I was wondering if anyone knew about using spotted gum as a building material. I was looking to use some veneers of the stuff to make a long board. Also thinking of using some gaboon as the core.
Iv'e used it in the past , but not for boards
from what i've experienced
-tends to splinter easily
-really strong with the grain, but weak along it (split a peice when the saw blade jammed), more so than other woods
-the grain is really promenent, and stands out when you vanish it (not really important, but a nice touch)
Gaboon's pretty light, and (as far as i know) the core of the board takes the least amount of stress, so you dont need to use harder heavier types of wood like maple or bamboo.
Gaboon mahogany works great.
Made boards from it using 3 and 4mm ply (yes marine ply!). 4 layers of 3 works best for up to 31" wb.
Must have concave to keep deck strength. Avoid pintail shapes as they are weaker with alot more flex.
Epoxy resin and you're sorted.
Nice wood grain. Easy enough to acquire. Easy to cut and sand. No need for Xplys if you use longrain, x-layers already in the ply.