Need some advice.
I’m not an experienced furniture builder (mostly trim carpentry). the local lumber yard has some Teak on sale and I want to make a rectangular patio table. My question is this: Can I use glued pocket screwed joints (which I’m used to making) or will that just not cut it for outdoor furniture? I live in the northeast and I will need something that can take temperature extremes.
Thanks
Replies
I wouldn't use those joints for two reasons:
Pocket screwed joints won't stand the racking, etc that a M&T joint will do AND teak is a very oily wood...You'll have to carefully wipe the glue joints down with lacquer thinner right before applying your glue.....with who knows what kind of effect...
I'd want a more mechanical joint..at a minimum I'd at least use dowels or a loose mortise and tenon...just route corresponding mortises and use a tight-fitting loose tenon..and, again, wipe the teak with lacquer thinner, acetone, denatured alcohol...something to remove the oil.
At best, I'd do a true mechanical M&T joint and pin it so as to not rely on the glue at all...
And, as an FYI, Teak has a lot of silica...it'll abrade your tooling...saw blades, etc significantly.
Teak's beautiful..but has its' cons.
Good luck!
lp
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled