AWGB Woodturning Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: crazylegs on January 26, 2018, 06:43:31 PM

Title: black boy wood ??
Post by: crazylegs on January 26, 2018, 06:43:31 PM

Anyone heard of black boy and black boy root? Got a couple of small bits and that's what the guy called it. Not politically correct I expect and it's been renamed and sanitised. I can't find any reference to it.

Title: Re: black boy wood ??
Post by: The Bowler Hatted Turner on January 26, 2018, 06:55:12 PM

Not sure but off the top of my head I think it is a grass tree. Seventhdevil will be able to tell you when he comes on.

Title: Re: black boy wood ??
Post by: Les Symonds on January 26, 2018, 09:28:08 PM

You're right, John, it is the grass tree.....it's often called "Black Boy" because of its black, charred appearance after bush fires. I'm guessing that this is a localised name, though. Its Linnaean name is Xanthorrhoeaceae.
Les

Title: Re: black boy wood ??
Post by: seventhdevil on January 26, 2018, 11:09:56 PM

just to get technical Xanthorrhoeaceae is actually treated as the subfamily Xanthorrhoeoideae in the family of Asphodelaceae in the order of the Asparagales with the genus for the grass tree root being that of Xanthorrhoea and the species is usually cited as glauca but it could be any of them to be honest.

either way grass tree is good enough for a name. never turned it myself even though i've owned a couple but i understand it is bloody dusty so sort a mask out for this one...

Title: Re: black boy wood ??
Post by: crazylegs on January 27, 2018, 06:00:13 PM

Thanks everyone.

Title: Re: black boy wood ??
Post by: ColWA on January 30, 2018, 04:46:04 AM

Just a word of caution ..
This is highly carcinogenic ,  you MUST wear a quality dust mask when turning.
Many guys in our club refuse to turn it for this reason alone.
HTH
Col