Making a laminated teak tiller

[DownWest]

Mine is 5mm strips of iroko and maranti. Not steamed, but glued up clamped to blocks screwed to a plank in the curve. Virtually no spring-back.

 

[earlybird]

Mine is 5mm strips of iroko and maranti. Not steamed, but glued up clamped to blocks screwed to a plank in the curve. Virtually no spring-back.

I've made 2 tillers in this way, one teak and iroko, the other all teak using 6mm x 50mm strips glued with epoxy. 5mm. strips would be plenty flexible for the OP's need IMO. A really solid, accurate jig is necessary. I used short lengths of steel angle screwed to a polythene covered plank. You can't have too many G-clamps.

 

[Stemar]

You can't have too many G-clamps.

As the youngsters say, is this even a thing?

 

[DownWest]

Oh, and leave the surfaces as sawn, Clamping tight with planed surfaces can starve the joint of epoxy.

 

[Graham376]

Oh, and leave the surfaces as sawn, Clamping tight with planed surfaces can starve the joint of epoxy.

That goes against all normal woodworking rules and I certainly wouldn't join board straight off the band saw .

 

[PotatoNavigator]

That goes against all normal woodworking rules and I certainly wouldn't join board straight off the band saw .

Nothing wrong with it, if using thickened epoxy the joint does not need to be tight, unlike other wood glues.

 

[Graham376]

Nothing wrong with it, if using thickened epoxy the joint does not need to be tight, unlike other wood glues.

But then it's an epoxy sandwich rather than a laminate with no glue line visible. I could get away with a good enough cut on table saw but with band saw would pass though planer and use something like Titebond Ultimate which is for external use and has reasonable working time.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Bandsaw will do it but no ideal.

Why not ask a tea supplier like Robbins or Howells to send you the teak ready cut in the correct sizes.

I reckon you are right, 6mm too stiff, 3mm fine.

I've found a supplier of 4mm. Talking to wood suppliers it seems that it's either veneer, which has a maximum available thickness of about 2.5mm, or a minimum of 4mm if it's been through a thicknesser. Lower than 4mm they say it chatters in the thicknesser and doesn't come out well. 4mm I'm told will bend round my curve no problem cold and dry, so that's the way I'm going. Pictures later if successful. Thanks for all the suggestions and hints.