Automotive Clear on Teak??

RichH · Apr 17, 2013

Heavy build up of clear urethane usually wind up cracking with age.
Wood is an organic which changes dimensions with age and water absorption content; if your coating is 'hard' such as an alkyd enamel base (Cetol) or urethane base (Bristol) it eventually will crack. Even varnish, that becomes embrittled with age and sun exposure will crack.

My experience with Honey Teak (A urethane-acrylic co-polymer system) is: it remains flexible for up to 12 years even with THICK coatings, has sufficient UV blocker to prevent destruction of the surface wood cells (now supposedly has enhanced nano-sized ferrous oxide particles for UV blocking) .... but after 10-12 years, it too has to be stripped when it loses its 'flexibility'.
HT needs an occasional 'clear coat' maintenance to look 'dazzling'; the clear coat doesnt have any UV blocker, yet can be power-buffed (w/3M Perfect-it™, etc.) instead of 'overcoating' every ~2 years ... keeps the clear coat thin and flexible, hence no cracking.
HT is best applied in cool/cold weather to allow best 'flow out' and 'flatness'. HT is probably the MOST expensive of all the marine coatings, but when you amortize over the years it turns out as the cheapest in cost and TIME. There is a VERY high learning curve with Honey Teak, to get it 'right'.

Even automobiles with clear coats will usually need restoration of the urethane clear coat after 10-12 years, sometimes sooner.

Again, heres a pic of my boat with Honey Teak thats now 13 years old (but with some major repairs due to water migration at scarfs, etc.). All these surfaces are flat-sanded and power-buffed. Only potential problem with Honey Teak is that its a small, independent sole proprietorship that will be vulnerable if anything happens to the owner ... as has happened with Ultimate Sole:

Ray Bowles · Apr 17, 2013

Sumner, When we were living aboard and crusing our 38 Island Packet in the Gulf, Keys and Bahamas we were told to use a product called "Bristol" which was a 2 part product. The previous owners had applied it when they were in Italy 5 years before we bought the boat. The finish was beautiful to say the least. It had the deep teak warmth that we looked for. It lasts forever.
They told me to touch up any problem areas as soon as possible by sanding out the cracked area where you could see that the product was pulling away from the teak. The repair was done the same as any new application. It was a 2 part product and you needed to have the temp between 70 and 80 degrees for best ressults. After sanding or cleaning the area to be covered you let it dry if necessary and then mixed the material and applied it with a good quality brush. 6 to 7 coats needed to be applied and it could be laid down and reapplied as soon as the previous coat was tacky. You did not want it to dry out between coats. The material has a long open time and I never had any problem getting the 7 coats on before it set up.
I still use it today back here in Washington State only it's hard waiting for a 70 degree day.
It is called Bristol and is advertized in the sailing mag's and is a direct ordered product and the company gets it out quickly. It is quite spendy and I think the last time I bought a quart it was about $70 but that was enought to do the IP 38 over 2 times.
Good Luck'
Ray.
PS. This year I will make it to Speed Week, so there!

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Apr 18, 2013

Sprayed the wooden mast on the boat over 4 years ago with acrylic auto clear coat. Boat has been over 7000 miles cruising since and mast still is perfect- not a crack, not a flaw.

Problem was it HAD to be sprayed- dried way way to fast for brushing. Ten minutes and the next coat could go. Did 4 coats in an afternoon, sanded next day and shot final.

philwsailz · Apr 18, 2013

I bought a vintage Wagemake Wolverine from a guy who "Wanted to finish it one last time to last forever". He had sprayed it with multiple coats of automotive clear. It was beautiful, but it scared me, so I always kept it indoors and dried it thoroughly the couple of times I used it. I had a money-making opportunity so I sold it to a doctor friend. He kept it under a tarp at his spot at the lake. In 6 months the finish was gone, flaked off from wood movement.....

My advice is to NEVER use automotive finished on outdoor wood. my reading and experience says it is completely incompatible.

Roadking Larry · Apr 18, 2013

Sumner said:
Thanks for the info I've seen the Bristol advertised and comparisons between it and others and it looks like a good product.

http://www.signaturefinish.com/fabula_practical_sailor.pdf

I probably should just bite the bullet and buy it or the Honey Teak, but think I'll do a test like I mentioned over the next 10 months or so. I can always use the Summit paint on a car project if it doesn't work out.

I bought 2 turbos for Hooley's Stude and stopped on the way here and he mounted them while I mounted 2 ice water intercoolers. We will stop on the way home and help some more. We sure hope to have the car at Speed Week so look us up. Here is a link to the work being done this year.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/Hooley 2013/13 - construction menu.html

I'll make....

.... the rear wing when I get home for the car and we will put it on when he gets to my place. Hooley has extended the nose 2 feet and John will get the car soon to extend the body also. Hopefully it ends up close to the rendering I did above. I have lots more pictures but haven't found time to post them yet,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Small world. Hooley was my next door neighbor when I was a kid. I still live near the same town and see him on a regular basis.

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Apr 18, 2013

Note that I said ACRYLIC clear coat. There is a difference in products. The stuff we used is made by Dupont, who makes Imron paints. I can get the product names tomorrow.

Roadking Larry · Apr 18, 2013

Sumner said:
Stop over when we are there, probably the first part of June,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Will do.
I mentioned seeing this here to my wife. Seems she had some email correspondance with you a few years ago when she did a magazine article on Hooley and his car. If thing go like I hope they will I may have a Mac 26-S by then, I'd already been studying your website pages.