I agree with Kevink about teak, however there is a draw to using odd or exotic wood for a scale build. That said, I've used teak on boats I've built, furniture etc., and what's been said of using a solvent wipe before gluing or finishing is true. It is also true, if you've heard it, that when table-sawing the wood in the dark you get a sparking light show. I have come across the need for a teak colored stain to even out the look of certain pieces or to make the look of adjacent joinery more complementary in color. Some companies have this color but if you're left having to mix something, here's the tip. Teak has a lot of greyish looking grain as we as red and bluish green streaks or veins. As it weathers, it starts to go grey and in spots to white. On the Lakes people used to bleach their teak decks and cockpit soles.
So it seems to me that the Teak I'm using for coamings and rails is just for the "wow" of it, not the realism. Your stand or crib and baseplate for you model can carry that wow factor. The rails and other visible trim, a lot of scale modelers would say, should be the color and grain texture you would see from 100 to 300 feet. If you are mainly looking at it for 'wow' by all means use real teak and coat it lightly with a UV polyurethane or equivalent.
www.wood-database.com
