Replies

1. 
   user-211435 | Dec 03, 2006 07:41am | #1

   Hey,

   I have worked with both, and recently. 

   While Jatoba is much harder than teak, the teak will be harder on some of your tools.  Mainly things like jointers, planers, and hand planes.

   The jatoba will knock the points right off of a good carbide saw blade, but teak will pound over a set of HSS planer blades immediately.  It's not funny!  I don't plane it.  I just resaw it and hand plane it.

   Teak is soft and forgiving to work with though.  It is the easiest wood I have ever used when cutting mortise and tenon joints.  A real pleasure.  And you can chop a square hole in it with ease for ebony tenon pegs.

   The problem is that it has silica in it.  Think of this as sand in the wood.  Carbide blades are a must, and even they will take a beating.

   Hal

   http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com

    

2. 
   mudman | Dec 03, 2006 08:25am | #2

   I haven't used teak a lot, maybe 20 bf, but I used it on every machine in the shop. I found it nice to work with. I've heard about the silica issue, but didn't mill enough to find it an issue. It is a very beautiful wood.

   Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

3. 
   philip | Dec 03, 2006 12:14pm | #3

   As Hal says, it is the silica in Teak which kills tool edges.
   For me there is no contest between Burmese Teak and Jatoba-Teak is one of the finest timbers in the world and if you can get some at a reasonable price you are lucky.Teak is not as hard or heavy as Jatoba, and smells superb. If you have coped with Jatoba then you will be more than happy with Teak.
   And when you become addicted to woods with high silica content you can get onto Makore, just so as to get things into perspective.

   Philip Marcou