I have removed several peices of interior teak and cleaned it up nicely. It came out well compared to the condition it was before. I am planning to use Minwax Helmsman Spar poly to seal the wood. My question is, do most people stain the teak before the varnish? The reason I ask is because the process I used to clean involved bleaching the wood. I really like the look of the wood when it is wet - deeper colors, nice grain. I am guessing that when I varnish the bleached wood it will keep the "blonde" color, not the "oiled" or "wet" look. Maybe I am wrong. Thanks!!
Do you stain teak before varnishing??
- Thread starter deeman7777
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Teak Oil
We used teak oil after extensive cleaning and before Helmsman Spar Urethane when we did our restoration work this Spring. Applied 2 or 3 coats of each. Very pleased with the results - it did darken the wood. I think we used a brand called Seabowld, but we've used other brands with equally good results.
We used teak oil after extensive cleaning and before Helmsman Spar Urethane when we did our restoration work this Spring. Applied 2 or 3 coats of each. Very pleased with the results - it did darken the wood. I think we used a brand called Seabowld, but we've used other brands with equally good results.
Test it, first.
I have used helmsman on teak without staining. The teak will naturally darken when the poly is added to it. Test a spare piece first to see if you like it.
I have used helmsman on teak without staining. The teak will naturally darken when the poly is added to it. Test a spare piece first to see if you like it.
Mike M...oil then varnish?
Mike M....are you indicating that you use teak oil as a "base-coat" then apply poly varnish over the oiled teak - like a sealer?
Mike M....are you indicating that you use teak oil as a "base-coat" then apply poly varnish over the oiled teak - like a sealer?
Yes - Oil First
deeman - On our H23 we used teak oil, first, on all trim, including toe and hand rails. We also used teak oil on the salon table and the wood divider between the v berth and main salon, although I'm pretty sure that wood isn't teak (it is lighter in color, but that could also be the result of the original finish). Then we applied the Helmsman Spar Urethane. We used red oak stain on the plywood seating/storage structure below, followed by the Helmsman. In fact, we tried teak oil there also but it didn't adequately color the stains that had developed from mold. I did wash first with a clorox solution and sanded fairly heavily. The mold itself is dead/gone, but the plywood still had stains. The boat had really been neglected, allowed to get wet inside and never dried out. Anyway, the Admiral did the lion's share of the wood refinishing with amazing results. You can see your reflection in the table and cabin divider, and you can bounce bullets off all of it without marring the finish. I apologize for not having a picture. The window and companionway trim turned out darker than the hand rails, not exactly sure why, but they are all beautiful and not positioned side by side. By the way, I masked like an obsessive fool (which basically, I am) and it really paid off. Just don't let the masking stay in place too long after you are done, especially topsides - it leaves a sticky mess. By the way - don't get the oil on your gel coat - it stains it. Oil first - then urethane.... Mike
deeman - On our H23 we used teak oil, first, on all trim, including toe and hand rails. We also used teak oil on the salon table and the wood divider between the v berth and main salon, although I'm pretty sure that wood isn't teak (it is lighter in color, but that could also be the result of the original finish). Then we applied the Helmsman Spar Urethane. We used red oak stain on the plywood seating/storage structure below, followed by the Helmsman. In fact, we tried teak oil there also but it didn't adequately color the stains that had developed from mold. I did wash first with a clorox solution and sanded fairly heavily. The mold itself is dead/gone, but the plywood still had stains. The boat had really been neglected, allowed to get wet inside and never dried out. Anyway, the Admiral did the lion's share of the wood refinishing with amazing results. You can see your reflection in the table and cabin divider, and you can bounce bullets off all of it without marring the finish. I apologize for not having a picture. The window and companionway trim turned out darker than the hand rails, not exactly sure why, but they are all beautiful and not positioned side by side. By the way, I masked like an obsessive fool (which basically, I am) and it really paid off. Just don't let the masking stay in place too long after you are done, especially topsides - it leaves a sticky mess. By the way - don't get the oil on your gel coat - it stains it. Oil first - then urethane.... Mike
You wouldn't normally have to stain teak
I'm not going to say any of the other respondents are wrong, but based on my experience with several types of product, it would be unlikely and, in most cases, undesirable to stain teak before finishing unless you want a very dark effect. With Teaqua, which is a very popular (and lightly tinted) teak oil, the super-light spots caused by sanding and scrubbing with teak cleaner finished to the same hue as the rest of the surface. This was true of teak laminate plywood as well as solid fiddle rails. with clear epoxy, teak plywood finishes dark and with a uniform color. With Epifanes traditional varnish, both gloss and matte, the teak finished with a uniform dark tone, both veneer and hardwood. Ordinary teak oil does not have all of the darkening and evening qualities of the above products, so testing a sample of your material is important...
