On 10 Aug 2006 13:42:17 -0700, "dpb" wrote:


Joe Bemier wrote:
On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 10:38:15 -0400, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

Jay Pique wrote:

...
I read in a book about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars that the
British did some research in this area and decided to built their warships
in Britain out of oak and pine rather than teak, even though structurally
the teak was superior, because they found that splinter wounds from teak
("splinter" in this case is the aftermath of a cannonball going through the
side of the ship and we might think of it today as "wooden shrapnel")
almost invariably turned septic but oak and pine usually did not.

Of course they never were sophisticated enough to realize that a
cannonball would -most often- bounce off of a teak hull.
...

As someone else already noted, the process of bouncing off can (and
often did) create "splinters" on the other side--essentially the
equivalent of spalling in concrete. Whatever they were, the British
Navy was not unsophisticated in relation to the state of the art at the
time...

I read it - the poster is incorrect


The history of Teak wood

First, a little history lesson:

It is not a well known fact, but is has been written that the Chinese
have been renowned sailors for generations. Many of their ships were
built and designed to not only sail in the oceans, but also to move up
river. Much of the trade then, was done several thousand miles up
river and not out in the ocean. These ships needed to be versatile,
durable, and tough.

The wood used to build these early Chinese ships was Teak. It is also
said that the Chinese shipbuilders would bury the wood logs in moist
soil for years prior to building their ships. This made the wood much
stronger and impervious to anything that could be encountered on the
high seas,including enemies. Why was this important? It was important
because approx. 600 years ago the Chinese were set out on a task by
the Ming dynasty to sail to the edge of the world. Apparently they
circumnavigated the world several times. But this is going off to
another subject. Let’s get back to the subject at hand (I'll bet you
didn't know that you would actually be learning something too?).

Later in years, British naval ships were made from Oak, also a very
hard and durable wood. The British encountered two problems with oak:
Wood Worms and a lack of Oak trees. Woodworms were destroying the
ships in the British Naval Fleet. Woodworms were the scourge of wooden
ships throughout history. It could take 850 oak logs to repair one
ship. It took a little over 2000 oak logs just to build one ship. The
British needed ships as they continued for some time to have maritime
issues with the French and to be able to go on to conquer and take
control of British colonies. The British naval fleet was their primary
means to accomplish this.

The Oak supply in Europe was being quickly depleted. They knew about
the Teak wood used on the Chinese ships and how rugged they were after
having run into them, literally in the shipping lanes. The British had
learned how impervious these ships were to all of the elements at sea:
Sal****er, ocean wind, and the blistering sun. It was also learned
then that Teak was found to not to splinter when hit by gunfire or
artillery fire. This was a very important issue as splintering wood
was the chief cause of casualties among naval warfare in the
eighteenth century.

Britain was very interested to grow and produce this wood. The British
quickly realized they did not need to grow Teak Wood as they could
annex those countries where the Teak wood was grown and have a
plentiful supply. India, Thailand and Burma were quickly annexed into
the British empire. It is not to say this is why the British took over
these areas, but it certainly helped to give reason. Myanmar (formerly
Burma), which is just south of India, and Yangoon became the first
places where Teak was being harvested for British ships. Calcutta was
set up as another British shipbuilding site. All of the British
merchant ships built in Calcutta were built with Myanmar Teak logs
which were said to be the best. Once the wood was depleted from India,
logs were harvested from Thailand and Burma.

Teak forests were quickly being depleted. Teak was now the preferred
wood used for building ships, Yachts, Ocean liners and furniture.
Under ocean conditions, the wood had very little shrinkage or warpage.
This meant little maintenance. The wood was also impervious to wood
rot and insects, like the mighty woodworm. The famous Ocean liner
“Queen Mary” used no less than 1000 tons of teak when built. The
British quickly realized the depletion that was taking place and
developed a re-forestation plan. They appointed a leader to head this
new bureau and began replanting Teak trees on what are now called Teak
“plantations”. A set of very strict laws were enacted regarding who
can cut Teak Wood and who can purchase it. Once these laws were set in
place, one needed to have permission from the British Government to be
able to cut a Teak Tree down and or export it.

Teak was also being used by the locals for huts, fence posts, and
furniture. India is the third largest importer of Teak today, behind
China and Japan. As much as 80% of India’s timber consumption is Teak.
The wood is used in India today for local consumption; building homes,
furniture, fencing, etc. It is the one wood that can withstand the
monsoons, the blistering heat and the humidity. It is the wood that
all other timber species are compared to.

Teak Wood contains natural oil and Silica (sand) which makes it
impervious to insects, and wood rot. These substances also help it to
maintain it luster for many, many years, but make it a little more
difficult for the manufactures as their blades tend to dull sooner.

When many of the English ships of WWII were taken apart for salvage,
the Teak Wood decks were re-manufactured into outdoor furniture like
park benches. Even today they can be seen in many parts of Europe
still functioning.

Demand for Teak wood

Most of the Teak grown today is grown on Plantations that are governed
by the local governments. The demand for Teak is growing at an
estimated 10% per year. Teak is a heavily regulated (and rightfully
so) commodity, and is sold through the auction process. Teak is not
very easy to get. There are regulatory permits that must be purchased
and other expenses that go along with regulation. For example, once
purchased, it is usually the purchasing companies’ responsibility to
provide transportation if the wood is to be exported and certain
countries have regulations on how many logs can be exported.
Currently, Java, Indonesia is the largest exporter of Teak. There are
several companies that are located in Java that will process and
fashion the Teak into furniture, or planks for flooring or siding, and
then export the finished item or semi finished item to countries
around the world.

Teak grows very rapidly but still takes approx. 50 years to mature.
Many countries are reviewing the possible rotation after 30 or 40
years. This is mainly due to the large demand for Teak. The consensus
with this rotation is that the wood will not be inferior at that rate.
There are some countries that are trying tree rotation after only 25
years. The results are timber that is smaller in diameter, color, and
grain.

So, when add it all up, you get a much better understanding not only
of what the hype about Teak Wood is all about, but the numerous
qualities of Teak Wood and the supply and demand side of Teak Wood.

Many people for generations have been enjoying the warm benefits of
owning Teak Wood products. Outdoor Teak Wood furniture is a Standard
for many families and in many gardens, terraces, patios, verandas,
ships, and yachts around the world. If you are investing in outdoor
furniture, you really owe it to yourself to step into the world of
Teak.

By: Michael Ochoa

Michael Ochoa operates Macs Teak Furniture website at
http://www.macs-teakfurniture.com This website specializes in sales of
Quality Teak Outdoor Patio Furniture and provides free shipping
anywhere in the United States. Make sure to visit Macs Teak Furniture
to learn more about Teak Outdoor Patio Furniture.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGarden.com