Palm tree log university experiment

[smartestinc@msn]

I am developing a new wood treatment process for coconut trees. We don't have many in the USA, so I am substituting fresh palm tree logs. I live in Utah, but have truck, trailer, and will travel.

If my experiment is successful, then 1000s of Pacific Islanders can have good jobs.

Please call me if you are felling old or diseased Palm trees. A reward can be arranged.

Ron Davison
801-491-0399
801-400-4531 cellular

 

[Bermie]

????
What kind of treatment?

As for not having many coconut palms...ever been to Florida?
If you are going to go far for palms, then might as well use your time to get what you want...

Hope those 1000's of jobs doesn't involve exposure to nasty chemicals...

 

[smartestinc@msn]

I had a call from California for Washingtonia Palms which will do just fine and is over 1000 miles closer. Thank you for the suggestion. I was told that the Rhinocerus Beetle killed the cocos nuscifera in Florida, is that not true?

The treatment is like a harmless inexpensive chemical used many years ago by the pioneers. However, I have found a way to make it insoluble in water so that it may be used for hardwood flooring to withstand mopping and outdoor uses.

I am now trying to preserve the peach pit red dye in the quills of the wood. If I am successful, I will consider it the most beautiful, exotic hardwood in the world. My plan is to put the islanders to work making valuable staircase balusters to retrofit the ordinary balusters from Home Depot.

I will be looking for distributors. Wish me luck

 

[Bermie]

Sorry I don't live in Florida!

So you are going to try and make palm 'wood' hard enough to be shaped into staircaise balusters...
I agree the resulting 'grain' would be quite attractive, I've seen bamboo transformed into hardwood flooring, unique pattern and grain there.

That chemical would have to be quite remarkable to give palm 'wood' any lasting longitudinal strength, especially in humid environments...interesting.

Good Luck, I'd be interested in your results as there is a good market for exotic wood products here in the high end housing market.

I trust the islanders will be 'offered work', and full disclosure of health and safety, MSDS, materials hazardous to health, PPE etc. etc.
Am I preaching to the choir??

 

[smartestinc@msn]

Yes, another name for coconut wood is Porcupine Wood, because of the peach-pit red or blood red quills that lie transverse to the grass-like grain. With improper treatment the quills will emerge and become quite dangerous.

My hope is to keep the quills down and to retain the brilliant color contrasts. The process is more like accelerated petrification, giving the wood the hardness of flexible glass that can be thinly (1/16") sliced to make veneer and thickly (3/8") sliced to make hardwood flooring.

The chemical is a form of glass which simply locks the water in the wood in place so there is no shrinkage. The only negative effect is the density of the wood becomes very high and costs me extra shipping fees due to doubling the weight of the load. But insects, molds, and bacteria are not interested in the wood cells encased in glass.

You ask great questions. If you become interested in helping with the marketing and distribution, just let me know.

As an arborist, if you can solve the "Black Glob" mystery on Tuvalu it may be worth a trip. Go to GoogleEarth.com, type Tuvalu in the search box, and check out the northern 3 islands of the 9 Tuvaluan islands. I suspect the "Black Scourge."

The islanders will double and triple their wages, the Peace Corp monitors their environmental concerns, and we all love one another. One of our challenges is to get them to buy into a trust fund to help level out their "wind-fall."

 

[Bermie]

Most interesting!

Well I wish you good luck and positive results, that will be a unique and attractive product. I guess the challenge is to harden the pith sufficiently to resist wear so as you say, the quills and vascular bundles don't start becoming high points.

Glad to know you've got the Islanders best interests at heart as well.

All the best

 

[smartestinc@msn]

Hard palms

Most interesting!

Well I wish you good luck and positive results, that will be a unique and attractive product. I guess the challenge is to harden the pith sufficiently to resist wear so as you say, the quills and vascular bundles don't start becoming high points.

Glad to know you've got the Islanders best interests at heart as well.

All the best

Yes, I found several hundred palms in California, I will cut some cants tomorrow and turn them into plywood on Friday.
I don't know what hard pith can be used for yet.
My chemicals are frozen this morning.
Yes, I must guard the islanders' welfare, they are vulnerable.
It sounds like you know the islands.

 

[jake00]

thickly (3/8") sliced to make hardwood flooring.

"

I manufacture and distribute solid hardwood flooring. the good stuff is 3/4" thick

 

[smartestinc@msn]

3/4" coconut flooring

I manufacture and distribute solid hardwood flooring. the good stuff is 3/4" thick

The palms were fairly young and of low density. The ripping process left a serious beard from the rip-cut, but they are beautiful on the cross-cut. Maybe I can make cookie-cut flooring!

I will make a bearded 3/4" tongue-and-grove and send you a sample as soon as I get it pertified.

If this works, I have 3 million more to process and distribute.

Ron