# Wood for a boat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205 "2011-06-03T15:58:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/1 "2011-06-03T15:58:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/2 "2011-06-03T16:16:30Z")
Mahogany would probably work. Any of the oily dense woods like rosewood, cocobolo, ipe. White oak, but probably not red. Maybe padauk. ---
**Author:** ![kombatminipig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@kombatminipig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kombatminipig)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/3 "2011-06-03T21:50:35Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Mahogany would probably work. Any of the oily dense woods like rosewood, cocobolo, ipe. White oak, but probably not red. Maybe padauk. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/4 "2011-06-03T21:56:18Z")
Considering that it’s a decorative element, it doesn’t matter at all. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/5 "2011-06-03T21:59:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/6 "2011-06-03T22:04:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/7 "2011-06-03T22:11:16Z")
[Iroko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroko_(hardwood)) if you get a hold of it. I have a dory with unfinished iroku benches and the color gets richer with every year of exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/8 "2011-06-03T23:49:47Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > 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. 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](http://www.google.com/search?q=bubinga&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1173&bih=553). One of my favorite grain patterns, it would look great on a boat dash panel. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/9 "2011-06-04T01:54:38Z")
They’re all right, but I get wood for aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/10 "2011-06-06T14:34:02Z")
Cedar is nice as well. ---
**Author:** ![mbetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mbetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbetter)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/11 "2011-06-06T17:54:29Z")
Teak and holly marine ply seems like a go-to for stuff like this. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-for-a-boat/584205/12 "2011-06-06T19:27:58Z")
Osage orange, is dense and decay resistant. It continues to age with UV light to make a kind of black and orange tiger stripe look. Really cool.