Iroko or teak?

[Balbas]

I need to sort some wood work out on my boat - specifically the cockpit gratings. I was planning on using teak but have just had a(n eye watering) quote for the materials I would need.

Iroko is about 1/4 of the price it seems - I know teak is the preferred option for all things yachty, will Iroko do the job, look decent and be durable?

 

[Sandy]

The short answer is yes.

My B-i-L is a joiner and I get all my wood via him, he is more than happy to use iroko.

 

[Tranona]

Be wary of iroko at that price. The market price in the cube is roughly 50% of teak so half that is suspicious. The issue with iroko is that it often has hidden curly grain in it, although if it is machined in small section - guess you are looking at 22*22mm or 22*18mm for grating you can usually avoid it. Also be careful of the dust if doing a lot of machining.

However it is almost as durable as teak but does not look good left bare as it goes black rather than grey and is difficult to get clean again.

Don't know where you are getting your prices from, but if you are making a conventional grid then the most economical (but still not cheap) way is to buy either machined castle stock or better still grid kits from www.kjhowells.com in Poole. I have made 3 grids using their kits. A bit time consuming but end result is very good.

 

[Balbas]

Interesting, thanks both.

As to buying a kit. I don't have a router, so I figured if I bought straight lengths (of say 2" x 2") then I could justify the purchase of a new tool for me to play with, and I could then make my own castellations.

Edit, thinking about it I probably need 2" x 1", so that would cut the cost down some.

 

[Kukri]

I pretty much agree with Tranona -teak really is better, for both the reasons he gives - but unless you are looking for an excuse to buy a new tool, it's not hard to use a tenon saw and a bench hook to cut the slots.

One word of advice - gratings look much better when the surrounds are a little wider. I'd suggest 4" x 1.25" finished for the surrounds if the grating is 1" square - and do nice tenons - blind ones for the perfectionist..

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

I think Beneteau use iroko for decking on their new boats. Looks and weathers like teak as far as I can see.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I bought a plank around a foot wide and asked a chippy (where I worked at the time) to cut some strips for carcassing. He refused! The reason he gave was that the dust made his cheeks bleed.

Another chippy obliged but the way the strips came off was fascinating springing one way and then the next. One cut stalled the saw (a big one) when the cut closed up.

 

[Balbas]

I pretty much agree with Tranona -teak really is better, for both the reasons he gives - but unless you are looking for an excuse to buy a new tool, it's not hard to use a tenon saw and a bench hook to cut the slots.

One word of advice - gratings look much better when the surrounds are a little wider. I'd suggest 4" x 1.25" finished for the surrounds if the grating is 1" square - and do nice tenons - blind ones for the perfectionist..

hmm, I wasn't going to cut any tenons, the plan was to use say a 2" outside piece with a 1" slot cut in for each cross piece / length. But I can see that wouldn't look anything as nice as a decent tenon joint. Tenon joints are going to add an age to the job though. And if I mess one up...

Interesting points about the other 'qualities' of iroko!

 

[Kukri]

hmm, I wasn't going to cut any tenons, the plan was to use say a 2" outside piece with a 1" slot cut in for each cross piece / length. But I can see that wouldn't look anything as nice as a decent tenon joint. Tenon joints are going to add an age to the job though. And if I mess one up...

Interesting points about the other 'qualities' of iroko!

Go on! You can do it - epoxy can work with my bad tenons so I'm sure it will if you do the same. But do use teak and take the time - I got twenty years of admiring my own handiwork, before i sold the boat...

Draw it out (graph paper is your friend...) before you buy the wood.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

hmm, I wasn't going to cut any tenons, the plan was to use say a 2" outside piece with a 1" slot cut in for each cross piece / length. But I can see that wouldn't look anything as nice as a decent tenon joint. Tenon joints are going to add an age to the job though. And if I mess one up...

Interesting points about the other 'qualities' of iroko!

If you buy a router make a morticing jig and even a tensioning jig to use it with. If you have a table saw then make a sled for it and cut your castellations on the table saw, quick and accurate.

 

[Tranona]

Once you have worked out how many tenons you have to cut you will rapidly go off the idea!

The kits I suggested have the wider border recommended and really do look the business. The first one I made over 20 years ago as a platform for a liferaft is still in use. I made another one for the same job about 10 years later for another boat and AFAIK is still in use with the new owner. I also made one for the loo/shower compartment for that boat.

Unless your teak is free or really cheap it does not make practical sense to make your own from scratch.

 

[Balbas]

Looking at the Howell's 'how to' guide, they wouldn't use tenon joints either, in fact there method is near enough what my Mk1 thought process would have had me make. I don't know if my Mk1a thought process would look tidier or not, but it would achieve the same end.

http://www.kjhowells.com/hres/teak grating kit instructions.pdf

I could buy a kit, but I quite like the idea of working away in the garage this winter and making something from scratch. And buying some new tools (of course).

 

[Kukri]

Pass.

There are different ways of doing these things. Mine worked for me, and I enjoyed doing it. Tranona's worked for him, etc.

 

[doug748]

....
I could buy a kit, but I quite like the idea of working away in the garage this winter and making something from scratch. And buying some new tools (of course).

Something reclaimed like this might do you : *


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Teak-Bea...571563?hash=item4d7cb2c1ab:g:L08AAOSw2kVbfmn6

Though you would need to get someone to take 1in strips off it - and being used they may not be keen to risk the saw blade. There would be a lot of stuff left but generally, being teak, you use up even the scraps for this or that.






* Except I am not sure it is teak, has a look of mahogany to me. However the principle remains -)