Thread: Crafty DIYers
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Old 01-30-2016, 02:13 AM   #72
xoxoxoBruce
The future is unwritten
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
One guy in Hawaii...
Quote:
Albizia, aka "The Tree That Ate Puna," is a highly invasive pest. Land with a lot of albizia growing on it is less valuable than an equivalent lot with no albizia on it, because of the cost of removing the undesirable trees.
The wood is weak and brittle, leading to its most notorious feature... dropping heavy branches with no warning. It has been responsible for numerous downed power lines, crushed roofs, injuries, etc. as well as strangling out ohia forest. It is unsuitable for structural uses.
It can be burned.
But another Hawaiian...
Quote:
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - They are known for their broad canopies and brittle branches. Albizia trees are a nuisance to some, and something to eradicate for others. But for Gary Young albizia is a choice wood.
"I started looking around at what grew here. Albizia was sort of an abundant resource," he said.
Young turns that abundant resource into surfboards. For years he has used albizia wood and an epoxy laminate to craft a board he claims is as strong as a fiberglass surfboard.
"They weigh the same or less than a fiberglass board. And they have higher durability," he said.
Young is a seasoned surfboard maker. He has built them out of wood since 1976, using koa, bamboo, and now albizia.
"It's the best material I've ever worked with," he said.
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