As we anticipate spring and non freezing days,I am going over my to do list for our boat. One of my to do's is to sand and urethane the cabin sole....I have no problem with this as I have done my previous 2 boats and a number of home hard wood floor projects. My question for the group is about the rest of the wood work. Our boat has a lot of beautiful woodwork,,,cabinets, bulkheads seate's,trimwork wood is the prodomite interior finish ....this wood has been oiled for the 18 years it has been installed in the boat....my wife actually loves to provide a layer of oil as we motor into our river and into our slip,,by the time we get to the dock she has done the intier interior....and it looks absolutly amazing...however the next week we come down it looks like it needs another coat again...by this continuious application of oil the wood has darkened over time. I have heard of bleaching the wood and starting again...but to tell you the truth I am pertified at applying bleach to the woodwork. I have heard of sanding then applying 2 coats of gloss urethane , sanding between coats on the 3rd and final coat apply a satin finish..... What are the feelings of the group???...oil vs eurethane?? Thanks Rob
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
C
Chris Burti
Oil v. 'thane.
There are a couple of issues in your query. If the Admiral loves the oil finish, stick with it. I have to suspect that you are not making the best choice of products though. Most teak oil sold in marine stores is crap. It is so diluted with thinner, in order to keep the price down, that you might as well be wiping down with mineral spirits. If the product comes in a clear bottle, shake it, the junk will actually foam. I can't recall the brand, but BUS carried one that was not their most expensive and didn't foam...still, too thin to suit me. A good grade of Tung oil typically has natural polymers (sometimes added) that will harden. The 'gloss' finishes aren't glossy but do contain more solids and will build up on the surface. An oil finish should last a couple of years, at least, on a boat without requiring renewal. I make furniture as an avocation and prefer oil finishes. I have pieces that we kept for our home and haven't required renewel in over ten years. Bleaching is no big deal, but is a messy job on a boat. The more teak that you can easily remove and do ashore, the better. Steer clear of the two-part bleaches... they require experience to get an even color. The best bleach for general use is oxalic acid. It is not as fast as the two part products but is much easier to control the color change across differing grains. It is a reducing agent and will not harm wood fibers as chlorine bleach will. Zud and Barkeeper's friend contain oxalic acid as their active ingredient if you have difficulty in getting the straight stuff. Now for the real dirt, I'll tell the horrifying tale of how I refinished the teak on my last boat... a thirty year old Cal-27 T/2. For those gentle souls who quake at non-traditional methods, please tune out now. First, I stripped the cupboards, lockers and entire cabin of every item stowed. This included anything installed that shouldn't be inundated...radio, clock, fire extinguishers, cushions, curtains, hanging decorations, mirrors, floorboards, etc., etc., etc. I then mixed up a batch of bleach with a little TSP in a garden sprayer and spray the entire interior of the boat and let it set while I drink a beer and swap lies with my dockmates. I then use my trusty 1200 psi electric (read..."cheapo") pressure washer set to a fan spray, to thoroughly clean the entire interior including the wood. This is also great for controlling mildew. After it dries, the wood needs to be lightly sanded with 180 grit sandpaper or a green 3M pad to smooth the raised grain. Do not use a finer grit, doing so actually closes the pores of the wood inconsistantly and you will get an uneven color. Now rub down with a high quality, high solids tung oil.
There are a couple of issues in your query. If the Admiral loves the oil finish, stick with it. I have to suspect that you are not making the best choice of products though. Most teak oil sold in marine stores is crap. It is so diluted with thinner, in order to keep the price down, that you might as well be wiping down with mineral spirits. If the product comes in a clear bottle, shake it, the junk will actually foam. I can't recall the brand, but BUS carried one that was not their most expensive and didn't foam...still, too thin to suit me. A good grade of Tung oil typically has natural polymers (sometimes added) that will harden. The 'gloss' finishes aren't glossy but do contain more solids and will build up on the surface. An oil finish should last a couple of years, at least, on a boat without requiring renewal. I make furniture as an avocation and prefer oil finishes. I have pieces that we kept for our home and haven't required renewel in over ten years. Bleaching is no big deal, but is a messy job on a boat. The more teak that you can easily remove and do ashore, the better. Steer clear of the two-part bleaches... they require experience to get an even color. The best bleach for general use is oxalic acid. It is not as fast as the two part products but is much easier to control the color change across differing grains. It is a reducing agent and will not harm wood fibers as chlorine bleach will. Zud and Barkeeper's friend contain oxalic acid as their active ingredient if you have difficulty in getting the straight stuff. Now for the real dirt, I'll tell the horrifying tale of how I refinished the teak on my last boat... a thirty year old Cal-27 T/2. For those gentle souls who quake at non-traditional methods, please tune out now. First, I stripped the cupboards, lockers and entire cabin of every item stowed. This included anything installed that shouldn't be inundated...radio, clock, fire extinguishers, cushions, curtains, hanging decorations, mirrors, floorboards, etc., etc., etc. I then mixed up a batch of bleach with a little TSP in a garden sprayer and spray the entire interior of the boat and let it set while I drink a beer and swap lies with my dockmates. I then use my trusty 1200 psi electric (read..."cheapo") pressure washer set to a fan spray, to thoroughly clean the entire interior including the wood. This is also great for controlling mildew. After it dries, the wood needs to be lightly sanded with 180 grit sandpaper or a green 3M pad to smooth the raised grain. Do not use a finer grit, doing so actually closes the pores of the wood inconsistantly and you will get an uneven color. Now rub down with a high quality, high solids tung oil.
