Brightwork

Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
I've been spending a few hours after work each night for the past few weeks trying to resurrect the gelcoat on Serenade. Last night I finally got to the point where I'm seeing some shine on most of the topsides. Since today is looking to be perfect temps for working on the exterior wood I've started sanding and cleaning the tiller and companionway covers. I bought some of the Total Boat teak cleaner, and will be using that. once it's all clean I'm going to try Minwax spar urethane on the tiller and several coats of teak oil on the companionway. that way I'll have a comparison to see which I like better after a summer at the lake.
 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
Beautiful! I don't have much experience, but I've been doing a lot of reading studying. I am going to need to get some better brushes, but so far things are looking good.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Be carefull with the Teak Cleaners. The 2 part cleaners are highly caustic, cause the grain to raise, and can lead to a washboard effect.

Teak Oil looks great for a week or so and then needs frequent cleaning and re-oiling. It also attracts dirt and will turn black.

I have long been a fan of Epifanes, however, the new Total Boat finishes from Jamestown Distributors are getting good reviews. I just did a teak cockpit table with TB Gleam and port frames with TB Halcyon Gloss and Semi-Gloss.

The secret to a good brightwork finish is multiple coats, at least 6 maybe as many as 9.

Here are some before and after photos of my cockpit table. Too many coats of semi-transparent Cetol vs 6+ coats of TB Gleam 2.0. The old finish was scraped off, not sanded, much easier and not as messy.

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Last edited:

Blitz

.
Jul 10, 2007
672
Seidelmann 34 Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Be carefull with the Teak Cleaners. The 2 part cleaners are highly caustic, cause the grain to raise, and can lead to a washboard effect.

Teak Oil looks great for a week or so and then needs frequent cleaning and re-oiling. It also attracts dirt and will turn black.

I have long been a fan of Epifanes, however, the new Total Boat finishes from Jamestown Distributors are getting good reviews. I just did a teak cockpit table with TB Gleam and port frames with TB Halcyon Gloss and Semi-Gloss.

The secret to a good brightwork finish is multiple coats, at least 6 maybe as many as 9.

Here are some before and after photos of my cockpit table. Too many coats of semi-transparent Cetol vs 6+ coats of TB Gleam 2.0. The old finish was scraped off, not sanded, much easier and not as messy.

View attachment 194682

View attachment 194683View attachment 194682
are the first and third pictures cetal?
 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
Thanks all. The teak cleaner was used OFF the boat. I sanded a lot of the old finish off, then hosed it off, then used the 2 part cleaner. It worked out really well on the small rails above the sliding hatch portion. The companionway covers worked decent, but not spectacular. I have to let everything dry for minimum 24 hrs before I start putting on the finish. I also got 2 coats of spar urethane on the tiller, and will probably put at least two more on (Minwax recommends 3).
Anyhoo, some pics of the progress:
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Jul 6, 2013
221
Catalina 30TR, Atomic 4 2480 Milwaukee
Here are some before and after photos of my cockpit table. Too many coats of semi-transparent Cetol vs 6+ coats of TB Gleam 2.0. The old finish was scraped off, not sanded, much easier and not as messy.



What did you use to remove the Cetol? My boat had Cetol on it when I bought it, but I would like to do something different.
 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
Dave, that TB gleam looks amazing. I have some in my cart ready for the next order.
I roped my boys into helping today, and so far we have finished polishing, got the new registration numbers/stickers on, waxed the topsides, serviced the outboard, greased trailer bearings and adjusted the trailer brakes. I also got another coat of urethane on the tiller. We are taking a little siesta now, and will be back at it later. The weather this weekend is spectacular, and I REALLY need to finish this up and get the boat on the water.
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When I started this the gelcoat was absolutely dead, heavily oxidized and no sheen whatsoever. You could move your hand along the hull 3 inches and it would be covered in white. Now there's beginning to be some reflection, and it's nice and smooth. I would say I'm 80% of the way back to a really nice finish. I still have to deal with the deck, and I don't know if I'll ever get that back to even 80%, but I don't need to do that to sail.
Now I just need to make the wiring safe and rig up a mast raising system and I'm ready for the water!
 
