Apitong Question/Vendor

[Rich Riddle]

A neighbor is transforming his 2001 Toyota pickup truck into a flatbed and wants Apitong for the wood deck. He's looking at 7" lapboards in 16' lenghts. Do any of you folks know of a supplier close to Cincinnati that sells Apitong? Right now it looks like stores out of Memphis, Tennessee and Richond, Virginia are the closest vendors. Each of those is nearly 500 miles from Cincinnati.

On a side note, some articles state Apitong proves difficult to finish. What do you recommend in this endeavor?

[Andrew Hughes]

I’ve used Apitong I can say for sure its a tough hard wood. I don’t remember what I put on it for a finish but I remember thinking it might be unnecessary. I used used it for door thresholds in high traffic walking.
One more thing i noticed it has a high silica content with interlocking grain. Save your machines some grief and look for milled with T &G.
Good Luck