Does anyone know the finish used on the older Catalinas? I have a 1986 Catalina 30, and some of the interior wood needs a touchup. Most of it is very clean, but I need to put some oil, or stain, or whatever on it. Thanks!
interior finish?
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If you rub a little mineral spirits on an inconspicuous spot and it dissolves the finish, you've likely got polyurethane/varnish over the stain. If it does nothing, try some denatured alcohol. If that dissolves the finish, you've got shellac. HTH.
Thanks for the reply. I misspoke. I don't think there is a finish in the sense of either varnish or shellac; I think there is a stain or oil that has been applied to give it some color. The wood is still open grained, so it may be simply a stain, perhaps a mahagony?
There are a few variations of mahogany. Red, brown, and reddish-brown
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I've been involved in furniture building for a number of years, and the toughest job I've encountered is trying to match a certain color. Lighting, age of the piece and "proprietary" stains used by the manufacturers all conspire against an easy color match.
There are touch-up kits out there, but if you're doing more than just scratches, you may be better off re-doing the entire piece. Maybe try some oil-based Watco natural? Caution, it'll smell for awhile.
P.S.- Be careful with those oily rags.
.I've been involved in furniture building for a number of years, and the toughest job I've encountered is trying to match a certain color. Lighting, age of the piece and "proprietary" stains used by the manufacturers all conspire against an easy color match.
There are touch-up kits out there, but if you're doing more than just scratches, you may be better off re-doing the entire piece. Maybe try some oil-based Watco natural? Caution, it'll smell for awhile.
P.S.- Be careful with those oily rags.
Varnish will seal the pores of the wood & give you a shiny or wet look depending on the amount of gloss in the finish. Teak oils will help condition the wood, but can permanently darken it. Try simple cleaning of the wood first with a furniture based cleaner, such as Murphys oil soap that can remove some salt stains & oxidation. There are A LOT of different wood finishes out there on the store shelves as there are opinions on what looks best. I like the natural teak look without a lot of fuss.
I do not know what the factory used but I have found that wiping the interior wood with lemon oil or orange oil freshens up the look of the teak. It'll also make minor scratches blend in with the surrounding finish. I wipe down all my interior wood once per year and it still looks good (the boat is a 1984).
Randy
Randy
Thanks for the info guys. I know that matching stains can be next to impossible, especially with the passage of so many years. If I come up with some magic formula I will post it here.
I've been using Old English Dark inside the boat, seems to match the original really well and is easy to wipe on with a cloth
orange oil on interior wood
We have a 89 Cat 30, and I use orange oil on it every six months or so. Keeps it looking good and it smells good. The only place I've needed to do more in on the doors around the engine.
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