Michael Lehtonen
Imbil, Qld

Red ironbark and red
forest gum bench chair

‘Out west near Gayndah, Qld, dead old ironbarks are left standing like skeletons in the paddocks, killed over 40 years ago to create more pasture for cattle. The bark and sapwood have long gone leaving the very dry and hard true wood. A good sanding over removes the dull grey weathered exterior and reveals a rich deep red timber.

‘A huge red forest gum was felled in the late 80s to make way for power lines, its two metre diameter by fifteen metre billet left lying out in the paddock. We paid the farmer for this log and were rewarded with many flawless single slab tabletops. The slab used in the bench was one of the last taken from the tree. I generally make such benches for outdoor applications and use an oil finish for durability in the Qld sun, but this bench was a commissioned piece that was going into the client’s living room, so a lacquer was used.

‘The end result is a cyclone proof bench chair with old time feel and beautiful rich reds from old seasoned wood. It is a sad thing that I hear from farmers when I travel out west, of all the trees like these that were bulldozed and burned, thankfully some are left dead standing for me to use.’