teak trim on exterior
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Teak replacement
I replaced all of the exterior teak on my 2003 Hunter 356 with Plasteak. Replacement included slats on stern rail seats, companionway washboard, and inner and outer trim on sliding hatch. From 10 feet away you cannot tell that it is not tree-wood. Up real close it is just as clear that it is teak color but not teak. I think that the whole job cost me about $50 for materials plus $25 for adhesive. The material can be worked with conventional wood working tools but requires special adhesives if you need to glue pieces together (Lord 7550 obtainable from some automobile finishing materials supply places so try and avoid glue joints). I don't think that the material can be used for curved pieces and I am sure that it is not for structural uses. I don't have the manufacturers info but you can Google it. I did this in the early spring of 2006 and today it looks exactly like the day I installed it.
I replaced all of the exterior teak on my 2003 Hunter 356 with Plasteak. Replacement included slats on stern rail seats, companionway washboard, and inner and outer trim on sliding hatch. From 10 feet away you cannot tell that it is not tree-wood. Up real close it is just as clear that it is teak color but not teak. I think that the whole job cost me about $50 for materials plus $25 for adhesive. The material can be worked with conventional wood working tools but requires special adhesives if you need to glue pieces together (Lord 7550 obtainable from some automobile finishing materials supply places so try and avoid glue joints). I don't think that the material can be used for curved pieces and I am sure that it is not for structural uses. I don't have the manufacturers info but you can Google it. I did this in the early spring of 2006 and today it looks exactly like the day I installed it.
I tried white oak
because it was so much cheaper than teak, but it didn't hold up any better, and in fact turned black. So, I went back to teak and changed to a different polyurethene, and beafed up the number of coats to about 7. I also added canvas covers to cover the hand hold railings.
because it was so much cheaper than teak, but it didn't hold up any better, and in fact turned black. So, I went back to teak and changed to a different polyurethene, and beafed up the number of coats to about 7. I also added canvas covers to cover the hand hold railings.
To Snad or Not To Sand, That is the Question
I have a sail boat to sail... Teak looks nice but it was taking 3 to 3 days off of my sailing time each year. Last year I started a project. I removed the teak hand rails on the cabin top and replaced them with stainless tubing. Next year the teak runners by the sliding hatch get replaced with Starboard. Hatch covers are red oak. I have been using Cetol on them and the do look nice but when the need to be replaced.....Starboard. I know it's not conventional but heck I like to sail not sand..... Howard with a 78 H-27
I have a sail boat to sail... Teak looks nice but it was taking 3 to 3 days off of my sailing time each year. Last year I started a project. I removed the teak hand rails on the cabin top and replaced them with stainless tubing. Next year the teak runners by the sliding hatch get replaced with Starboard. Hatch covers are red oak. I have been using Cetol on them and the do look nice but when the need to be replaced.....Starboard. I know it's not conventional but heck I like to sail not sand..... Howard with a 78 H-27
plasteak and real teak
I'm working on mine now. I cetol'd the helm seat and bow seat and the board that you pull on to close the companionway. We'll see how they hold up. Next time it needs it, I will probably plasteak some of those parts - especially the companionway piece. I bought plasteak for the eyebrow strips or coach roof trim - those long strips down the sides of the cabin top. We installed it a couple of weeks ago, and I'm not quite happy with it yet. Have been working with plasteak directly to try to resolve my issues. When we first installed those, they were so long and skinny and flexible that they wouldn't lay flat against the fiberglass despite placing screws fairly frequently; the material seemed to buckle between screws. We did back off on the screw tension a bit, and that helped some. SO we put some sealant behind them and hoped for the best temporarily. When I went back to the boat last weekend, they looked MUCH better; the strips were almost flat against the hull. I think they just needed a little time to set. Plasteak has also offered me (and is sending) some two sided tape that they use in some other applications (on Searays, I think he said). He also did some testing with an adhesive that they use. When the tape arrives and I get back to the boat, I will look again and see if I feel like it's needed. My remaining problem is filling the screw holes. These strips are so thin that when you drill the countersunk holes the right depth and put the screw in, there's not much room left for any kind of plasteak plug to go in there. The original teak plugs were not much thicker than a nickel. If we use the plasteak plugs, we will probably have to hand carve each one to get it the exactly right size. So we're pursuing other options. Does anybody know of a putty or something that we could just put in the hole and smooth over and have it be about the same color as plasteak? obviously if we ever have to take these strips off, we will have to dig that putty out, but I don't plan on changing these any time soon. I'm not sure I could recommend the plasteak strips for the coach roof strips, but it does seem to be good for applications where it's a thicker, more solid/substantial piece. They sent me a couple of sample pieces that are about 1" x 1.5" or so, and they are very solid and would work well in other applications. But the folks at plasteak have worked hard to help me. Good luck.
I'm working on mine now. I cetol'd the helm seat and bow seat and the board that you pull on to close the companionway. We'll see how they hold up. Next time it needs it, I will probably plasteak some of those parts - especially the companionway piece. I bought plasteak for the eyebrow strips or coach roof trim - those long strips down the sides of the cabin top. We installed it a couple of weeks ago, and I'm not quite happy with it yet. Have been working with plasteak directly to try to resolve my issues. When we first installed those, they were so long and skinny and flexible that they wouldn't lay flat against the fiberglass despite placing screws fairly frequently; the material seemed to buckle between screws. We did back off on the screw tension a bit, and that helped some. SO we put some sealant behind them and hoped for the best temporarily. When I went back to the boat last weekend, they looked MUCH better; the strips were almost flat against the hull. I think they just needed a little time to set. Plasteak has also offered me (and is sending) some two sided tape that they use in some other applications (on Searays, I think he said). He also did some testing with an adhesive that they use. When the tape arrives and I get back to the boat, I will look again and see if I feel like it's needed. My remaining problem is filling the screw holes. These strips are so thin that when you drill the countersunk holes the right depth and put the screw in, there's not much room left for any kind of plasteak plug to go in there. The original teak plugs were not much thicker than a nickel. If we use the plasteak plugs, we will probably have to hand carve each one to get it the exactly right size. So we're pursuing other options. Does anybody know of a putty or something that we could just put in the hole and smooth over and have it be about the same color as plasteak? obviously if we ever have to take these strips off, we will have to dig that putty out, but I don't plan on changing these any time soon. I'm not sure I could recommend the plasteak strips for the coach roof strips, but it does seem to be good for applications where it's a thicker, more solid/substantial piece. They sent me a couple of sample pieces that are about 1" x 1.5" or so, and they are very solid and would work well in other applications. But the folks at plasteak have worked hard to help me. Good luck.
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