I'm not going to say any of the other respondents are wrong, but based on my experience with several types of product, it would be unlikely and, in most cases, undesirable to stain teak before finishing unless you want a very dark effect. With Teaqua, which is a very popular (and lightly tinted) teak oil, the super-light spots caused by sanding and scrubbing with teak cleaner finished to the same hue as the rest of the surface. This was true of teak laminate plywood as well as solid fiddle rails. with clear epoxy, teak plywood finishes dark and with a uniform color. With Epifanes traditional varnish, both gloss and matte, the teak finished with a uniform dark tone, both veneer and hardwood. Ordinary teak oil does not have all of the darkening and evening qualities of the above products, so testing a sample of your material is important...
Rich, thanks for your post...
I have a can of Epiphanes varnish, and was wondering how it would turn out. I wanted to do a bit at a time...handrails first, then the companionway area next year (I have an enclosure and that area isn't in need of varnish yet) But the companionway varnish seems to be a rich dark varnish. Would the Epiphanes give a rich/dark enough appearance to match the companionway area or would it look awkward? What do you think? Thanks, Rob
I have a can of Epiphanes varnish, and was wondering how it would turn out. I wanted to do a bit at a time...handrails first, then the companionway area next year (I have an enclosure and that area isn't in need of varnish yet) But the companionway varnish seems to be a rich dark varnish. Would the Epiphanes give a rich/dark enough appearance to match the companionway area or would it look awkward? What do you think? Thanks, Rob
Epifanes good for interior, maybe not exterior
Rob, there was a string within the last year where people discussed exterior varnishes and Epifanes didn't get good reviews for that purpose--people didn't feel it lasted well. My experience was with using the "Hand rubbed effect varnish" on interior surfaces. I was blown away with how beautiful this finish was and how well it filled irregular surfaces, so here's my summary on it: --finishes dark. Teak laminated plywood will come out the same shade as teak oiled with Teaqua. This was true of the Epifanes "Woodfinish Gloss", too. --works best on horizontal surfaces that can be removed from the boat (under-seat hatches, shelves, etc.). I avoided using it on vertical surfaces because I feared it would run; --says it should be applied over an initial coat of their "woodfinish gloss" varnish, but I found it applied well over polyurethanes and epoxies, just needed longer drying time; --has amazing properties for filling in surfaces. I couldn't believe how it completely flattened dents and nail holes after 3 or more coats; --sand as directed with 320 grit paper (by hand) and apply at least 3 coats.
Rob, there was a string within the last year where people discussed exterior varnishes and Epifanes didn't get good reviews for that purpose--people didn't feel it lasted well. My experience was with using the "Hand rubbed effect varnish" on interior surfaces. I was blown away with how beautiful this finish was and how well it filled irregular surfaces, so here's my summary on it: --finishes dark. Teak laminated plywood will come out the same shade as teak oiled with Teaqua. This was true of the Epifanes "Woodfinish Gloss", too. --works best on horizontal surfaces that can be removed from the boat (under-seat hatches, shelves, etc.). I avoided using it on vertical surfaces because I feared it would run; --says it should be applied over an initial coat of their "woodfinish gloss" varnish, but I found it applied well over polyurethanes and epoxies, just needed longer drying time; --has amazing properties for filling in surfaces. I couldn't believe how it completely flattened dents and nail holes after 3 or more coats; --sand as directed with 320 grit paper (by hand) and apply at least 3 coats.
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