Teak-like wood?

[Kaa]

What other wood -- besides teak -- is suitable for using on the outer surfaces of the boat with no protection? Yep, I understand it'll turn grey under the sun, but that's not a problem. A wood that will not rot, crack, move too much, etc.

Iroko, maybe? What else?

Kaa

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Iroko face checks and moves.
Ipe?

[tchiffriller]

Lotus. My grandfather calls it Northern Neck teak

[Hughman]

Lotus. My grandfather calls it Northern Neck teak

Would thet be locust (black), perhaps?

Splinters might be an issue with poorly selected locust. Teak comes in such large pieces that selecting good straight stock is easier and doesn't have a reputation for splinters -although teak splinters are nasty, instant infection.

Locust is prone to checks, twists, and other challenging behavior. Maybe Virginia is a better place to find straight stock.

[SchoonerRat]

I used to use Koa as an interior replacement for teak. Regular clean and oil and it looked great. Wouldn't recommend it for exterior though.

[Mike Vogdes]

Ipe..

[Dale Genther]

Seconded, Ipe

[TimH]

http://plasticlumberyard.com/

:-)

[BETTY-B]

Ipe is so nasty though. It stinks to work with and is really heavy. It does grey out like teak and last however. Another that greys out and is pretty rot resistant is purpleheart. Cheap too...

DAN

[Michael Beckman]

And purpleheart is just so pretty.

[emichaels]

Wana would be my choice.

[Gary E]

Ipe is so nasty though. It stinks to work with and is really heavy. It does grey out like teak and last however. Another that greys out and is pretty rot resistant is purpleheart. Cheap too...

DAN

What do you mean by "stinks to work with" ??
Do you mean it smells?.. or it's hard to cut? or what??

As for duribility, I sugest you read the article on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

[BETTY-B]

Yes, it smells horrible. And the splinters are no fun either.

Was that the dock that was a hundred years old or something? They were going to replace it, but ended up just sanding it down and refastening?

DAN

[John Turpin]

I replaced all the teak on my f****glass boat with Sapele. It grayed like teak and I just treated it with teak oil. This year, I'll be varnishing it to see how that looks. I'm not sure how it will work out in the long run, but so far I've been happy with it.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
Merbau is very good, although probably a little heavier than teak (even Burmese teak. I'm afraid I don't have the figures to hand.) You might find its biggest problem to be tannin leaching of from it, but this can be overcome by allowing it to weather, or even just giving it several hosing-downs, before using it. (I understand merbau is also called ipil or kwila in various world regions.)

Mike

[Gary Bergman]

I guess I'm living under a rock, but I use a lot of purpleheart wood and don't find good stuff 'cheap'...Ipe' is great, but also doesn't bend, just breaks...tuff, smelly, oily, but strong..I find it a better structural wood than deck material. Think 'dolphin striker, Martingale post...

[MAGIC's Craig]

You might also consider silver bali. I believe that it has worked well aboard MARTHA for a couple of years now.

Craig Johnsen

[Hwoodworks]

Paduck But it starts blood red and turns to coffee brown. If in the water it will turn black Made a set of display cases for Museum of Anthropology at MU. Been about 14 years and now and they have lost all of the red color, but lost most in the first two years. Cost wasn't to bad back then under $5 a bf.

[mcdenny]

Garapa - looks like teak but more yellow than brown. Weathers to grey like teak. Just a bit heavier than teak. The wood book says its typically used for docks and piers. Comercially sold for backyard decks (like Ipe) so it is much cheaper than teak, about $6.00 /bd-ft last spring at Public Lumber in Detroit.

Here's a pic of a sample panel I made up. One half has a coat of teak oil. It's been laying outdoors for a year now and looks exactly like grey teak.



Garapa seats and sole in the finished boat.

[Rigadog]

Plasticwood. It comes in a can.

[RodB]

How about Osage (Bodark), its indestructable... a bit heavy, but such rot resistence and strength... Just wondered..

RodB

[Hwoodworks]

We have them all over here. Sawyer Jim Starr will cut one up every once in a while Osage Orange, Bodark, hedge apple, or monkey-brain tree all refer to Maclura pomifera.
What a great tree. Wood starts off orange in color when cut, turns green when dried, and grey in just a short while, depending in condition, I am talking weeks not years. Native american have used it for bows and all kinds of tools. A lot of fence post were made out of it, for a reason.
Hard to get wide or long stock, it has a lot of voids and defects.
You will see them growing right next to each other in long fence rows.
Missouri Grand Champaign, is growing in an orchard on my wife family farm.
My last project at work was to design and build a new set of double doors for the old Chapel entrance at Columbia Collage formerly known as Christian College. Using a standing dead Chinquapin oak tree that had resided there before there was a campus. This tree was a sapling in 1730 and a giant when it fell.
Like White Oak but darker in color, with a grey tint. If you can find some take look, don't know how it ages out, but I would think much like white oak.

