Peterson Sawmills cutting Coconut Timber


Coconut timber is not easy to saw, as it is very hard wood, it splinters, and it is cross-fibred with a tendency to drag the sawblade back due to excessive friction. However Peterson blades are designed to saw these types of timbers easily. Petersons also have excellent strobe knives for other types of ‘furry’ timber.

For a full technical document on processing, treating and using coconut timber download these documents:

Coconut Wood Processing (Queensland Government)

Coconut Palm Processing – Technical Handbook (protrade)

Pacific Green, Fiji Islands

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Pacific Green were instrumental in discovering the wonderful properties of coconut timber. They set up the world’s first factory dedicated to the coconut palm, in Fiji in 1986. From there, they have grown to an international company, supplying hi-end coconut furniture to the best resorts around the world.

10” cut Winch Production Frame sawmill with electric 3-phase motor, electric winch and Hi/Lo tracks.

Pacific Green Timbers in Fiji loading logs into the sawmill.

Pacific Green, Fiji - log loading with forklift & then manually rolling. 

Log feeding system – forklift to skids, then manual rolling.

Pacific Green, Fiji - Loading logs

Rolling the next log into the mill by hand

Pacific Green, Fiji - First cut with a Peterson Sawmill 

Taking the first cut off the top of the log

Pacific Timber, Fiji - taking the final good board with the WPF Sawmill. 

Taking the final good board from

Pacific Timber, Fiji - Dipping the timber in Salt water solution. 

Dipping cut boards in anti-fungal treatment.

Pacific Green, Fiji - Coconut Timber grain 

Close-up of Coconut Timber grain

Pacific Green, Fiji - Furniture

Finished Coconut furniture

Victor Chene of Dyna Lectric, Tahiti

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This is another successful customer who runs an agricultural equipment supply company in Tahiti. Here they are demonstrating an 8” cut WPF 27hp Kohler Peterson mill with manual winch, Lo/Lo tracks and alloy bunks for holding the coconut logs.

8” cut Winch Production Frame sawmill with 27hp Kohler petrol motor, manual winch, Lo/Lo tracks and alloy bunks.

Victor Chene, Dyna Lectric, Tahiti & their WPF Sawmill.

Dyna Lectric, Tahiti. The pile of coconut logs awaiting milling.

Pile of Coconut logs awaiting sawing.

Dyna Lectric, Tahiti. Different grades of coconut timber boards.

Different grades of Coconut boards.

9 comments shared

  1. Bimal says:

    i am an architect. i have a furniture work shop.i have done some furniture use coconut timber, after 06 month there is a white fungus on finished products.
    i need a help for this problem.

  2. hi I'm in alice Springs and was wondering if other palms can be used like cotton palms and pheonix palms. please email me @ petervdpasch@hotmail.com I'm very intrested in the viability of this.

  3. Kerris Browne says:

    Gil – here'a a link to the Technical Handbook for processing Coconut Palm Stem – everything you ever want to know! It does show which part of the tree is High Density for timber, and which is discarded. Also talks about treatment as well.
    http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/ag335e/AG335E02.htm

  4. Kerris Browne says:

    Hi Gil, oh yes, Coconut wood is extremely high-value! It's extremely hard and durable, doesn't twist and warp during drying, and is absolutely beautiful as a finished timber. The butt log is blacker and harder, with those lovely flecks in it. The upper log is lighter gold in colour, a little bit softer, and can be finished to look almost like spun gold! Hey, Pacific Green didn't get an international name in high end furniture using crap wood – it's all gold.

  5. Gaspart Van de Voorde says:

    I look for a secondhand machine. to make demonstrations here in the philippines.

  6. Gil Stuart says:

    Okay… Is coconut real wood or is it like the palm trees around here that are a pithy fiberous substace that would make extremely poor lumber?

  7. Kerris Browne says:

    Hi Keith – a WPF 10" mill on 3-phase electric motor, with electric winch, hi/lo tracks is around $33,600 USD delivered to your nearest depo. There are cheaper options too, so send me an email on kbrowne@petersonsawmills.com and I can help you wade through the options LOL. Kerris, CEO of Petersons.

  8. Keith Walters says:

    What is the price on the mill pictured? Thanks.

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