What, other than teak, would be a good wood to use for the dash panel on a boat. Fresh water exclusively, so no worries about salt water. I know teak is commonly used, but are there any other possibilities?
I’m interested in something a little unusual. Purpleheart maybe? Does it really matter, it not really being a structural element, as long as it is well finished with spar varnish or the like.
AFAIK teak has the nice property that it develops a natural patina, so doesn’t need to be oiled or maintained very much (just scrubbed a few times a season). As said, any oily wood that doesn’t absorb much water is suitable. Oak has traditionally been rather well used in ship building.
BTW, purple heart will eventually turn brown with just a bit of purple if exposed to UV rays. So if used on a boat, I’d expect it to look like a generically brown wood fairly soon afterward.
Is this a panel with instruments and controls in it? If so, it’s important to consider how solid timber will perform. Circular holes will become elliptical as the moisture content in the wood varies and if the holes for the instruments are many and closely clustered, the timber between them may be weak in places due to short grain.
If any of the above applies, then marine ply with a decent face of your chosen timber might be better, especially on the dimensional stability.
I came in to note this too. I’ve made stuff out of purpleheart, and it quickly turns an ugly boring brown if allowed to sit in the sun. Also, besides the color, it’s just not a very interesting wood visually. It’s best used for accents/inlays/details.
My recommendation: bubinga. One of my favorite grain patterns, it would look great on a boat dash panel.