[Jay Greer]

Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Griseb. "Parota" is a South American wood that is very resitant to insect and rot attack. It is highly prized in Latin American countries for use in furniture and house construction It is very stable and highly resistant to moisture. The wood is light brown in color and some what resembles teak. We once brought a load of it in from Mexico for the purpose of using it as a teak substitute. Unfortunately the entire load was stolen from our storage facility.
Jay

[Piet Piraat]

Too soft for my likings but there's a wood merchant here in Holland selling Yellow Cedar for decks. It comes from Alaska. It's the sort of wood you'd almost eat! No knots, doesn't twist, weighs nothing and makes a nice sound!
But again very, very soft.

[SV Papillon]

from soft to hard
silver bali
wana
angelic
brown heart

Deepwater ventures imports them all from Surinam. East Teak in sultan wa and Edansaw in PT both sell them over here and I think they have supplies on the east coast too.

I used silver bali and angelic on my boat and have been happy so far. I think the silver in Silver bali is because of it's graying charactoristic when it weathers. The only wana I have seen took forever to dry.


The silver bali is really nice to handle, almost has a waxy feel, probably excellent footing for decking.

This is all silver bali the ceiling is bare and the cabin is varnished.

Jake

guess I should of looked at the first post date

[Cuchilo]

Any one ever used Afrormosia ?

[SV Papillon]

Any one ever used Afrormosia ?

The guy at East Teak told me it's what Beneteau is using for it's interiors. Hard to tell it form teak.

Jake

[arcadiainc]

Not exactly on point, however go to Robb White's website. He used poplar for the entire boat. Color varies from light tan to dark brown. It gets darker with age. It is lightweight, comes in long straight lengths and is easy to work. It does require a finish. Popular is used for crown moulding in the south.

[Jay Greer]

Not exactly on point, however go to Robb White's website. He used poplar for the entire boat. Color varies from light tan to dark brown. It gets darker with age. It is lightweight, comes in long straight lengths and is easy to work. It does require a finish. Popular is used for crown moulding in the south.

I would be very interested in hearing about this boat in another few years. Poplar is very low on the rot resistance scale!
Jay

[Robmill0605]

Garapa - looks like teak but more yellow than brown. Weathers to grey like teak. Just a bit heavier than teak. The wood book says its typically used for docks and piers. Comercially sold for backyard decks (like Ipe) so it is much cheaper than teak, about $6.00 /bd-ft last spring at Public Lumber in Detroit.

Here's a pic of a sample panel I made up. One half has a coat of teak oil. It's been laying outdoors for a year now and looks exactly like grey teak.



Garapa seats and sole in the finished boat.

Aha!!!

so that's what that is, I just love the boat.
Thanks for the tip.

[paladin]

The problem with Bois d'arc/bodark/osage orange is finding large pieces...and it is heavy.....I have some that has been drying for 5 years now and is about ready to use......

[thebrushand]

A local lumber yard guy was saying he had a request for teak alternatives every 5 years or so, when his suppliers stopped exporting so that stocks could replenish. Then as soon as teak was back, the alternatives were dropped again. ie however you want to spin it, in his opinion, teak was, is and will always be the best bet for a wooden boat. I am sure he doesnt currently mind selling his $30 a bf teak to the purists though.

[LeeG]

I used silver bali and angelic on my boat and have been happy so far. I think the silver in Silver bali is because of it's graying charactoristic when it weathers. The only wana I have seen took forever to dry.


Jake

guess I should of looked at the first post date

Jake, does the aroma of silver bali go away after awhile? I've only used a small piece of it that was freshly cut and it smelled just like a guitar.

[SV Papillon]

When you seal it I guess. The ceiling was milled about a year ago and it smells the same, I think very nice.
Jake

[Lew Barrett]

Jake,
I gave my car to my daughter to go get some sandwiches while we were working on the boat last weekend. You know that little spar that sticks out from the pile of angelique and SB on the dock? She tagged it! Damn!

[Captain Blight]

Black or honey locust? Seems like the issue is, was, and always will be getting good long clear lengths.

[Mike Vogdes]

Ipe

[John B]

Any one ever used Afrormosia ?

Yes, its fine to work with... not quite as nice as teak in that you don't get that beautiful butter cut off the saw, but has held up well as cockpit seats ( unfinished) on Waione for about 15 years so far with no attention to speak of.