I started restoring my tiller off my 1984 Catalina 25, March 17th, 2009. As you can see from the first pic, discoloration and water seepage has penetrated the varnish over the last 3 years.
After removing the tiller and taking it home to my garage, I started with paint & varnish remover for a couple of days, let it sit an hour each time. You have to be careful when scraping off the old stuff as you do no want to gouge the wood!
After all varnish is removed, I then use a 80 grit sandpaper (by hand) sanding with the grain only, to remove old stain. After satisfied all stain is removed (the discoloration is still present) down to bare wood, I then prepare a 50/50 bleach mixed in a steel bowl (used for salads) and used a paint brush to brush on towards the grain, saturating the wood. I did this a total of 3 times waiting for the wood to dry in between in the sun. I then used wood cleaner and a brush to get any bleach or dirt out of the wood. I let it sit in the sun to dry. See pic 2.
I then used 80 grit sandpaper again and elbow grease to remove as much water discoloration as possible. I removed more than I thought (at least 50%) and feel some discoloration will ad to the uniqueness of the wood when the final finish is applied.
After 80 grit, I used 100 grit to sand out any grooves caused by the 80 grit. You need to take your time with this and make sure you are working under a bright light so you know your imperfections are taken out. What a difference!
Now is the easy part. Using 220 grit now smooths out all the wood to a smooth look and touch. The finished product shows the original grain and a newness that would have cost me a few hundred dollars to replace a good tiller (if I went new) or if I didn't know how to do this a hundred dollars or two to have someone else do it for me.
Now is the easy and hard part. Applying the finish. It will take 3-5 coats. I will use 4. I hang the tiller from my garage using the top hole and kite cord. I made sure too put towels or newspaper down to protect from any stain dripping. Using a foam #2 brush, I apply the first coat of 'Cetol Teak Finish' brushing WITH the grain. Take your time with this. The hard part is walking away after the first coat. You need to let it dry for at least 24 hours. Make sure as little dust is around as possible. And don't let it brush up against anything. And don't touch it! After the first 24 hours you will apply a second coat and repeat as above. The beauty of Cetol is you do NOT need to sand between coats (unless you want to). You will then notice the wood becomes new again and is brought back to life. After the second coat, repeat the process. After all is dry, inspect your work. If 3 coats is not enough, use your judgment.
What I did was use a spray bottle and used #400 wet/dry sandpaper to smooth out the Cetol. After wiping down with a rag and making sure the tiller was free from dust, I applied the 4th coat. 24 hours later on April 9th, 2009, viola!
Although the bottom part of the tiller shows some darkness from former weather & water discoloration/improper sealant, for me to completely sand that down would have taken much time and possibly change the shape or integrity of the tiller. I feel the darkness adds some age and uniqueness to the wood. Plus it is at the bottom, so it doesn't show from the top, unless you look underneath. See pic 3 & 4.
I know have a used tiller brought back to life with pride and invested labor. I will install it back on my boat this weekend and a get a cover to protect it from the harsh elements. Without the cover and depending on weather conditions of where you live, you might have to add a coat or two. So there you go. Save yourself some money and go restore your tiller...
Frankie
After removing the tiller and taking it home to my garage, I started with paint & varnish remover for a couple of days, let it sit an hour each time. You have to be careful when scraping off the old stuff as you do no want to gouge the wood!
After all varnish is removed, I then use a 80 grit sandpaper (by hand) sanding with the grain only, to remove old stain. After satisfied all stain is removed (the discoloration is still present) down to bare wood, I then prepare a 50/50 bleach mixed in a steel bowl (used for salads) and used a paint brush to brush on towards the grain, saturating the wood. I did this a total of 3 times waiting for the wood to dry in between in the sun. I then used wood cleaner and a brush to get any bleach or dirt out of the wood. I let it sit in the sun to dry. See pic 2.
I then used 80 grit sandpaper again and elbow grease to remove as much water discoloration as possible. I removed more than I thought (at least 50%) and feel some discoloration will ad to the uniqueness of the wood when the final finish is applied.
After 80 grit, I used 100 grit to sand out any grooves caused by the 80 grit. You need to take your time with this and make sure you are working under a bright light so you know your imperfections are taken out. What a difference!
Now is the easy part. Using 220 grit now smooths out all the wood to a smooth look and touch. The finished product shows the original grain and a newness that would have cost me a few hundred dollars to replace a good tiller (if I went new) or if I didn't know how to do this a hundred dollars or two to have someone else do it for me.
Now is the easy and hard part. Applying the finish. It will take 3-5 coats. I will use 4. I hang the tiller from my garage using the top hole and kite cord. I made sure too put towels or newspaper down to protect from any stain dripping. Using a foam #2 brush, I apply the first coat of 'Cetol Teak Finish' brushing WITH the grain. Take your time with this. The hard part is walking away after the first coat. You need to let it dry for at least 24 hours. Make sure as little dust is around as possible. And don't let it brush up against anything. And don't touch it! After the first 24 hours you will apply a second coat and repeat as above. The beauty of Cetol is you do NOT need to sand between coats (unless you want to). You will then notice the wood becomes new again and is brought back to life. After the second coat, repeat the process. After all is dry, inspect your work. If 3 coats is not enough, use your judgment.
What I did was use a spray bottle and used #400 wet/dry sandpaper to smooth out the Cetol. After wiping down with a rag and making sure the tiller was free from dust, I applied the 4th coat. 24 hours later on April 9th, 2009, viola!
Although the bottom part of the tiller shows some darkness from former weather & water discoloration/improper sealant, for me to completely sand that down would have taken much time and possibly change the shape or integrity of the tiller. I feel the darkness adds some age and uniqueness to the wood. Plus it is at the bottom, so it doesn't show from the top, unless you look underneath. See pic 3 & 4.
I know have a used tiller brought back to life with pride and invested labor. I will install it back on my boat this weekend and a get a cover to protect it from the harsh elements. Without the cover and depending on weather conditions of where you live, you might have to add a coat or two. So there you go. Save yourself some money and go restore your tiller...
Frankie
