Sapele

[PNWPederson]

Has anyone used sapele in place of teak? Teak is incredibly expensive compared to sapele, about $50 board foot compared to $8 a board foot.

If so, were you able to get a stain on it to match teak? I'm trying to make a couple of interior components for a 1970 Grand Banks.

 

[PierreR]

I have had pretty good luck with Sapele. Color can vary a lot and looking for the right shade and grain can make a large difference in look. Yes it can look very much like teak. It does not have the durability of teak for exterior application.

 

[mvweebles]

I like sapele. Interior of Weebles was originally mahogany (not a high quality) and did the remodel in Sapele. The yard used a lot of sapele as an inexpensive teak replacement, especially in half inch plywood. A lighter shade of brown works well to match teak. Red hues match mahogany. I like oil based minwax stains to play with colors.

The above said. If you're trying to match golden hues of, say, a Grand Banks, you'll find the grain of Sapele a bit coarse.

Good luck.

Peter

 

[BruceK]

For timber similar in appearance to teak, I immediately thought of meranti. The appearance and grain can be very similar. It also resembles Australian red cedar. But I also found this comparison comment:
"Sapele if far denser,harder,heavier and more durable than Meranti.. Meranti is a pale reddish in colour verying on pink ,its grain is like straw,its a lot lighter in weight than Sapele and its less durable..."
An IG 50 I saw being repaired (after it was raised) was unwisely built of meranti. But as an interior timber, with ease of working, it could be worth considering.

 

[Pascall]

Meranti does not come from a specific tree species, it is a collective name for various heartwood species.
So there can be a lot of difference in Meranti in terms of hardness, durability and color.
As an alternative to teak wood that is in the open air, Afzelia doussie is a great substitute, this has the same properties as teak.
For interior panelling, it is not suitable as a substitute because the colors are very different, even from a tree trunk.

Greeting,

Pascal.