For a source of teak, check your local area for woodworker's stores. They usually have a good selection of exotic woods. I actually like Bubinga rather than Teak, and Bubinga, Teak and Mahogany excel at being stable which means it won't warp in damp areas; like outside (although Bubinga and Mahogany should be Varnished). Cherry, for instance, is no good in the cockpit areas as it easily warps - even after 10 coats of varnish.
Ipe is a cheaper alternative to teak, has about the same color, texture, and water properties, but it is a lot harder, and heavier. Its sometimes called Nature's Concrete. One of my boating buddies routinely uses both Teak and Ipe on projects.
In my last boat, it had a fabric speaker cloth grille in the cockpit - rather cheap looking, and it eventually stained.
I replaced it with a piece of Bubinga
But Buginga, like Teak is an exotic, but rare species. I would make sure you bought it from a tree farm rather than from a de-forested area.
Here is an alternative material you may not have thought of - Corian.
Corian machines and polishes well with standard woodworking tools.
While Corian is normally hard to get as it is only available through dealers, DuPont has found that there is indeed an artistic flavor to the product, so they have made Corian available through
http://www.coriartspecialties.com in less than kitchen countertop sizes. You can also sometimes get countertop cutouts from kitchen shops or on eBay.
Here is an example of a fiddleboard I out in the head. Its made of green Corian and aluminum standoffs. I later modified the fiddleboard after I bought a lathe and turned Corian standoffs.
I also used green Corian for the stereo mount in my last boat:
I also used a piece of Corian to mount the chartplotter on my old boat. It mounted from the underside of the dash by removing the cupholder.
I have even been able to tap screw threads into the piece to attach the chartplotter. But the threads are a bit weak, so I would recommend using inserts for this kind of thing.
I used black Corian for my stereo project on the current boat:
The black Corian is a solid color, and when highly polished, looks a bit like Onyx. The green Corian I used had the normal speckled pattern you normally associate. There are a wide variety of colors and patterns available.
Corian can be used for many, many things; simply limited by your imagination. Its an alternative to using wood, and in the right color, can make an attractive balance and complement to the existing woodwork.
Here, again on my last boat, is a Cherry wood curtain rail I made for the rear berth. I capped the end of the Cherry rail with a piece of green Corian so that the curtain would be held captive. I thought this made a nice contrast, and used a small piece of Corian that would otherwise probably been thrown out.
I guess I should patent this idea before a boat manufacturer uses it. [8D]
