# Uses for Brazlian Apitong?



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

I have some left-overs from a Heavy Equipment trailer deck I put on... I remember I had to use carbide blades and pre-drill any holes in it for screws. I also remember that the first winter, I had to rough-up the ramps with a chainsaw because tracked dozers and excavators couldn't get enough grab to get onto the trailer.

I still have some left-overs. I love the smell it has when you cut it, sort I like how I like cut mahogany. Was thinking it would be nice pieces for some homemade shop equipment. I know it holds up real well under my anvil.

It it does look real nice when sanded... I know it's dense enough that it doesn't take stain. 

Has anyone here ever made anything with it? (other than buildings, bridges and trailer decks)


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## Neil Tsubota (Mar 20, 2010)

Could you post a photo of this wood ?


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Hey Bozo, it would make a great workbench and should be fine even in harsh winter conditions outdoors! Mike, I know you do a ton of outdoor work and you have many areas to place it. Have fun, Tater Head (a.k.a. Otis)


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## Smokindog (Jan 30, 2012)

Mike; I have used Apitong lumber in many truck beds and have used a lot of cutoffs. The stuff is 1 and 1/8 inch thick shiplaped. I most reciently needed to make some box dividers 3 inches wide. I ripped it to 1/2 inch and thickness planed it to 1/4 inch and it worked excellent. As you know when screwing it in to steel it needs to be drilled and don't go too close to the edge because it will split. have thought about glueing a bunch up for turning. If someone tryes it let me know how it turned out.


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## PaulsonJacob (Feb 19, 2013)

Yeah it smells really very good.


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## BRAVOGOLFTANGO (Oct 11, 2012)

Mike that good for nothing with no-uses wood is only worth shipping (at my cost) to me.



















Found this link too...pretty wood indeed, sounds brutally strong.

Apitong Hardwood Decks and Decking Lumber


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Fresh cut wood that smells good freshly cut- My favorites, apitong, mahogany and cedar...

Very expensive. Very dense and hard. When seasoned, have to drill pilot holes for screws. A 2x8 piece feels about 5 times heavier than the same sized piece of douglas fir. Hard enough that when used as decking for heavy equipment, an 80,000 pound excavator wasn't digging into the wood enough (at all) to get traction... so I had to go back and rough up the ramps (kringe!).

But beautiful grain and look to it!!!! Think it would make great tool handles.


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## ScottM80 (Jun 17, 2013)

I work at a very large sawmill. We use apitong as stickers for air drying lumber. It is very strong and leaves no sticker shadow.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

MAFoElffen said:


> Fresh cut wood that smells good freshly cut- My favorites, apitong, mahogany and cedar...
> 
> Very expensive. Very dense and hard. When seasoned, have to drill pilot holes for screws. A 2x8 piece feels about 5 times heavier than the same sized piece of douglas fir. Hard enough that when used as decking for heavy equipment, an 80,000 pound excavator wasn't digging into the wood enough (at all) to get traction... so I had to go back and rough up the ramps (kringe!).
> 
> But beautiful grain and look to it!!!! Think it would make great tool handles.


I can't believe you would use wood like that to walk an excavator up. You can buy all the Douglas fir or hemlock you need from BC instead.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> I can't believe you would use wood like that to walk an excavator up. You can buy all the Douglas fir or hemlock you need from BC instead.


Not me = my boss... I wasn't there when he did it. Just the ramps. Golly- I think I remember that being around $4 a board foot. I think I would have been fired if it was just me doing that.

I did use a piece for a bush knife handle, a chisel handle, a cabinet cutting board ends (handles) and in my anvil stamp under my anvil. And it does look great stained and finished. Although it doesn't take satin very readily. 

It does not do well as a hammer handle. It is "too" strong and stiff. As a hammer handle, there is no life to it. It just felt dead to me.


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## Ajax5000 (Jan 7, 2022)

MAFoElffen said:


> I have some left-overs from a Heavy Equipment trailer deck I put on... I remember I had to use carbide blades and pre-drill any holes in it for screws. I also remember that the first winter, I had to rough-up the ramps with a chainsaw because tracked dozers and excavators couldn't get enough grab to get onto the trailer.
> 
> I still have some left-overs. I love the smell it has when you cut it, sort I like how I like cut mahogany. Was thinking it would be nice pieces for some homemade shop equipment. I know it holds up real well under my anvil.
> 
> ...


I have some of it, they were off cuts from my sons workplace. I agree, it is a very good smelling wood to cut. I have used it in a couple of projects, and it does alright with what I have done with it so far. 
Recently I put a piece on my CNC and made a Christmas tree bowl. While I was finishing it on the router it split on the edge, which I fixed by putting as many pieces back together and glued it, which worked out pretty well. I did finish the bowl, and while sanding it found that it takes a bit to get it to shine up. I did finish it with Tung Oil, but noticed that the grain seemed a bit open, which goes back to my previous statement about its finishing properties. 
it did seem to want to chunk off when the edges are curved, which is why I cut big and sanded down to the line. 
i can send you pictures if you would like.
It was my first time using using it on my CNC and it did seem a bit resinous, or at least it left some nice smelling sap on the bit. Overall I am pleased with using it. 
It is a bit picky though. I had cut a few down to 1/2” thick strips and they twisted as they dried out. I tried steaming it to flatten it out, but it was resistant to it. I had let them sit in the flattening jig for a few days to dry them out, which I did, but after letting them sit a few days they were worse than before. I planed them down again, steamed them again, dried them, and eventually cut them into strips and am currently gluing them between some white oak strips to see what I can make out it. 
Due to its nature and resin output I wouldn’t recommend using it in any food production applications (cutting boards, charcuterie boards). 
I have had some success in furniture applications, as others have stated.I am still experimenting with what I have to see what else I can do with it.


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## Ajax5000 (Jan 7, 2022)




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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum @Ajax5000


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