Bulkhead veneer type

OK I've searched thru the forum but I haven't found a definitive answer. I'm trying to make a table to color match the wood on the bulkhead and interior of my 74 E27. I think it's a mahogany, maybe extinct, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding a match. All the mahogany I find is either red or brown instead of the nice warm honey color I seek. It isn't a teak is it? I tried staining a pink mahogany underlay but that was a bust. The closest match I can find is a veneer called Sapele. Any insights? Also any recommendations on verneer (paper back, wood back) and glue types. Thanks for any input.

Cheers, Gare

If it's like mine, it is some kind of mahogany. I added a number of projects and I think the color matched pretty well on maybe one of three trips to the lumber yard. Seems like there's quite a lot of variation in the stuff that they have in the "mahogany" bin, from time to time.
Also the mahogany veneer door-skin that I used for door panel insets was much darker, but that ends up looking sort of OK, framed in the lighter stiles and rails. Sanding down the old stuff and refinishing both the old and new with the same stains helped a lot. I've been using something called "honey oak" but it's not nearly dark enough to match the old stain.

BTW: The best match that I could find for the laminate counter tops was Wilsonart Laminate 4942-38 "crisp linen." That's what I used for my tabletop and chart table. (Over plywood with mahogany trim.) Much cheaper than solid wood and to my mind, lightens up the cabin somewhat. Huh. The "blog entries" with those pics have disappeared (and some much older ones have reappeared.) Will see if I can dig one up. Of course, I don't know if they used the same laminate on all boats.

Older example.

Early version of the table, FWIW. I'm adding thin rails to the center section, so that it it holds beverages, condiments, etc, even when the leaves are folded. Guess I don't have a photo of the piece of "old" mahogany that I refinished. Out of the frame to the right. It may be a matter of experimenting with different stains... (See comments left by others in the link above.)
With the blue upholstery (in progress, one cushion at a time) the look is starting to come together.

Rockler has a good write-up on veneering. I have several times used their sticky-back teak veneer, which can turn any piece of plywood into what appears to be teak, and takes varnish just like teak. Sticky-back only works for small areas, though, or areas of straightforward application--because you can't move it around once it goes on.

One of the problems with matching veneer is that the original changes color with age. Note how the bulkhead protected by cushions is much dark, 30 years later. If you will have the yacht 30 more years, go darker to get lighter.

Thanks Toddster, looking good. So it seems there are a multitude of mahoganies out there. I bought some African cause it looked lighter than the Honduran and Cuban the woodyard had. It turned out to be quite brown. I'll keep at it but this project, like many is morphing into a can of worms.

Cheers, gare

Thanks Christian, I've been looking at veneersupplies.com, they seem to be user friendly albeit sales driven but I'll have a look at Rockler. Much appreciated.

Cheers, gare

In this article I discuss different types of mahogany. I've used quite a bit of sapele in my E25. I first stain it with Pettit Brown Mahogany Stain, then apply Epiphanes varnish. This has given me a close match to the original mahogany in the boat.

http://www.ericson25.com/2012/11/companionway-hatch-construction-part-i.html

Roscoe
E25, #226
Oystercatcher

davisr said:

In this article I discuss different types of mahogany. I've used quite a bit of sapele in my E25. I first stain it with Pettit Brown Mahogany Stain, then apply Epiphanes varnish. This has given me a close match to the original mahogany in the boat.

http://www.ericson25.com/2012/11/companionway-hatch-construction-part-i.html

Roscoe
E25, #226
Oystercatcher

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Roscoe, you're one talented dude.

Alan Gomes said:

Roscoe, you're one talented dude.

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Thanks for the link Alan, awesome blog.

Cheers, gare

Alan Gomes said:

Roscoe, you're one talented dude.

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Thanx man.

I use Merranti marine plywood stained with Interlux Intersatin #42 (Brown Mahogany). It seems to be a pretty good match (grain and color) to my original bulkheads. When I replaced the laminate cabin table instead of trying to match the bulkhead, I used a teak and holly marine plywood edged in teak veneer.

Here's a good site to view options that are available.


http://www.boulterplywood.com/

Don

Thanx Dan, I appreciate it. Part of my problem is I'm reusing the leaf from the original table cause it's nicely figured and tiger striped. Today at the Home Hardware store I stumbled onto Virola wood. Supposedly the poor mans mahogany, the stuff I bought looks like a good match and I'm reading very positive things about it. Wish me luck.

Cheers, gare

Gary Holford said:

Thanx Dan, I appreciate it. Part of my problem is I'm reusing the leaf from the original table cause it's nicely figured and tiger striped. Today at the Home Hardware store I stumbled onto Virola wood. Supposedly the poor mans mahogany, the stuff I bought looks like a good match and I'm reading very positive things about it. Wish me luck.

Cheers, gare

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Your boat was almost certainly built with Phillipine mahogany veneer plywood, unless it was a special order. The honey brown color is derived from the finish, most likely varnish and also darkening from uv rays. Phillipine mahogany is known as the poor mans mahogany for it was much less expensive at the time than Honduran, however it is in the mahogany family. This Virola wood from what I gather, is a secondary wood that is sent to Mexico, for use in furniture and cabinets, and renamed "mahogany" before being sold. http://http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?1435-Anyone-used-Virola-wood-for-strip-building Basically it's junk wood. HTH

Martin