Is This Teak?

[floydraser]

It was a live auction online and I only had the auction house photos to go by. They were described as a pair of Danish teak lamp tables. The tops are about 15mm thick and I wondered if they were any good to patch in the teak decking on the Denham Owl? After they've been through the planer/thicknesser of course.

They were cheap enough but I wanted to check before I butcher them. Sometimes auction houses at a certain level can be a bit creative with their descriptions! 

 

[marshman]

Not convinced!!!! Colour looks a too light - but then I am not an expert!! And then there is teak, and teak!!

[ExSurveyor]

I would also doubt they are teak, again too light. It looks more like african sapele.

How close is the colour on your photo compared to the item ?

The construction looks quite modern, teak hasn’t been affordable for furniture since the early 80s and tended to be made traditionally with joints as it was usually more expensive.

 Old victorian furniture is cheap these days and a good source of useful timber, I have just paid £8 for an oak dining room table that yielded a lot of useful timber.

[floydraser]

5 minutes ago, psychicsurveyor said:

I would also doubt they are teak, again too light. It looks more like african sapele.

How close is the colour on your photo compared to the item ?

 

Difficult to tell without nipping round to the lock up in the sleat and wind, so I'll hang on for a bit.  

It was difficult to photograph as the light reflected off it. The second pic is closest. I have a sample taken from the boat and these are darker than that but it's probably bleached. I'll sand some off it to have a look.

Thanks for the reply.

[floydraser]

17 minutes ago, marshman said:

 And then there is teak, and teak!!

Thank you, that's the impression I get, hence the question. 

[BrundallNavy]

Looks like Mahogany to me. 

[Robin]

My money is on African Mahogany (Khaya)

Robin

 

[JennyMorgan]

The frame might be teak but I doubt that the top is. 

[Vaughan]

Teak doesn't have such a straight grain and it is very difficult to sand flat over a wide surface. Are you sure the top is solid wood? Looks more like a veneer to me.

[JennyMorgan]

Many years ago I sometimes sailed with a Mr Gomme, originator of G-Plan furniture. His boat's internal joinery was largely Aframosa, although I don't think that I have spelled that correctly. That was back when Danish was first fashionable, maybe Mr Gomme used the same wood? My by now old G-Plan is also straight grained & of a similar colour.

[PaulN]

I'm no expert, but tht looks like a mahogany veneer to me, possibly Sapele

[JennyMorgan]

28 minutes ago, PaulN said:

I'm no expert, but tht looks like a mahogany veneer to me, possibly Sapele

You could well be right. Vaughan suggested that it might be a veneered table top. Vaneered finishes, ply for example, generally have an A and a B side & I suggest that Floyd's photo shows the B.

[grendel]

does it matter so  much if its solid timber and looks nice varnished it will be useful somewhere.

[Timbo]

The long grain would suggest teak to me, going by the hefty lumps that Griff dropped off for me. Give it the sniff test, a slight whiff of leather and its teak Alternatively sand it back and do a water drop test. Mahogany absorbs water quicker than real teak.

[ranworthbreeze]

8 hours ago, psychicsurveyor said:

I would also doubt they are teak, again too light. It looks more like african sapele.

How close is the colour on your photo compared to the item ?

The construction looks quite modern, teak hasn’t been affordable for furniture since the early 80s and tended to be made traditionally with joints as it was usually more expensive.

 Old victorian furniture is cheap these days and a good source of useful timber, I have just paid £8 for an oak dining room table that yielded a lot of useful timber.

I would agree Sapele by the look of it.

[Paul]

3 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Aframosa

I think you're referring to Afrormosia, often called African teak but unless the colour is heavily distorted by my monitor it looks far too red. Afrormosia is very yellow brown in colour, more like the stiles. It's grain is also quite wavy, more so than this appears. 

It looks like Bosse veneer to me, very popular with Scandinavian furniture makers post WWII

[Stationerystill]

It looks like the grain and colour of sapele to me. Teak is very oily so try a drop or water on it to see if it runs off.

 

[floydraser]

Thank you all, I really appreciate the help.

Tomorrow I'll take another pic or two to try and show the colour a bit better. I don't have Kodak standard grey scale anymore but I'll find something as a suitable comparison.

I looked for signs of veneer and was convinced it was solid but now you've put a worm of doubt in my mind so I'll have to have a closer look tomorrow. 

As grendel says, I have two nice bits of timber around 2' x 3' plus legs and other bits. And if all else fails I have a couple of nice tables! 

[grendel]

best place for good straight timber is ikeas sin bin where they sell off allthe odd bits with things missing, apart from sometimes getting the timber thats been made up with lots of smaller buts finger jointed and glued together (every bit as strong as solid timber)  its dirt cheap compared to timber from the timber yard, just needs a bit of imagination when looking.

[C.Ricko]

looks like sapele to me, which I was told is a wood which looks like it grew next to a mahogany tree. 

[Springsong]

Late to the party as usual but my view is sapele . it looks a little wrinkly to my eye so maybe veneered

[floydraser]

Thanks again for all the pointers. On very close inspection I reckon it's actually veneered but extremely well done. By clever use of staining, with the line slightly offset from the veneer join, they have disguised it very well.

Ah well, I have a lovely pair of quality tables until I need timber for a drinks cabinet! 

[JennyMorgan]

I just happen to have a G-Plan headboard in my garage. about 6 feet long and 14 or so inches wide. potentially a drinks cabinet, if you just happen to be down Oulton Broad way. That just might save your quality tables from destruction!

[floydraser]

13 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

I just happen to have a G-Plan headboard in my garage. about 6 feet long and 14 or so inches wide. potentially a drinks cabinet, if you just happen to be down Oulton Broad way. That just might save your quality tables from destruction!

Thank you Peter, you never know, one day the boat may get that far....