I have 12 trees that were cut down a couple of months ago. I hear so many conflicting opinions about this wood, not sure what to believe. Is it any good to use for shelving or too much of a termite invitation? Will painting or sealing it make it more useable? thanks 

Whatever wood you use, if it’s in contact with the house structure use chanderite after sanding and before adding finishes, it can take a week to flash off the volatiles.

 

Coconut is absolutely useless as a structure as it will decay in just a few years. But for things you can see like shelving (not in cupboards), boxes and similar it can be really pretty and functional. I think that it isn’t very strong latitudinally (just think how it bends in storms) so it will need to be short or thick shelves.

I have a similar situation with 6 felled coconut trees on the wifes land.

 

Been lying there 6 months now, can't give them away.

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Whatever wood you use, if it’s in contact with the house structure use chanderite after sanding and before adding finishes, it can take a week to flash off the volatiles.

 

Coconut is absolutely useless as a structure as it will decay in just a few years. But for things you can see like shelving (not in cupboards), boxes and similar it can be really pretty and functional. I think that it isn’t very strong latitudinally (just think how it bends in storms) so it will need to be short or thick shelves.

I agree 100% about your comments. I had a couple of coconut trees (12" diameter sawn up when I had the woodcutters over 4 years ago.

He cut in full 1" planks about 8ft long. I built a tool storage cabinet from this wood. It MUST not get wet. It is reasonably strong but as said previously, keep the spans short. No use for building construction (house/sheds etc). So far I have had no termite or ant interest. The wood is fibrous much like hardened Weetabix.

I have a friend in Sri Lanka, who has Coconut trees as pillars on his

varanda, sanded and varnished they looked very nice.

regards worgeordie

My friend once had an Italian imported wooden floor in his house. 

He went away for 6 months, and on his return, discovered that termites had eaten his floor in the middle of his living room. 

It was layed onto a concrete floor. 

He found a local repair man, who took out all of the contamination, and patched it up with coconut, stained and varnished (chaindrite) and unitane. 

Looked good as new. 

Ive also seen it used by painters as a scaffolding, about 2m high.