Greg Mott Woodturner

Wood that Greg uses

Rimu

Red Pine, Dacrydium cupressinum.

One of New Zealand's most beautiful trees, found throughout the three islands but mainly in the South Island.

The Rimu has a life span of 800-900 years. At full maturity it stands approximately 60-110 feet with a 2 to 5 foot diameter.

Indigenous to New Zealand, Rimu is a straight grained workable wood that is often figured. The sapwood is soft with light brown tone, the heartwood is hard and strong with a reddish brown and occasionally yellow tone.

The leaves are olive green, small, close set and scale like. Seeding ocures from March.

The bark of the Rimu tree is dark greyish brown which sheds in irregular flakes leaving a wave pattern around the trunk.

Captain James Cook made spuce beer from its young branches as a remedy for scurvy, the scourge of long voyages of his day. The Maoris used its bark and gum for medicinal purposes, and made torches from strips of timber. Balding early European settlers tried the juice from its stems as a hair-restorer.

Rimu is the wood that Greg predominantly uses, because of its availability (Greg only sources recycled or fallen wood), its turning qualities and the high quality of its finish.

Greg will work with most wood suited to turning, creating beautiful products using Rimu, Matai, Yew, Mulberry and Walnut.

Rimu