Interior Woods

[mrtoad]

i am thinking of adding a folding shelf to the cabin of "mr toad"
&
a bit of change to the wooden area just above the sliding water and stove

if i do not use teak - what other woods would you suggest / woods that would work well
with warmth of teak and also the climate of the lake

thanks so much

rdeal / mr toad

[Salty19]

Mahogany, eucalyptus, holly or marine plywood seems to be used in interiors. There are others but I can't think of what they are at a the moment. They might need staining to match, but some of these woods are darker and will never match.
You could use other hardwoods and coat the pieces, all faces, with clear coat epoxy to seal them to percent moisture from entering.
If you stain, do so before epoxy.

I would use marine plywood and epoxy coat if this was my project.  Some of the other guys on here might be able to offer better advice.

[Craig]

Actually most any wood will do if properly sealed assuming it will not be used in a wet as opposed to relatively dry environment like the cabin. One overlooked wood is ash which was often used in trim applications by old New England boatbuilders. Mahogany is always a good choice and is readily available in a variety of sizes at most good lumberyards. Plywood's relative lack of warp makes it good for shelves and wider areas. other than that, really can't add too much to previous posts.

[brackish]

Depending on how large your shelf will be, plywood may be your best choice.  It is stable seasonally through changes in temperature and humidity.  Plywood with edge rails would be a good choice.  The pic below is cheap luan plywood with cherry edge rails stained with whatever I had that kind of matched the teak in the boat.  The cherry is a relatively tight grained wood, easy to work with, and seals easily.  The pic is of a cabin/cockpit table.

[capt_nemo]

mrtoad,

Consider using good grade ½" SANDE Plywood (strong) from a big box store like Lowe's or Home Depot and cover the top with Off White Formica using Contact Cement.
Trim (cover) the Ply edges with a nice hardwood of your choice, and seal the underside with epoxy or favorite wood coating. (I use Sikkens Cetol Marine Light.)

Here is an example of a Storage/Utility Cabinet Module I made for my Sun Cat. Exterior wood grain side is ½" Birch Ply from Lowe's.