SCOTT'S RECYCLED TIMBER PLAYGROUND
Late in 2019, client Scott came into Thor’s Hammer and purchased a selection of off-cuts from Bateman’s Bay Wharf to create a very special playground for his young son.
Scott says that he had been thinking about what he could put into his garden for his son that would be challenging, aesthetically pleasing and would work well with the plants in the garden. Another consideration was how to create a playground that could develop and grow as quickly as Scott’s son.
“I didn't want to put up something big and plastic and I wanted to keep the grass area clear, given it is not a large area. The idea eventually came to me after we visited one of the local playgrounds. There is also room for expansion and potential to add degrees of difficulty as my son develops.”
“I searched online but couldn't find anything that suited so thought I'd try my luck at Thor's and as luck would have it there were plenty of off-cuts lying around that were perfect for what I was wanting to do, as well as some great advice. In addition to the off-cuts, I used some leftover pieces of wood from the sandpit I built and the idea to add the trampoline came from one of the backyard lifestyle shows that we watched.”
Scott says he has very limited experience working with timber, which just proves that people of all skill levels can appreciate and work with the versatile medium!
“I don’t consider myself very handy on the tools but do enjoy it enough to put in the hours and have very much enjoyed seeing my son play on things that I personally built.”
“It is sturdy enough for the whole family to go on it together which is a lot of fun, my son has really enjoyed having the log course and it has been great watching his confidence and skill grow each week. It is also something a bit different for when we have friends visit with their young children and the kids have all enjoyed having a go.”
Beautifully landscaped, Scott’s final result is a perfect balance of functionality and charm.
The timber species include Turpentine from the old Bateman's Bay Marina wharf. Turpentine’s resistance to marine borer means that it was the predominant timber used for wharf piers.
Photography: Rohan Thomson
TIMBER SPECIES USED
TURPENTINE
RECYCLED FROM Small amounts are found in structural timbers from houses, factories and buildings in NSW & QLD. Turpentine’s resistance to marine borer meant it was the predominant timber used for wharf piers.
TIMBER KNOWLEDGE Turpentine came from the east coast forests from Sydney to Cairns. It is a reddish brown in colour and despite its name is not particularly high in natural resins and is very difficult to burn. Another durable, hard Australian Hardwood!
The section of the old wharf pier that was driven into the mud is usually well preserved and has almost no decay. Above the mud, and especially in the tidal zone the timber is often eaten away by the teredo worm and other marine organisms. This can make a very interesting patterns in the timber.
Turpentine: Syncarpia Glomulifera
BLACKBUTT / DENSE BROWNS
RECYCLED FROM building demolitions in Sydney and further north along the east coast.
TIMBER KNOWLEDGE Blackbutt / Dense Browns are grouped together because they have a similiar density and colour, and are very durable - excellent for hard wearing bench tops and for exterior applications. Blackbutt is the main species, with small amounts of Stringybark, Silvertop Ash and Tallowwood of a similiar colour in the mix. These species originally mainly came from the NSW & QLD coastal forests.
Blackbutt is a light brown coloured hardwood, very dense and hard.
Blackbutt: Eucalyptus pilularis, Eucalyptus andrewsii, Eucalyptus campanulata