Matching Teak

[BradNaylor]

Ive got to make a cabinet and bookcase to match some 1970s teak veneer furniture which has mellowed over time to a beautiful shade of bright orange.

I have told the client that teak is now pretty well unobtainable and I will be making their furniture out of another wood and matching the teak colour.

But what to use?

My inclination is to go with ash and stain it. The grain is similar and I should have no problem getting the colour right. I'm not totally sure about how it will fare over time, however.

Any other suggestions?

Cheers
Brad

 

[Chris Knight]

Brad,
If you are confident about getting the colour right then ash might be the way to go but I'd worry about the tendency to "tiger striping" that I usually get with ash and any staining I do to it. Without a picture of the grain you are matching it's hard to suggest another wood but looking at pictures of teak here I'd be inclined to think about walnut stained with dichromate or nitric acid to get an orange colour.

 

[JonnyD]

Teak Veneer is still available so you could have panels pressed in this. But it depends how much money you have got in the job. Another option would be cherry veneer with a little stain or tinted lacquer.

I have just finished a job for a guy who makes really nice sailing yachts and he is still buying teak for his boats at £210 a cubic ft :shock:

Jon

 

[woodbloke]

Brad - teak is still obtainable from yards near the coast that cater for the yachting fraternity...you might want to up your costings though :shock: if you decide to go for it as it's just about the most expensive commercially available hardwood - Rob

 

[wizer]

It just looks like Iroko to me..