Tung Oil?

[bshock]

Hi folks,

when I bought my B361 five years ago the PO had done a fine job of varnishing the wood seat inlays in the cockpit. I'm not sure what material he actually applied but before much time passed it started to flake away from the wood, creating a constant mess in the cockpit. Since then I sanded the varnish away and have just been letting the wood inlays weather naturally.

I personally do not mind that look. My wife, however, recently made the comment that we should brighten the wood back up this year. What does everyone else use, and does it flake off after a year?

I've heard people sometimes use tung oil (I think) for this purpose. From what I know about tung oil, which is not much, it does not flake away. Does anyone else use tung oil, and how do you use it? I saw it at West Marine this weekend and thought I'd look into it further.

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

 

[JRacer]

I use Tung Oil and have been happy with the result. It's been on a couple of years and will need to be reapplied this spring, it doesn't last forever but it doesn't "flake" either. I use the "Pure" Tung Oil and get it at Rockler. Here is the link: http://www.rockler.com/rockler-s-tung-oil

Correction: Been on four years.

 

[BigEasy]

Definitely a dilemma as to what method to treat the teak seating surfaces.
The previous owner of my boat used oil; however, the teak had somewhat deteriorated. The teak surface was rough with some grooves developing in the teak. Two years ago, I thoroughly cleaned the teak and sanded to a smoother finish ( I didn't want to remove too much teak). I have been treating the surfaces with a product called SEMCO. It has little viscosity and penetrates into the teak. I initially applied about 3 coats and touch it up about every 4 months. After the initial application, all that is necessary is to scrub the teak lightly and allow to dry thoroughly, then apply the SEMCO sealer. It does brighten the teak slightly and beads water, however, it does not have a slick and shiny appearance as varnish or Cetol has. Honestly, I am not totally satisfied with SEMCO; however, the advantages are minimal prep, ease of application, simple to recoat as needed (no stripping or sanding necessary) and it doesn't leave a slippery surface that is beneficial if the seating surfaces get wet. I haven't noticed any flaking or residue as it ages. I know that I would prefer the appearance of Cetol natural with a couple additional coats of Cetol gloss; however, I really don't want to go through all of the prep required when recoating. If you get behind on Cetol maintenace, you have a substantial amount of work to strip it off and start over.
Check it out at Semcoteakproducts.com. It is widely available at the major chandleries as well as amazon.

 

[DougM]

My boat teak was originally coated with Cetol by the dealer before I bought it. It was a major pain to keep up, so I let it weather off over one season. Then I sanded the teak and have left it unfinished. The only maintenance I have to do is scrub the wood about once monthly over the summer. I use salt water (I have to make it since I'm in fresh water) and scrub across the grain. Using a softer bristled brush this way does not raise the grain which is the result of wearing away the softer wood between growth rings. The surface stays fairly smooth and shows its natural teak color.

 

[Jackdaw]

Cetol on horizontal surfaces has a tendency to chip. This might be due to slightly less than perfect application technique, but that does not make anything any better.

We use it on our toerails. Crew happy with the smooth finish. We re-apply every year.

On our rails and tiller I use Tung oil. Its a little grayer than I'd like but pretty OK.

 

[bshock]

Thanks so much guys!