Smith & Fong Co. has announced it has commercialized a line of palm dimensional lumber, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith.
The palm lumber, milled at Smith & Fong’s manufacturing operations in India, complements the company’s bamboo dimensional lumber, which was launched in 2013.
Smith said palm is an ideal material for freestanding furniture pieces, casework and can be laminated into blocks or square dowels and turned on a lathe. Additionally, the lumber can be sliced into thin veneer and applied to a plywood base for further fabrication or veneered and laminated in a form press.
Smith & Fong’s palm lumber is offered in many shapes and dimensions. The wood comes from only certain parts of the palm stem, and the core is soft and pulpy. Rendering palm into a hardwood-like state produces a wider range of dimensions than a regular hardwood or softwood tree might. For this reason, the company offers everything from a small block 1.75-inches thick by 4-inches wide by 8-inches long to 1.5-inches by 3.5-inches by 97-inches; in essence, a standard 2×4. This enables hobbyists, woodworkers and custom furniture builders access to sizes that match their projects.
Initially Smith & Fong will offer black palm lumber with a look that’s similar to wenge or ebony. The black palm has a dark tone with lots of grain variation and figure wood.
Smith & Fong first began exploring palm as a resource 15 years ago. Since then it has refined its sourcing and processing of this wood. Although there is a wide range of locations globally where palm can be sourced, Smith & Fong has focused its efforts on India and is committed to growing its operations there.