---

I am making new teak gauge covers for my 74 montauk console and I am not sure which router bit I should use to ease over the edges. Any ideas?

---

I think it depends on how thick your teak is I used on my half-inch thick teak quarter inch radius and if you look at my personal page, you'll see the strips of teak I used a 1/8 radius, which barely eases the edge. you say gauge covers? I'm talking about the teak on my console a 1981 Montauk. the only cover I have for my instruments is a cover for my compass to keep the UV at a minimum.

---

I am not doing a very good job describing it. It is the fourth picture down on Gamalot's page. http://www.whalercentral.com/infusion...r_id=18100

The wooden piece above the steering wheel that the gauges are mounted in. I have some one inch teak laying around that I plan on planing down to 1/2 inch to make new ones.

---

If you are making small rectangular pieces the same size as what was there and talking about the outside edges I would just use sand paper to break the sharp edges.
The wood in my picture is 1/4 inch teak faced plywood and that is what BW did to it. With 1/2 inch solid teak you could use a 1/8 inch radius or even a 45* chamfer for a nice finished look.

With a router you always take the chance of tearing out when going against the grain. Some guys would leave the top and bottom sides 1/4 inch heavy and route the right and left sides first before trimming and routing the top and bottom edges.

My plan is still undecided but I have a piece of solid teak long and wide enough to completely cover the entire slanted face between the wings that will cover all the existing holes in the console and give me new wood face to mount all my stuff on to. I have to play around to see how it might look.

If you are going for exact original look and need a measurement on those rectangles, let me know, I still have them.

---

Gam,

Thanks for the information. I still have the old panels, so I plan on using those as a template. I plan on using the teak I have laying around since the price of buying teak is so high.

---

Using 1/2 inch thick teak. I think I'd use a quarter inch radius with a bearing on the bottom. If you have a harbor freight. That's a good place to pick up something like that for a reasonable price. Teak is a softwood and then after you route it lightly sand it.

using a router bit will ensure a even edge versus using sandpaper to ease the edge. In my opinion

---

We don't have a harbor fright here but we go to Raleigh often. I think I will pick up one then.

---

I just put a small 45º chamfer on mine.
Looked great.

http://users.sisqtel.net/jkriz/Montau...onsole.jpg

---

Teak is most definitely NOT a softwood. It is a hardwood.

If you use 1/2" thick stock, you should put a 1/2" radius on it. This is the same radius used on the teak doors and hatches used on later models.

The only trick is that if you are using a bearing guided bit (the most common and easy to use) you need to use a template behind the piece you are routing.

This is very easy. I usually cut a piece of scrap plywood to the exact size of what I am routing and clamp them together being careful to align the edges.

Now you can just run your bottom bearing router bit around it and you get the full thickness radiused.

---

I guess I should have said "it is a soft wood" , Tom Clark is correct it is classified as a hardwood but the wood itself is very easy to cut and sand. This is why I called it a soft wood.
I think if you use a half inch radius router bit as Tom suggested you then end up with a sharp edge and a very large bull nose on a small piece of wood. I'm not sure if that's a look, I would like. Now this is just my personal opinion and nothing more than that.

---

Teak is neither a softwood not a soft wood. It is harder than either Honduran or African Mahogany, harder than Imbuia and comparable in hardness to Black Walnut and Cocobolo.

The edge left by 1/2" radius bit is exactly as sharp as that left by a 1/4" radius bit or any other bit. It is a 90 degree corner.

---

I think the 1/2" radius is going to leave too large of a bullnose. I might just bevel the edge. I think I will just try some scrap pieces and see how it turns out.

---

If you go with a routed edge, do it in multiple passes adjusting the depth each time until you arrive at your final profile. Doing so will help avoid tearing out when going across the grain. Sometimes a final polish with sandpaper is still necessary.

A 1/8" round-over can easily be done in a single pass but I'd probably do 1/4" in two passes and 1/2" in maybe three passes. The last pass should be removing minimal material for the best finish.

A router table makes it all much easier but isn't practical for larger parts.

Honestly, I've rarely ever had any problems routing teak because its so dense. Its the softer woods that can result in poor finished and problems with the grain. A good quality carbide bit makes a big difference compared to the less expensive high speed steel bits IMO.

---

1/2" is not that large a bit. I usually do round-overs with two passes; one going the opposite way you would normally go, that is to say, the direction the opposite the way the bit strikes the wood. This will produce a rougher cut and if you do not apply too much pressure on the bearing it will not cut to the full depth.

Then you make the final finish cut pushing the router against the direction of the bit. This produces a very clean finish that should not require much, if any, sanding.

As in all routing operations: Run a test pass on a scrap first!

---

Guts comment: ( I guess I should have said "it is a soft wood") Well it sure did a job dulling the blades on my planer. I planed down some old teak seat boards. I was only trying to take the grey off.

---

Even though is a hard wood, it has been much easier to work with than locus or oak for me. It is easy to sand.

---

I'm not familiar with the different varieties of teak but I have experienced some teak that was much more difficult to work than others. I've got a teak table recovered from a foreclosed home I bought at auction. Its a beautiful piece but had suffered from being left out in the elements. I spent a fair amount of time over two days with my DeWalt orbital sander and more than a couple of packs of sanding disks before I re-oiled the table. That dang table is as hard as concrete.

I suspect the table was constructed from imported old-growth teak which I think is now illegal to import to the US. The plantation (renewable) teak I've worked with doesn't seem to have as tight a grain and is much softer comparatively.

---

Real Teak will clog up your sand paper in a short time! I like that gray look it gets and I have never found a way to keep from getting it in pretty short order. It does look real pretty when freshly oiled but a lot more natural as it grays. Tight grain equals no splinters and that's good enough for me.

If you have a router with speed adjustments I find a slower speed works a bit better if it does not over heat the natural oils in it that will clog up your router bits. Most of the rough edges on round overs seem to be caused by residue that gets burned on to the face of the blades. Very similar to working with plastics like UHMW or Lexon.

Attempting to arrive at a finish like we can achieve with Mahogany is fruitless with Teak.

---

My teak table sits out of the elements so it keeps that fresh oiled look for years without any hassle from me. I agree about the natural oils in the wood. The teak I've worked with in recent years seems to cause me much more of a problem with making a mess of the router bits, saw blades, and sanding pads compared to the old stuff. Again probably a difference in variates.

I don't have teak on any of my boats anymore. I love the beautiful look but I gave up on teak years ago out of laziness and practicality. Starboard isn't as pretty but it suites me better. I still don't hesitate to admire the beautiful well kept woods on other's boats though.