M
Mark Bierei
I like polyurethane/varnish
I spent many hours deciding what to use on my cabin teak & holly sole boards. I chose Professional varethane from Home Depot satin finish. The varethane is a polyuethane and it works great and looks even better. For soles - its much harder and more resistant to scratching than the marine varnish. It is also so much easier to work with than regular marine varnish. That said, I still use varnishes for interior and exterior finishes such as hatch boards and cabinitry. Although after my experience with the way the varethane has worked on the cabin soles I am going to experiment with polyurethane for interior applications. All exterior finishes still use high quality varnish.
I spent many hours deciding what to use on my cabin teak & holly sole boards. I chose Professional varethane from Home Depot satin finish. The varethane is a polyuethane and it works great and looks even better. For soles - its much harder and more resistant to scratching than the marine varnish. It is also so much easier to work with than regular marine varnish. That said, I still use varnishes for interior and exterior finishes such as hatch boards and cabinitry. Although after my experience with the way the varethane has worked on the cabin soles I am going to experiment with polyurethane for interior applications. All exterior finishes still use high quality varnish.
R
Richard Marble
What I did
I have a 1981 Hunter with a lot of wood on the interior. When I got the boat it had always been oiled. It looked dull and dirty. I washed all wood surfaces with teak cleaner and rised them well until the rags were not stained after use. I then put on Saturn Minwax Spar urethane. It was like night and day. I did not use high gloss and I do not recommend high gloss. If you want to know why buy a small amount and put it on a flat vertical surface, someplace with about the same light that’s in your boat. After its dry take a good look at it. You will see every little imperfection there is. Heat the urethane up a little before you put it on (not hot) and it will have less of a tendency to run. Never put cold varnish on a worm surface. I do not think you need to bleach the wood. A good cleaning with teak cleaner should lighten it up just fine. If the wood is old and does not appear to be oily the urethane should stick. To see try a small area. You will love the look when its done
I have a 1981 Hunter with a lot of wood on the interior. When I got the boat it had always been oiled. It looked dull and dirty. I washed all wood surfaces with teak cleaner and rised them well until the rags were not stained after use. I then put on Saturn Minwax Spar urethane. It was like night and day. I did not use high gloss and I do not recommend high gloss. If you want to know why buy a small amount and put it on a flat vertical surface, someplace with about the same light that’s in your boat. After its dry take a good look at it. You will see every little imperfection there is. Heat the urethane up a little before you put it on (not hot) and it will have less of a tendency to run. Never put cold varnish on a worm surface. I do not think you need to bleach the wood. A good cleaning with teak cleaner should lighten it up just fine. If the wood is old and does not appear to be oily the urethane should stick. To see try a small area. You will love the look when its done
C
Chris Burti
Don't mean to be argumentative...
but... most "teak cleaners" are actually very expensive wood bleach. Dead right about gloss finishes on large surfaces with indirect lighting. Note that finishing oils labeld 'gloss'... aren't. <g>
but... most "teak cleaners" are actually very expensive wood bleach. Dead right about gloss finishes on large surfaces with indirect lighting. Note that finishing oils labeld 'gloss'... aren't. <g>
R
Richard Marble
You may be right
Chris, you may be right. When I bought my boat the last guy would buy stuff to fix it and never fix it. I got about 6 bottles of teak cleaner and dirty teak in the boat. The boat was loaded with stuff he bought and never used. I did not have to buy teak cleaner so I don't know how much it costs. it did work great though.
Chris, you may be right. When I bought my boat the last guy would buy stuff to fix it and never fix it. I got about 6 bottles of teak cleaner and dirty teak in the boat. The boat was loaded with stuff he bought and never used. I did not have to buy teak cleaner so I don't know how much it costs. it did work great though.
Dalys or tung oil
Richard: Have you considered Daly's or some Tung oil finishes. Daly's is what was originally used on the boats. It is an oil based finish but is more like varnish. I would suggest that you do not use anything on the sole that may be slippery when wet. Tung oil gets very hard when it dries. It is used on fine gun stocks for it durability. A mat finish is easier to finish and stay looking nice (doesn't show spots like gloss). I believe that Watco also makes a finish that is tung oil based (not sure). Just some other ideas.
Richard: Have you considered Daly's or some Tung oil finishes. Daly's is what was originally used on the boats. It is an oil based finish but is more like varnish. I would suggest that you do not use anything on the sole that may be slippery when wet. Tung oil gets very hard when it dries. It is used on fine gun stocks for it durability. A mat finish is easier to finish and stay looking nice (doesn't show spots like gloss). I believe that Watco also makes a finish that is tung oil based (not sure). Just some other ideas.
H
harold neft
oil finish
woodworkers supply co. 1 800 645 9292 has an oil finish called "waterlox original marine finish this is ahigh gloss finish which i only use in the head area because of the shower,also use in the galley area,because it stands up to water very well, for all other areas use waterlox satin finish --- i have been using this product for many years it is a perfect solution for boat interiors .
woodworkers supply co. 1 800 645 9292 has an oil finish called "waterlox original marine finish this is ahigh gloss finish which i only use in the head area because of the shower,also use in the galley area,because it stands up to water very well, for all other areas use waterlox satin finish --- i have been using this product for many years it is a perfect solution for boat interiors .
- Status
- Not open for further replies.