Satinash, Grey

Grey satinash is a hardwood grown in Queensland and New South Wales, used for a range of purposes from construction to interior, decorative, and furniture. The construction uses of grey satinash include framing, dressed window and door sills, joinery, flooring, plywood, linings and fixtures, and mouldings. Apart from furniture, decorative uses include cabinet-making, and picture frames. Other applications include shoe heels, butter boxes and funeral caskets.

Grey satinash is the most readily available of the satin ashes, but it is usually confined to north Queensland.

As the name suggests, the heartwood of grey satinash is buff-grey to a yellowish colour, while the sapwood is white-grey and not clearly distinguishable from the heartwood. The grain is often interlocked and the texture is fine to medium and uniform.

Grey satinash is durable, though it is not termite resistant, and untreated sapwood is susceptible to lyctid borer attack. The sapwood takes preservatives. The timber is easy to work, and accepts paint, stain and polish, and there are no problems with the use of standard fittings and fastenings. The timber can be greasy and thus hard to glue.