Laminated interior teak refinishing
Lemon oil and the like lasts only a few days and can get under the varnish and darken the teak like any other oil might. When refinishing I prefer to use a heat gun to bubble the old varnish, but this CAN burtn the wood if done carelessly. I use the heat gun lightly, then lightly scrape or sand removing the minimum amount of base wood. Teak is like Phillipine mahagany in that it is porus and benefits greatly from an old fashioned paste wood filler. I prefer an almond colored paste wood filler to keep the finished teak the lightest possible color; A light and bright teak interior makes reading far easier when the job is done. I then apply a 10% thinned GLOSS varnish to provide a mositure barrier; I believe gloss varnish is a better sealer than satin finishes. The second thin coat is also gloss varnish applied after giving the first coat a light rub with a 3M abrasive padded common kitchen sponge. The second coat can even be applied with a small terry cloth rag to apply the thinest coat possible consistent with full coverage. Several thin coats seem better than a lessor number of thick coats of varnish. As a final coat, I use satin finish )varnish, and if I want it to look hand rubbed, I apply it with a small clean terry cloth rag. Always use a 3M kitchen abrasive pad to slightly roughen the surface before applying each coat of varnish. A tack rag used lightly before each coat of varnish also enhances the job. The above scheme has worked well for us as we have sailed Tenacious, our 44' La Fitte around the South Pacific.
