About the wood
Teak
Tectona grandis
The gold standard for decay resistance and stability, used in India and Southeast Asia for centuries. Two facts a customer needs today: the wild tree is Endangered on the IUCN Red List and Myanmar teak is under US sanctions, so the honest stock is documented plantation teak.
- Janka
- 1070 lbf
- Density
- 41.0 lb/ft³
- Origin
- Southern Asia; plantation grown across tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America
- IUCN Red List
- Endangered
Working & finishing
Easy to work in nearly all regards except that silica up to 1.4 % has a pronounced blunting effect on cutting edges, so run carbide and sharpen before the final pass. Despite the natural oils it usually glues and finishes well, but wipe the surface with a solvent first to reduce the oils, on every glue joint and before any finish. Oil finishes are the tradition; a film finish over the oily surface wants the solvent wipe or it can lift. Eye, skin and respiratory irritation are reported, so dust collection and a mask matter.
Care
Wipe spills and clean with a damp cloth. At 1,070 lbf it is a medium-hard top, a shade over walnut, and dents under hard use. Its heartwood is rated very durable and it belongs outdoors; left bare it grays to silver, so oil it yearly to hold the golden brown.