AboutJamie Yocono Expertise Woodworker, Furniture designer/builder, industrial arts educator. Bachelor degree in Furniture Design, and journeyman carpenter, with a 4 year apprenticeship. Currently owner of custom furniture/cabinet shop in Las Vegas, NV.
Can answer most woodworking questions EXCEPT those regarding repairs, refinishing, and antiques.
Experience Bachelor in Furniture Design - Ohio University (1980)
Journeyman Carpenter, Local 639
Adult educator - Developed adult education woodworking program for the University of Akron, and taught classes there for 9 years.
Im not sure if you can answer this question but I thought I might ask since you have a weath of experience in your area of expertise!
I am looking to make furniture for a project and am wondering about the pros and cons of using teakwood which is usually oiled (with teakoil) or elmwood (which is usually lacquered). I wonder if elmwood could also be oiled and how this might affect the finish. I usually make furniture in China using lacaquered or varnished elmwood.
Really appreciate any light you might be able to shed on the subject!
Many Thanks,
Christopher
Answer Hi Christopher,
The two woods you mention have some pros and cons for each, and I've worked with both, so I'll lend an opinion.
Teak, as you know, is oily, and in my opinion, very hard on your tools. I read somewhere that in the pores of Teak, there is a substance that is quite abrasive, so that Teak tends to dull your tools tend as you work with it. I can attest to that, as I built a rather large cabinet with it, and afterwards, I had to have my planer and jointer blades sharpened.
Additionally, you need to clean the oil off of Teak before gluing it, or the glue will not hold. I found this out the hard way. I was lucky, I was making a small teak boat part for a customer and the glue lines failed. I did a little research and figured out that I had to clean the resin off the surface that was to be glued. I think I used some sort of thinner, but I don't remember, so you'll need to check that out first. Might be denatured alcohol.
As far as Elm goes- there are many good points, like beautiful grain, strength, cost, and availability. When I was in college studying furniture making, I used Elm all the time, as it was the cheapest wood I could buy. And it was gorgeous. But the bad parts include the awful stringy nature of the wood, as well as (and this is just my opinion) the fact that it doesn't accept a finish as well as other woods. I've usually applied an oil finish to Elm and parts of the wood just soak up the oil, while others don't. A wet/dry sanding with the oil usually cures this problem.
I don't lacquer anything in my woodshop, I only use oil finishes, so I cannot give you any advice or comparison about lacquer versus oil on these two woods. I guess it boils down to your budget and the desired look of the piece you are building. Unless the piece is a very high end work of art, I probably wouldn't use Teak. It's expensive, more labor intensive, and it just might be "overkill" if the project isn't a truly remarkable one. That's just my two cents, but Elm has worked wonderfully for me in the past, and you can oil it just as you can with Teak. I recommend Watco Oil, but I'm sure there are many other oils out there that would work just as well.
Good luck, I hope this helps. Feel free to write back with any other questions you might have after reading this.
Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
