seen is darker.
You might have missed the pub staircase, I added it just before you posted. Lots of it in old pubs and buildings.
You might have missed the pub staircase, I added it just before you posted. Lots of it in old pubs and buildings.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
Yes, I saw the staircase when I went back to check my post. Australian design has something very ...ah...Australian about it. It is kind of provincial and refined at the same time, rather interesting. Though I have never been there, it seems to give a strong feeling of the country.
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