Amrith Raj, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wood Species
Teak
Tectona grandis
- Janka hardness
- 1070 lbf
- Specific gravity
- 0.63
- Workability
- Easy to machine despite high silica content dulling blades; excellent natural weather resistance
Teak (Tectona grandis) is a golden-to-medium-brown tropical hardwood from Southeast Asia, and it's been the standard for outdoor furniture, boat decking, and anything demanding decay resistance without a film finish for about as long as anyone's been keeping track.
Working Properties
Teak is fairly easy to machine, with one catch — silica content up to about 1.4% noticeably dulls cutting edges regardless of how gently you treat it. Its natural oils leave a faintly greasy surface feel and can throw off gluing and finishing unless you wipe the surface with solvent first. Reported hardness ranges by source (roughly 1,000-1,150 lbf), which tracks with real variation between plantation-grown and old-growth stock.
Safety
Teak has been reported as a sensitizer; dust may cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation in some woodworkers.
Typical Uses
Outdoor furniture, boat decking and trim, flooring, and countertops.
Images
Tree: Leaves of Teak Tree. — Amrith Raj, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under their original open licenses -- see each image's caption for its specific license and attribution.