Removing Cetol (large area)

[Derek Rowell]

My 42 ft Pearson 422 has a 5 - 6 inch wide teak toe-rail all the way around which has a build-up of Cetol that is starting to crack and is now needing more than just a new touch-up coat. I have the same problem with the teak rub-rails on each side. I dread the thought of about 150 ft of sanding, especially on the rub-rail where I would be sanding along the fiberglass hull! Does anybody know of a chemical stripper/remover that will allow me to get down to bare wood and start again?Thanks,Derek

 

[Miles]

Try a Heat Gun?

You might want to try a heat gun with a scraper. I was amazed at how fast it softens and strips off Cetol. Especially if you have a long stip of teak it might work well. The chemicals scare me but there might be some good ones out there. Sanding it all off would be a royal P.I.T.A. Good luck!

 

[Les Murray]

Heat and TeKa

You can try heat or even some non-toxic chemical strippers. They will probably work fine. Then you will need to bleach the woodwork with TeKa. Take care with TeKa. it is mighty powerful stuff and you will need to cover your decks and hull with plastic so that the TeKa doesn't get on them. Also, have plenty of running water available for flushing and cleansing.After that, break out the sandpaper.Les Murrays/v Ceilidh'86 C-36 #560

 

[Bob Howie]

Interlux Interstrip 299E

You will wear out 10 heat guns trying to use heat to remove Cetol! No, no; a much better, faster, easier way is to use Interlux Interstrip 299E. Brush it on and within 10-15 minutes, the old finish will bubble up and you can remove it with a plastic squeegie like you use on Bondo body putty. Depending on the thickness, you may have to use the stripper again. Use either fine bronze wool or a fine synthetic steel wool -- a nylon-looking pad that 3M makes and available, at cheapest price, at most home centers -- with a little Interstrip on it to finish up the job. Then, you can use plain soap and water to clean that up or Acetone. Next, use a quality teak cleaner -- I prefer the 2-part Teka product -- and follow the directions. Once you have done that, clean up again with Acetone and you are down to bare teak.I do this all the time and show other sailors and yachties how to do it and they are amazed at the length of time this process DOES NOT take as well as the overall lack of elbow grease.

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Easier way...I THINK...

Unless moisture has gotten into the wood and blackened/discolored it,I don't think there's any TO strip it off if you're gonna put Cetol or Armada back on it. The wood is already clean and the grain is sealed...Just sand it smooth again with bronze wool, making sure to get all the old surface coats off..and re-apply 2-3 coats of Cetol. I always lightly "sanded" it with fine bronze wool before applying any maintenance coats anyway. That got rid of any scuffs as well as any dirt etc that had gotten ground into it. It also prevented the build-up of coat after coat that causes Cetol and Armada to become increasingly opaque after a few years. Every new application looked like the first one. Sanding with bronze wool goes quickly...Cetol comes off VERY easily. It never took me more than about 4 hours to do the annual maintenance on a boat that had enough teak trim on it to build a small boat.