I started this thread on Whats on your workbench but I thought I would move it into a new thread. My best friend and high school buddy runs a custom boat shop where he occasionally needs some custom teak work done. This time it’s a continuation on a boat I built a swim step for a while back. It amounts to one door/hatch, a hatch cover and a dashboard/instrument panel. I started this with a slab of 8/4 teak I bought. Today was milling the door and it’s components. It’s a basic rail and style shaker style. 
Paul

Your work is outstanding, no wonder they returned for more!

Thanks Lew. Teak is fun to work with. 
Paul

Paul, isn't Teak kinda hard on the tooling. I've not worked with it, but seems like I heard it has a high silica content. Really nice, BTW. Seems like I remember you posting about the swim step as well.

Gotta love teak. Yes it can be a bit rougher on tooling than most woods.  The little I've worked with has been a pleasure to touch and machine and appreciate. 

4D

Your work is always top notch as well as educational Paul. Appreciate the separate thread. Will be following.

As far as tooling goes I think it ranks somewhere between maple and mahogany. I think the very high oil content lessen the impact a little. What makes it fun to work with is its stability and density which makes it mill very crisply and once you mill it it stays flat and true. 
Paul

I can remember many years ago when decomissioning the old fleet type submarines, they just tore off the teak decks and disposed of the wood in the landfill. 

10 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Your work is always top notch as well as educational Paul. Appreciate the separate thread. Will be following.

 

Another craftsman who's choice is Quality.  

Is that a teak insert in that saw ?

No Al. Black walnut !
Paul

Today was just get the panel sanded and oiled. Worked in the pantry for most of the day. 
Paul

 

22 hours ago, Masonsailor said:

As far as tooling goes I think it ranks somewhere between maple and mahogany. I think the very high oil content lessen the impact a little. What makes it fun to work with is its stability and density which makes it mill very crisply and once you mill it it stays flat and true. 
Paul

Sounds a lot like mesquite's properties...except for the oil content. And well, maybe the straight grain, too. Not to mention how it weathers. I guess workability is pretty much where the similarities end. 

22 hours ago, Masonsailor said:

What makes it fun to work with is its stability and density which makes it mill very crisply

Beautiful work, sir!  The router table is a mystery to me but in time I'd like to be able to mill 3/8" or thinner T&G boards. Next up is probably a jointer, then explore lap-joint planking on a table saw. After I make a hardwood zero-clearance insert. 

 

 

A 1 hp router with a 1/2" up spiral bit in a router table would be a great asset to your arsenal. With that you wouldn't need a jointer. Heck, with a good, sharp, rip blade in your saw and, a couple finger boards, chances are, your edges wouldn't need further dressing.

I'm very likely in the minority but, IMO a jointer is a waste of space. There are just too many other methods to achieve "flat and true" boards. 

18 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

1/2" up spiral bit

I don't even have the secret handshake  That's language over my pay grade. 

 

Quarter sawing this chunk, a bit too hefty for my blade, I might have gotten a couple more slats out of it if itn'r squared up on a jointer first. The right price jointer is 75 miles NW of me. May be a BOGO deal in fact.  Worse case is the better one sits in the basement, gets used ten minutes 4x a year.

 

Your opinion is well-respected in this camp, Gene, especially as how it's likely I'll want to 'borrow' a few slabs of mesquite down the road.    But the shops I see, they tend to have a lot of tools.  My thinking is know how to perform an operation multiple ways.

 

After all, if you cannot perform an emergency tracheotomy like MacGyver c.1985, what ya gonna do when the tool shop is closed?

 

I think the way to look at it is that power tools tend to just make things quicker and easier. None of them are necessary if you’re Steve. Like Gene said a jointer is not an absolute. You can flatten a board in many ways. Attach a really long fence to your table saw and it will true a board as good as any jointer. A router sled will flatten a warped board, just takes a little longer. 
Paul

18 minutes ago, Masonsailor said:

Attach a really long fence to your table saw and it will true a board as good as any jointer.

I’ll try this. Thank you!

Spent a little time prepping the stock for the other pieces needed. They want a blank for the dashboard/instrument panel. This involved resawing a 13” wide piece of the 8-4 teak. This was the first real test of the new bandsaw. It did it but it was pretty slow going. 
Paul

Good looking work!  Where do you find your teak? I hear it is for outdoor projects.