Salt gum

Eucalyptus salicola

Salt gum is a small to medium-sized tree widespread in the Wheatbelt, but scattered distribution, extending from Newdegate to the Great Victoria Desert. It is always found near salt lakes. Appearance is similar to that of salmon gum, but the latter would not be found in saline conditions.

Wood description [more info]
Heartwood is brownish-red with a moderate grain.

Wood density [more info]
Limited sampling indicated that green density is about 1215 kg/m3, air-dry density about 1165 kg/m3, and basic density about 940 kg/m3.

Shrinkage [more info]
Tangential and radial shrinkage are about 5.3 and 3.8 per cent respectively.

Workability [more info]
Goldfields craftsmen rate salt gum as good for screwholding, and excellent for turning, machinability, boring, stability, sanding and finishing.

Durability [more info]
-

Strength group and properties [more info]
Green and dry strength groups are (S2) and (SD2). The brackets indicate conservative provisional ratings based on the air-dry density. The more important strength properties based on strength groups are given in the table below.

Uses [more info]
Recommended for woodturning and general craftwork.

Availability [more info]
Limited availability because of the limited occurrence and scattered nature of the resource.