Skip to main content
Timberland

OREGON PINE – SPANNING THE AGES

By June 20, 2018No Comments

In 1985 we aquired  the old Mac Donald brickworks  which was  one of the first brick factories in Matabeleland  ,  established   over 120 years ago , only a few years after the first trains arrived here .   It is easy to imagine the various bits of plant and equipment  including the Oregon pine  (which would have journeyed all the way from North America .) arriving on the early trains .

Our first  sawmill was established on the old brick factory site over 30 years ago and for many years there we carried on the tradition Matabeleland  business of hardwood sawmilling . The  old brick kilns were used to dry   ( season )    Mukwa , Teak  and other timber .

Eventually we moved into a new premises factory adjacent to the brick factory and have had  less  use for that  delightful old place since .  In fact it has fallen into disuse .  In the fullness of time it will be developed for other uses .

In the meanwhile  we decided to dismantle a huge shed  at the brick factory  and to extract the Oregon pine from the roof .

We have much experience using Oregon over the years . Usually the customer sources their own from demolished buildings and the like . We take that old timber , “ remanufacture “ it by cutting out the poor quality wood and joining and laminating the good pieces together . This is a time consuming process . We leave many of the nail and bolt holes in place , as part of the “historic” heritage of the wood . The end result , as most people know , is a most beautiful , characterful , product .

We estimate that there will be about five cubic meters of  Oregon when we have finished  the remanufacturing process .

Over the course of the next few months we will be offering some of this remanufactured  Oregon Pine to a few lucky customers  on a first come first served basis.

Bulawayo has a fine  Railways Museum which deserves a visit to from those who enjoy our history and heritage .

See the attached photographs :    

Leave a Reply

Teakland Headquarters
10 Bon Accord Road
Steeldale
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe