Refinishing teak brightwork

[jrowan]

Finally sanded the heck out of the old teak trimwork and refinished it.
I used matt finish Cetol, but I'm thinking about going over this with another coat of gloss varnish. Anybody have suggestions on a durable varnish that doesn't cost 30 bucks a quart? I guess U get what u pay for but marine varnish is way overpriced. I wonder if anyone has tried regular spar type varnish not specifiaclly sold at W. Marine for twice the price. Still looks a lot better then grey & peeling finish that the boat came with.

 

[AtlanticAl]

I used helmsman clear gloss out of wal mart, put a coat on, sand it lightly, put another coat on, and a third if you want, gives a great finish. 16 bucks a quart, what i used to do when i varnished things, was the first coat, i would mix 1 part varnish to the same amount of white spirit, then after the first coat, reduce the white spirit, and sand lightly between coats, if you have the time, and patience, you can get about 12 coats on, i did that with a coffee table, gave a finish that looked like you could stick your hand into it.

 

[jrowan]

Thanks for the response. I figure that its more to do with the number of coats that U apply that creates durability more than just the varnish itself.

 

[DanM]

J,

If you are already using Cetol why not just use Cetol Gloss over it? I used Cetol Natural and three coats of Cetol Gloss a few years back and have just did maintanence coats of gloss about once a year. The gloss doesn't have anything in it to change the color of the teak, just looks shiny. Here's my bow sprit for example.

Take care, DanM.

 

[rbmcintire]

I'm also going through brightwork this year. I've pulled all the companionway boards off to refinish and rebed with butyl tape. We're going with: 80, 120, vacuum, Starbrite Gel Teak Cleaner, water rinse, Interlux 216 wipe down, 3 coats Cetol Natural Teak and top finishing with 3 coats Cetol Gloss (jrowan, I would vote to stick with the compatible product). I've seen work like DanM's around our marina and it looks flat out gorgeous. What I like is that the ongoing maintenance with the Cetol system isn't as rigorous as with the varnish methods.

Rob

 

[DanM]

Rob,

You sound like you've got a great plan for nice looking brightwork, and I'm no expert so take it for what it's worth, but I'd say that three coats of Cetol Natural Teak is probably overkill. I'm fairly certain I did two coats of Natural and it was plenty, I don't know that you'd really gain anything from the additional coat. Heck, I might even be tempted to just use that time to do a fourth coat of the clear gloss!

I had a friend who used only Cetol Gloss on his boat and I really liked the look. There may be some UV issues though with that that I'm not exactly clear about. Plenty of folks allow teak to go to it's natural grey look though and have for decades. How much of a problem could UV really be... I dunno.

I like your idea of the Interlux 216 wipedown... it's all about the prep!

DanM.

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Hey JR,
How are you pal?

The only thing I can add to your thread is not of the type of varnish, but what I have found to be a great way to strip-n-clean your teak without the loss of wood by sanding.

I've never believed in sanding your wood alot to prep for varnish work. Too long, too much labor, & too much powdered wood.

Over the years, I tried several approaches but came across Snappy Teak, a two part liquid.

Part-1 is a cleaner (purple color). simply apply with a foam brush and watch it turn into a pudding as it gets in the wood and removes ALL dirt & mildew. I usually hit it with 3 applications then wipe off or rinse with water. Remember to not allow it to dry on your fiberglass. But I never found this to be a problem.

They supply small brushes but the important thing is brush ever so lightly so as not take the soft pulp down below the harder grain of wood.

Part-2 is the magic. It is an acid based solution when brushed on instantly transforms the wood into a bright glow. Wear gloves as it is caustic, and not allow it to dry on your glass. A water rinse instantly neutralizes it. When dried, the pulp hairs are raised up, and if your teak is in good shape, only light sanding is needed.

I've watched guys for years keep sanding and taking their wood down. Ever see real skinny handrails? You paid for your teak, you should keep it.

One last thing, when dried and lightly sanded, the teak has the look of sandalwood. Applying your varnish, and it's like instant gratuitous sex.

I've never been a lover of Cetol, as I feel the color pigment hides the natural grain look however it is longer & tougher than clear varnish. A clear varnish (4-5 coats) will give a rich look. Lightly sand once/twice a year removing approx. 2 coats and then apply two more. You can get by for a couple years without having to strip it all the way down bare.

