Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Dec 21, 2004 08:12pm | #1

   Google for apitong. I can't guarantee it's the same wood, but I think it probably is.

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Dec 22, 2004 12:01am | #2

   UD,It's not apitong, but a google search gives its SG as 0.34 - this puts it in the same league for density as cedar.Cheers,eddieEdit: I recognised the botanist as being one of the early Australian ones, and yes, this is an Australian species (scientific name is, anyway). I've never heard of it or seen it, and it's not in our most common reference of commercial timbers (Bootle - species list and description of about 800 cabinet timbers)

   Edited 12/21/2004 4:09 pm ET by eddie (aust)

1. 
   pqken | Dec 22, 2004 02:21am | #3

   What I know of this wood...It's a dense, chocolate brown wood and when green the red sap literally flows out and makes puddles on the floor. I have heard that this wood is used as structural support on the floors of busses. Whether in the U.S. or elsewhere I don't know. I have also heard (via the internet so I don't know if this is correct) the wood has a lot of silica in it so it is not kind to a keen edge on tools. It can be bought in long wide boards 2in thick, 4X4's, or 6X6's so the tree must be of some size. And last, it's not all that expensive so rare it may not be.

1. 
   drhamel | Dec 22, 2004 06:43am | #4

   I concur with Uncle Dunc.  The description of the wood you gave in your second post sounds much like apitong and has been used as flooring in boxcars and semi-trailers.  Works best with carbide tools and the dust can be a skin irritant.Formerly just 'Don' but not the 'Glassmaster Don' or the lower-case 'don'.

2. 
   desertmaster | Dec 22, 2004 08:45am | #5

   I'm always on the lookout for exotic wood to turn on the lathe, so I was anxious to try a small piece of apitong a couple of years ago. I didn't much like it.  Very dense and brittle, producing a lot of dust. Similar to mahogany, but much denser.

                                                        Gary