Our monkey pod and parota slabs are some of the biggest pieces of wood we sell: 3 in thick, often 10 to 12 ft long and up to 4 ft wide in a single piece. Every one of them is kiln dried and ready to go. Here is what to know before you pick one out.
Monkey pod or parota?
Both come from Costa Rica, where trees have an almost year-round growing season and reach sizes that make a true one-piece tabletop possible.
- Monkey pod is dense and heavy, with deep, rich color and flowing grain. It is a favorite for dining tables, bar tops, desks and conference tables where you want a substantial, high-contrast look.
- Parota (also called guanacaste) gives you the same big one-piece widths and bold grain at a fraction of the weight. It is also a softer wood, so it dents easily. For a dining table, conference table or any top that will see daily use, we recommend a thicker epoxy coat to protect it. Where you want the look without the weight, like a door or a wall piece, parota is a great choice.
All of our monkey pod and parota slabs are 3 in thick. Every listing shows the slab's serial number and its length and width, so the slab in the photos is the slab you get.
Flattening, sanding and finishing
The slabs come pre-sanded from the mill in Costa Rica so you can see the grain in the photos, but they are not flat. A slab this size is very hard to flatten without a big slab mill or CNC, so most customers have us do it.
We flatten them on our 6 ft x 12 ft CNC router. It takes off about 1/8 in per pass, so it is not quick: a 40 in x 10 ft slab takes us close to an hour. The result is a top that is dead flat from end to end, ready for sanding and finish. Add slab flattening when you buy; it is priced by the size of the slab in board feet, and most monkey pod and parota slabs fall in the largest tier.
We can also sand and finish your slab, or give a parota top its protective epoxy coat, so it is ready to set on a base. Contact us for pricing on sanding, finishing and epoxy work.
Pickup and delivery
- Pickup: these are big slabs. Bring help and a truck or trailer that can handle the length.
- Delivery: we hand deliver within 100 miles of Laurens, SC, quoted by distance. Beyond 100 miles we can ship by freight on a custom quote, usually a $500 minimum.
- Returns: slabs are one of a kind and final sale unless defective. See our refund policy for details.
Turning the slab into a table
A 3 in slab makes a striking dining table or bar top with almost no glue-ups. For legs, our heavy duty metal table legs are built from thicker steel to carry heavy tops without racking. Monkey pod and parota both take an oil or film finish well; our finishing guide explains how to choose.
Rather have the whole table built for you? M2 Furniture Company builds custom monkey pod and parota tables like these.
Want to see a slab in person or have questions about sizing? Call us at 1-864-GOT-WOOD (864-468-9663) or stop by the lumberyard in Laurens, SC.