Depending on the condition of the wood (weathered wood however will need heavier sanding), maybe this is a good approach for some.

Just my take on this pal....
CR

 

[rbmcintire]

Yeah, let me say that I let my wood get too gray and untreated. There was too much open grain and surface inconsistancy. Sanding was required. Cleaning the teak is the crucial issue, opening the wood pores will allow whatever product chosen, to get in there and protect the wood as it will. Cetol is not as clear as varnish, but its ability to remain "flexible" (not hard)and somewhat breathe make it very durable in a marine environment. I'm finding that brush applying Natural Teak, per the directions, without wiping off excess, makes it very dark. One might consider a rag-wipe method of application, of a number of coats, to dial in the shade of coloring desired. You may use extra additional product to achieve the thickness/performance "mil" of Cetol doing this, but after you attain the color, follow on with their gloss. The protection will be just fine. Sikkens is a highly rated product by many sources.

Rob

 

[Bad Obsession]

One caution that I will give to you is on blue tape. I left blue tape on for a few days once and it made a huge mess. It takes some special stuff to get the residue off. If you tape something, put it on and take it off the same day. I have now gotten in the habit of using a rag and a small brush. The rag is for removing any mistakes, the small brush allows me to put it on carefully without tape!

 

[jrowan]

Thanks for the responses everybody. Dan your bow sprit looks awesome. I just have the standard rig with no sprit. Was your wood ever replaced because I've seen some Catalina bowsprits that looked like they were ready to crack in half. Ron, didn't you say that this happened to your old sprit? As far as the finish, I have already applied the first coat of the lightly tinted Cetol, and I like the idea of following up with their gloss varnish. I assume that if they made it it will bond better to the existing Cetol. I'll post some pics after I lightly sand again & apply 3 more coats.

 

[LuzSD]

Hey JR,
How are you pal?

The only thing I can add to your thread is not of the type of varnish, but what I have found to be a great way to strip-n-clean your teak without the loss of wood by sanding.

I've never believed in sanding your wood alot to prep for varnish work. Too long, too much labor, & too much powdered wood.

Over the years, I tried several approaches but came across Snappy Teak, a two part liquid.

Part-1 is a cleaner (purple color). simply apply with a foam brush and watch it turn into a pudding as it gets in the wood and removes ALL dirt & mildew. I usually hit it with 3 applications then wipe off or rinse with water. Remember to not allow it to dry on your fiberglass. But I never found this to be a problem.

They supply small brushes but the important thing is brush ever so lightly so as not take the soft pulp down below the harder grain of wood.

Part-2 is the magic. It is an acid based solution when brushed on instantly transforms the wood into a bright glow. Wear gloves as it is caustic, and not allow it to dry on your glass. A water rinse instantly neutralizes it. When dried, the pulp hairs are raised up, and if your teak is in good shape, only light sanding is needed.

I've watched guys for years keep sanding and taking their wood down. Ever see real skinny handrails? You paid for your teak, you should keep it.

One last thing, when dried and lightly sanded, the teak has the look of sandalwood. Applying your varnish, and it's like instant gratuitous sex.

I've never been a lover of Cetol, as I feel the color pigment hides the natural grain look however it is longer & tougher than clear varnish. A clear varnish (4-5 coats) will give a rich look. Lightly sand once/twice a year removing approx. 2 coats and then apply two more. You can get by for a couple years without having to strip it all the way down bare.

Depending on the condition of the wood (weathered wood however will need heavier sanding), maybe this is a good approach for some.

Just my take on this pal....
CR

Very good information Capt. Ron! We will be doing some re varnishing in the next 6-10 months and I like this idea quite a bit....... thanks for the product tip!!

 

[DanM]

Thanks J, I like the new Cetol Natural a lot better than their old "orange" formula.

My bowsprit is original, I've never heard of one breaking but Ron has heard of several, or, maybe he's even had his own fail, I can't recall? I believe Ron is on the west coast though, and there may be something to anchoring in a swell out there that we just don't have where my boat is (it was delivered new to a lake in Texas and has spend much of it's life in pretty easy conditions on Galveston Bay). I do think that I read somewhere that Catalina says you aren't supposed to anchor with the bow roller on the sprit but I've always figured that is just the lawyers talkin'! ;-) I've anchored out for probably a couple of hundred nights and.. well... my bowsprit looks just fine.

DanM.