Teak Help

[T.D>]

I have bought a boat that had been out of the water for three years and had taken on about three foot of rain water. Sometime in those three years the motor gave up its oil and grease. The after affect is that the oil has imbedded in the wood. I have stripped the boat down and I am in the process of cleaning the teak. I am interested if there is any way of cleaning the oils out of the wood. Also, I was thinking about varnishing the teak instead of oil. Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,T.D.

 

[Tom Soko]

numerous products

There are numerous products on the market that should work well. I've used two-part cleaner/brighteners that seem to work the best. Part 1 is a heavy duty cleaner, and using a 3M pad and elbow grease will take out most stains. Part 2 is some sort of acid bleach that "brightens" the teak. everything is rinsed using LOTS of water, so the pieces have to be taken off the boat. All the usual precautions about protecting skin, eyes, etc. Good Luck.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Catalina Owners]

Teaka is the best I've used

There are several two part cleaners on the market & I've used a few different ones. Teaka is far and away the best I've used.Part A is Phosphoric acid and Part B is a neutralizing alkaline. They are NASTY. ALWAYS wear goggles, long sleeved clothes and heavy duty gloves. I'm serious. I forwent the goggles once & almost got splashed in the eye. I had a burn on my face for a couple of days from the stuff. So wear the goggles!Tom mentioned you'll have to take the wood off the boat. If you leave it on the boat and don't use enough water, it can end up damaging the gelcoat. If you're going to completely refinish your wood, I highly recommend Rebecca Wittman's "Brightwork". It is the best brightwork book I've ever read. It looks like a coffee table book but the info inside is pure DYI. I really wish they'd laid off the pretty picture stuff and gone with some useful before & after type stuff. Oh well, it's still a fantastic resource.If you're thinking of varnishing, you might check into Bristol finish. I haven't used it but have a few friends who have and swear by it. Apparently it has the look of varnish but the easy maintenance properties of Cetol. Kinda expensive but could be worth it in the long run.LaDonna

 

[Ron]

T.D.,I just went through the same thing, heavy water stains, pervious owner had stained the teak mahogony colour!!!!, plus some oil stains. I used a product by STARBRITE called what else..Teak Cleaner. It was very easy to use, just squirt on so entire piece is wet, let sit for 5 minutes and then scrub with scotch pad then rinse off with lots of water. The bottle said it will not harm fibergalss or painted surfaces but I haven't tried that part of it yet. I an very pleased with the results. Once the wood has dried, you can finish the wood however you please. I just used a good teak oil, I like the look and the boat smells a whole lot better than when I first got it. Good plan to use rubber gloves and eye protection. Lots of luck. Ron'Seascape'30 Catalina

 

[Roger]

Try Cetol

I've been through lots of teak cleanings and stripping. I found a product called Cetol (any marine store has it) and it is by far easier to use, longer lasting and brighter than teak finishes. I understand there is now a competitive product-don't know the name. I would never go back to teak finish.