ramin hardwood

[Sy-Revolution]

Hi folks,
Does anyone know what 'ramin' hardwood looks like?
I've found some cheap louvred doors (to be used below decks) made of this stuff but does it look similar to teak when varnished or not?
Any ideas?

Cheers,
Crispin.

 

[Bodach na mara]

It is a light coloured wood like balsa in appearance, but slightly more creamy (and a lot harder of course.) It will not look similar to varnished teak (which goes a browny colour) when it is varnished. You could try a bit with Ronseal woodstain (make sure you get the solvent based stuff, not the water-based which is awful IMHO) which is what I did with bits along the top of the cabin sides to hold curtain tracks. I used mahogany stain but they also supply a teak stain. B&Q sell strip ramin in various profiles and a bit of that could be used as a test strip.

 

[vyv_cox]

You can certainly stain it to almost any colour you like but do plenty of tests first. My experience with it is that the final colour looks nothing like the sample on the lid of the tin.

The only other comment is that ramin can be rather brittle, and falling on it at sea might break it rather easily.

 

[VicS]

According to the Kew website:

Ramin
Gonystylus species
Ramin is the common trade name given to a number of light coloured tropical hardwood tree species native to the peat swamp forests of Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, Indonesia (Kalimantan and Sumatra), Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak), Singapore, Solomon Islands and The Philippines.
Ramin wood is prized for its fine grain and easy working qualities and the main products in trade are picture frames, pool cues, blinds, tool handles and decorative mouldings. The major importing countries are China, USA and Italy.
Concern has arisen about the over-exploitation of ramin, particularly from prime orang-utan habitats and Protected Reserves in Southeast Asia . Ramin is now listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the international trade in species threatened through trade. This means that a permit is needed to import certain parts and derivatives of ramin into the UK

Being a light colour it is easy to stain it to match almost any other wood but not to imitate the grain pattern of course.

In the past I have used coloured varnishes and Colron stains to good effect (Including staining small pieces of ramin to match teak) but recent experience with a coloured water based varnish was very disappointing. If you are forced to use a water based product then be prepared to be disappointed as it will be very difficult to apply it evenly to something as complex as a louvre door unless you are able to spray it.

Also e prepared to mix stains to get the colour you require.

 

[FullCircle]

I built a load of kitchen stroage with it. As Vyv says, it is brittle , and sustained damage fairly easily. Also a bit lighter than 'real' hardwood.

 

[FrankieJ]

AND IT STINKS!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Sy-Revolution]

Thanks for the replies,
mmmmm back to the drawing board.

I have subsequently searched for 'teak louvered doors' on the goog but drawn a blank, does anyone know where I might find a teak louvered door ( or 4) approximately 400mm x 350mm?