The wood inside my Catalina 30 looks descent, but I would mind having a varnished interior. Would I have to strip the wood to bare wood to put varnish on or can varnish be applied over teak oil?
Interior Wood Finish
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"Would I have to strip the wood to bare wood to put varnish on or can varnish be applied over teak oil?"
I have varnished the interior of all my boats. The last one had an acre of it. I used acetone to remove the oils and bronze wool to rough it up before that. Then I sanded with a fine paper lightly. I used a variety of varnishes over the years and have come to the conclusion that a decent quality hardware varnish is just fine for interior work. It sure is a labor-saver once you get it done. I used to (rather wife used to) oil once every three or four months. Now, it's just a dusting and refinishing fiddles every couple of years. After a terrible experience with a water-based varnish a few years ago, I avoided it like the plague. Recently, I refinished my steps and chart table with a Helmsman water-based semi-gloss polyurethane and it flowed well and came out just fine, so don't avoid it (SoCal is low-VOC formulation only). I use a good foam brush and a licht scuffing in between coats and follow the manufacturer's recommendations on the number of coats instead of everone's recommendation of 24 or so
(Just kidding)
I have varnished the interior of all my boats. The last one had an acre of it. I used acetone to remove the oils and bronze wool to rough it up before that. Then I sanded with a fine paper lightly. I used a variety of varnishes over the years and have come to the conclusion that a decent quality hardware varnish is just fine for interior work. It sure is a labor-saver once you get it done. I used to (rather wife used to) oil once every three or four months. Now, it's just a dusting and refinishing fiddles every couple of years. After a terrible experience with a water-based varnish a few years ago, I avoided it like the plague. Recently, I refinished my steps and chart table with a Helmsman water-based semi-gloss polyurethane and it flowed well and came out just fine, so don't avoid it (SoCal is low-VOC formulation only). I use a good foam brush and a licht scuffing in between coats and follow the manufacturer's recommendations on the number of coats instead of everone's recommendation of 24 or so
(Just kidding)
Bad, we did this job to our Ericson last winter. There is a lot of wood in her. We used Captain John's teak cleaner for step 1. Step 2 we used a water/bleach/tide mixture and step 3 was sanding. We finished with Varathane oil based semi gloss poly and are very happy with the results. See the link below for a complete write up with photos.
http://treilley.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album26
http://treilley.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album26
That's an awful lotta work to avoid using teak oil once or twice a year. We do sections at a time and has never been an issue for us. I personally don't like "shiny" down below, although I recognize that there are satin varnish finishes. We really like our "plain" teak and find it much warmer than the varnished boats we've been on. Since your boat is our vintage, too, you don't have the crazy water based crap Catalina used on the Mark II models. Your boat, your choice.
Daly's Seafin is a great product. The more coats you apply the more gloss you get. Basically a matt finish which is the boat for most boats in my opinion.
A (tung) oil based varnish will better be able to get any remaining original oil back into solution.
But .... you really have to decide if the original oil finish has begun to radically oxidize. Nothing in the world looks worse than an oil finish that has begun to oxidize ... it begins to look like the inside of a tomb as it turns darker and darker. The best always is to strip and sand down to raw wood so that you get 'even' color from your coating; otherwise, if you dont completely remove/extract the old oil you may wind up with a case of the 'blotches' when you lay down new varnish. The use of an oil based varnish over a previously oil surface minimizes the 'blotches' or unequal color development.
Its better to strip and re-do an oil finished interior with varnish to prevent the ultimate oxidation and severe darkening of the oil finish. Varnish will keep your interior 'bright' for years. The 'black' that one sees on most of the old sailing ships wasnt black paint ... its probably a once 'bright' oil finish that has now totally oxidized to black.
My $.02.
Originally varnishes were made from oils and maybe some pine sap and whatnot.
Teak oil has some Tung oil in it. Tung oil has Linseed and some other oils in it.
Varnish and teak oil are not such incompatible products in reality.
I think that RichH has outlined the best procedure for varnishing over a teak oiled surface.
Oil it. Let it soak in. Wipe it down with acetone really well.
Varnish with a compatible varnish (eg. not a synthetic 2 part varnish per se, but a varnish that has Tung oil as one of its main components).
Teak oil makes real teak wood look so beautiful and it soaks in deeper into the teak then most varnishes will. I guess this is why they always say to thin the first coats of varnish and then go with several more coats at full strength.
Originally varnishes were made from oils and maybe some pine sap and whatnot.
Teak oil has some Tung oil in it. Tung oil has Linseed and some other oils in it.
Varnish and teak oil are not such incompatible products in reality.
I think that RichH has outlined the best procedure for varnishing over a teak oiled surface.
Oil it. Let it soak in. Wipe it down with acetone really well.
Varnish with a compatible varnish (eg. not a synthetic 2 part varnish per se, but a varnish that has Tung oil as one of its main components).
Teak oil makes real teak wood look so beautiful and it soaks in deeper into the teak then most varnishes will. I guess this is why they always say to thin the first coats of varnish and then go with several more coats at full strength.
I might go back to Daly's seafin. I used that in my Hunter 22 and the wood looked incredible. I really don't feel like sanding everything and doing all that work. My woodwork inside looks great right now so I may just spend my spring sailing instead of sanding then!
Bad - a compromise that may work for you:
Mix up 25% oil based varnish to 75% Daly's or other interior oil. This is called 'resinated' oil (Daly's may already have some varnish in it ????!!). Apply Thick but dont let it run, several coats, allow to cure for several months, then flat sand and polish. This will give a sheen similar to straight varnish, last as long as varnish (in interiors) ... is easily 'repairable' and easily removable (with caustics) and can be hand-rubbed to a brilliant gloss (or semi-gloss or satin). It does eventually darken as do most 'oil finishes'.
Mix up 25% oil based varnish to 75% Daly's or other interior oil. This is called 'resinated' oil (Daly's may already have some varnish in it ????!!). Apply Thick but dont let it run, several coats, allow to cure for several months, then flat sand and polish. This will give a sheen similar to straight varnish, last as long as varnish (in interiors) ... is easily 'repairable' and easily removable (with caustics) and can be hand-rubbed to a brilliant gloss (or semi-gloss or satin). It does eventually darken as do most 'oil finishes'.
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