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capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Yes. And I just deleted the third picture as it was the same as the first.
Actually, we raise the grain 3 or 4 times to insure our first coat of varnish goes on a baby smooth surface.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
What did you use to remove the Cetol? My boat had Cetol on it when I bought it, but I would like to do something different.
I used a scraper like the one below from Wooden Boat Store. Keep it really sharp!

We, meaning my wife, just scraped all the Cetol off Second Star's toe rail. She found that sanding a bit with 80 grit and then scraping worked pretty well. We touched up a few spots with more sand paper and in some cases a little paint remover.

The toenails will be finished with Semco Teak Sealer. It seems to be a cross between an oil finish and a varnish. We'll see how it holds up.

When I started this the gelcoat was absolutely dead, heavily oxidized and no sheen whatsoever. You could move your hand along the hull 3 inches and it would be covered in white. Now there's beginning to be some reflection, and it's nice and smooth. I would say I'm 80% of the way back to a really nice finish. I still have to deal with the deck, and I don't know if I'll ever get that back to even 80%, but I don't need to do that to sail.
Now I just need to make the wiring safe and rig up a mast raising system and I'm ready for the water!
Looking good! Gelcoat has an amazing ability to come back with some elbow grease and a buffer. Check out the thread below for more info.

Actually, we raise the grain 3 or 4 times to insure our first coat of varnish goes on a baby smooth surface.
Usually I sand the surface down with 180 or 220 before varnishing and then apply multiple coats. Recently, I was talking to a couple of wooden boat aficionados who said they and the pros at the Clayton Antique Boat Museum only use 80 grit. They claim the multiple coats (9+) of good varnish smooth out the finish and there is no advantage to sanding with a finer grit.



 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
Yup, that link is where I started this journey and it's why I now own a rotary tool with a couple wool pads, along with a selection of compounds and polishes. :)
 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
Well, I'm calling the tiller done:
IMG_20210531_102107148_HDR.jpg


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While I had it apart I used some metal polish on the hardware also. It's not perfect, but it's dang sure better than it was!
I'm still working on the companionway covers. So far I have 5 coats on one side and I'm really hoping that tonight's was the last and I can start on the other!
 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
5 coats of spar urethane on the companionway covers, and the last coat had something go wrong. I'd call it a 10' finish...it looks decent from 10'. I think my brush must have started to break down or something, there's a bunch of little tiny specs scattered throughout that last coat. But, it's on the inside and I'd rather be sailing. So I'll sand it back down this winter and try again. For now, the wood is protected. First pic is interior, second is exterior (which was done first, then I flipped 'em over).
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I also used up a couple melamine sponges to clean up a couple of the older fenders. Those little things worked great at cleaning off several years of gunk and detritis. During the scrubbing pics below, and I'll have to get some after pics tomorrow in the sun:
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Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
5 coats of spar urethane on the companionway covers, and the last coat had something go wrong. I'd call it a 10' finish...it looks decent from 10'. I think my brush must have started to break down or something, there's a bunch of little tiny specs scattered throughout that last coat.
I've had similar issues with varnish. Once the varnish can is opened, the solvent begins to evaporate. This causes the varnish to become thicker resulting in poorer flow. Air bubbles that normally break and flow out no longer do so. The result is a surface with little bumps that look like grit on the finish. Some varnishes are more problematic than others in this regard.

The cure is pretty simple, a light sanding with 220 or 320 grit paper or a maroon scotchbrite pad and a new coat of varnish from a fresh can or thinned from the older can.

A second cause is dust that gets picked up by the brush and gets deposited into the varnish. Always strain the varnish when pooring from the can and when returning excess varnish back to the can. A small measuring cup or measuring spoon can be used as a ladle to keep the varnish from running down the sides.
 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
Thanks Dave! I was just dipping straight from the little container you see on the table, and it has been around several years. I guess both solvent evap and some dust/etc are probable causes. For coats 3 and 4 it was feeling a little thicker, so I poured a little mineral spirits in the can and mixed that before putting on the final coat. I'll thin and strain this fall when I get it back home. Any thoughts on a GOOD brush?