External timber but not teak?

[pcatterall]

Confession!! This is for my Morris Minor Traveller rather than my boat! but there are more timber experts here than on the car forum!
Ash has been used in timber coach built cars for years, my old Triumph Roadster and Riley RME used it on many frames, it was cheap, workable and readily available!
Its not cheap any more ( £1500 for a new Minor timber set!) nor do the exposed Minor timbers weather very well!
My latest project may become a pickup but like the Traveller it still needs a strong timber rear frame for structural strength.
I propose to use Plywood, which may be painted but require some 'nice looking' timber for the posts and side capping's.
Can anyone suggest an alternative to teak which will survive our climate but still look good. To be honest I have varnished small areas of teak in the UK and it has weathered OK
so its not entirely a no no. ( our boats in the med and varnish was hopeless !) Any ideas please?

 

[Minerva]

Iroko? Or perhaps Meranti?

 

[Tranona]

Iroko is the next best to teak but OTT for this and can be difficult to work.. However I would lean toward mahogany from reclaimed furniture finished with Sikkens Cetol Plus and No7. Alternatively if you prefer lighter colour then Douglas Fir with the same finish.

 

[oilybilge]

Lots of cheap iroko and sapele sold on ebay for garden benches and so on. It might not be the best quality but it'll probably be fine for sticking onto an old banger...

 

[Plum]

Iroko is the next best to teak but OTT for this and can be difficult to work.. However I would lean toward mahogany from reclaimed furniture finished with Sikkens Cetol Plus and No7. Alternatively if you prefer lighter colour then Douglas Fir with the same finish.

Absolutely. Iroko every time and I also recommend Sikkens Cetol Plus 7 in the "pine" colour on the iroko. In my experience, mahogany is not a good idea unless you are happy to put up with frequent maintenance.

 

[pcatterall]

Iroko is the next best to teak but OTT for this and can be difficult to work.. However I would lean toward mahogany from reclaimed furniture finished with Sikkens Cetol Plus and No7. Alternatively if you prefer lighter colour then Douglas Fir with the same finish.

Thanks, I used Douglas fir on the inner timbers of my old Colvic Atlanta coach roof, It looked good but I was not sure about external use. Reclaimed stuff sounds good but I need some hefty corner posts. ( 3x3) before shaping.

Lots of cheap iroko and sapele sold on ebay for garden benches and so on. It might not be the best quality but it'll probably be fine for sticking onto an old banger...

Old banger?! The mods will be after you for offensive language!

 

[LittleSister]

. . .
Old banger?! The mods will be after you for offensive language!

Yes, it's an outrage.

Manky Auld Car (or MAC for short) is the forum preferred nomenclature. (In line with Manky Auld Boats, MABs, being the floaty things that aren't Average White Boats, AWBs).

 

[Tranona]

Thanks, I used Douglas fir on the inner timbers of my old Colvic Atlanta coach roof, It looked good but I was not sure about external use. Reclaimed stuff sounds good but I need some hefty corner posts. ( 3x3) before shaping.

Getting that size may be a problem, but no reason why you could not laminate from smaller section. Douglas Fir is semi durable but properly protected lasts well. The photo is of the mast from my eventide after its last Cetol coating. It was 55 years old at the rime and the previous coating, also Sikkens had lasted 15 years with one recoat. The Douglas Fir (and the resorcinol glue) was in perfect condition after stripping down.. Most of the trim on the boat was mahogany from the 1960s or 70s and again in perfect condition.

 

[alahol2]

Thanks, I used Douglas fir on the inner timbers of my old Colvic Atlanta coach roof, It looked good but I was not sure about external use. Reclaimed stuff sounds good but I need some hefty corner posts. ( 3x3) before shaping.

Old banger?! The mods will be after you for offensive language!

3x3 (75mm) Fence posts may well be a good source for your corner posts, choose carefully and avoid splits.. They plane up quite nicely.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Iroko comes ready curved!

 

[Graham376]

I used sapele for a cockpit table 11 years ago, coated with International Woodskin and it's still fine, no sign of warping or deterioration.

 

[Plum]

Iroko comes ready curved!

Really? Not in my experience. All the iroko on my boat, 34 years old, is remarkably flat.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I used Iroko for some cockpit locker lids. I was told to brace them otherwise they would curve/split.

They did split. I'm sure things would have been fine if I had taken the advice. They were about an inch thick.

 

[2Tizwoz]

I'm surprised that no-one has suggested larch.

 

[PCUK]

I restored a Triumph Roadster 1800 in the late sixties when you could still get a few bits from Triumph dealers and engine gaskets from Jaguar dealers as the 1800 was an SS base engine.
Apart from the I've got reclaimed teak if you want some. Mainly 75 x 75mm.

 

[pcatterall]

I restored a Triumph Roadster 1800 in the late sixties when you could still get a few bits from Triumph dealers and engine gaskets from Jaguar dealers as the 1800 was an SS base engine.
Apart from the I've got reclaimed teak if you want some. Mainly 75 x 75mm.

Had ours from 1970 to 1980 Sad to see her go !!

 

[Graham_Wright]

Really? Not in my experience. All the iroko on my boat, 34 years old, is remarkably flat.

When building my boat, I bought an iroko plank around 1 1/4" thick and maybe a foot wide.
I had a good relationship with the maintenance staff at the company I worked for and asked a chippee to saw it into strips for fitting out.
He refused!
Thinking I had upset him, I found the courage to ask why. He explained that the dust made his face bleed.
Another chippee volunteered.
The first strip was straight, the second bowed to starboard, the third to port and the next caused the saw to stall.
Curved strips fitted nicely for my requirements!

 

[billskip]

I had a couple of AC 2 Ltr, they were aluminium on Ash frames, one was involved in a right front wing bender, and the timber was in good condition.

 

[Plum]

When building my boat, I bought an iroko plank around 1 1/4" thick and maybe a foot wide.
I had a good relationship with the maintenance staff at the company I worked for and asked a chippee to saw it into strips for fitting out.
He refused!
Thinking I had upset him, I found the courage to ask why. He explained that the dust made his face bleed.
Another chippee volunteered.
The first strip was straight, the second bowed to starboard, the third to port and the next caused the saw to stall.
Curved strips fitted nicely for my requirements!

Shame you have had that bad experience with iroko.