Hey, woodworking gurus?

Gene Neill

Gene Neill

.
Sep 30, 2013
3,582
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
I dug these two teak racks out of the shed today, and would like to spruce them up just a little before putting them into service. They came off a boat I cannibalized, so I don't know what the finish is. Is there a way to tell? It seems like it would take years to sand them down, and I don't want to make a career out of them. If I thought they were Cetol, I could just slop another coat on them, buuuut ...

Any thoughts?

 
Dave602

Dave602

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Jan 22, 2008
319
Hunter 29.5 Gloucester, VA
Looks like a varnish from what I can see in the picture. Get some stripper to strip it off then sand and finish
 
Kingjim91

Kingjim91

.
Jul 6, 2013
223
Catalina 30TR, Atomic 4 2480 Milwaukee
I like MinWax Furniture Restorer. It removes the varnish, but doesn't bleach the wood or raise the grain.
For finishing, I like Watco Teak Oil.
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Take some LA's Totally Ausom and wash them first if it is teak oil it will desolve and wash clean may take a couple try's then go from there
 
Terry Cox

Terry Cox

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Dec 25, 2000
5,902
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
If it were my choice, based on the condition of what you show in the photo, Formby makes a product that restores finishes, basically a cleaner. The original finish looks in good condition and the finish cleaner should remove all of the old gunk; wax, polish, dirt, etc. I would try that before stripping and refinishing.
 
BigEasy

BigEasy

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Jun 21, 2004
2,768
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Gene,
It doesn't look like Cetol; probably varnish or poly. You're correct, it would take a few days to strip, sand, seal, stain, and varnish the piece. Would be difficult with all of the spindles and internal surfaces. As Terry mentioned, you might try the Formby's routine first,by using their product called buildup remover and following with lemon oil treatment or almond lustre treatment. You can view the Formby's products at www.formbys.com/products. If you decide to strip & restain, you might try sealing it with a couple coats of Deft polyurethane its easy to use, flows well, and provides a nice finish. If its too glossy, you can knock off some of the gloss with fine grade steel wool or fine grade 3M pad and put a coat of Johnson & Johnson paste wax on it to add depth.
Its really a nice piece. Guess you need to decide if you want a vintage look or new finish look!
 
Ken13559

Ken13559

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Oct 29, 2005
2,362
Hunter Marine 326 303 Singapore
Recently I refresh my cabin wood with Howard Restor-A-Finish and finish off with Howard Feed-N-Wax. It looks beautiful. You can check Youtube videos on Howard Product. It is simple to use.
 
TomY

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,768
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
It looks like varnish or some other clear finish, that's in good condition. You might just wash it and scuff it smooth with a Scothbrite pad and put a coat of spar varnish on it.
 
Alansails

Alansails

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Oct 3, 2011
832
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
We love Tung Oil once stripped/finish removed put coats of Tung Oil on, they dry to a really hard finish but looks great-natural.
That is a pretty piece.
 
DougM

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
Being somewhat lazy and hating to work with furniture strippers, I would take them to a professional furniture refinisher with a dip tank. Then do your own refinishing. You would be working for days with dental tools and toothbrushes to properly strip the finish around spindles and moldings. I have more time than money, and I still wouldn't attempt it, although the finished product might be well worth the effort.
 
kito

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
I had the same over varnished teak in my boat too. No sense knocking yourself out. Just get some Citrustrip (orange stuff) , give it a good coat and wait 30 minutes and scrape off. You may have to apply another coat depending on how thick it is. Clean with a teak cleaner and lightly sand when dry. Apply a couple coats of oil.
 
Parsons

Parsons

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Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Thanks for the SeaTeak link Tom. I've been looking for some things like that to replace some of the basic plastic or metal finishes around the cabin.
 
centerline

centerline

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Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Justin_NSA said:
Not just lazy, but some of the suggestions amount to almost as much as a new one. Your time is worth something too!
Good find Tom!
FWIW, Bed Bath and Beyond carries them too. You wouldn't have to pay for shipping
Click to expand
I agree that the cost of refurbishing can be somewhat expensive..... one can also buy a 4ft section of "galley rail" at home depot for $20 and make your own design of whatever size you want, then stain it whatever color you want.
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,753
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
When my Mom wanted to refinish some chairs she found a commercial stripper. They had a tank of something strong. They dipped the chairs in the tank and the old finish dissolved. She cleaned up the remaining bits and had renewed chairs to restore. Might be an idea for your small project.
 
NotCook

NotCook

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Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Kris Cringle said:
It looks like varnish or some other clear finish, that's in good condition. You might just wash it and scuff it smooth with a Scothbrite pad and put a coat of spar varnish on it.
Click to expand
That was my thought exactly. I'd start there before I went to the extreme of stripping it. Lightly sand to remove anything lose or discolored, and to give the next coat something to stick to, and apply a couple coats of good spar varnish. If it doesn't look good, you can do on of the more aggressive approaches. OTOH, if the finish is cracked and brittle, this may not be effective.
 
CloudDiver

CloudDiver

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Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Whenever I have a difficult stripping job I go into the very bottom drawer of my big tool box and take out an ancient leather bag that has been passed down in my family for generations....
I reach in the leather bag and pull out Medusa's head to show in the direction of the the offending surface. Paint and varnish just jump off the substrate and blows away in little chips (easy vacuum clean up). I usually wear my welding mask when I do this... don't want get the 'business end' toward the operator's face, very dangerous.
 
Gene Neill

Gene Neill

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Sep 30, 2013
3,582
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
What are you doing with my mother in law's head in a leather bag?? Be careful with that thing, it's more dangerous than you could possibly realize!
 
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