On my 2005 Hunter 46 LE I'm refinishing the wood that is on the rear seats. I'm thinking I want to use either a marine varnish or polyurethane. Any recommendations?
What wood finish to use above deck
- Thread starter roriol
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The Best Recommendation is Neither .....
.............. if you want a finish that will last for years and continue to look like wet varnish
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The best thing I've found is coating the wood (in this case teak) with System Three epoxy and then protecting it with varnish.
The attached photo shows our stern rail seats after five years in service. The teak strips have five coats of epoxy and three coats of varnish to screen out the UV. The surface still looks like wet varnish and is crystal clear. The trick here is to ensure that the woodwork is removed and hermetically sealed on all sides with epoxy and that all screws entering the wood are sealed with silicone from behind. The wood must also be completely dry, as in dried in the house for about a month.
The one catch with using epoxy is that you always have to be on the lookout for any dings in the brightwork which may allow water in. A mess if this is not soon repaired, as the epoxy ensures that any water that enters through the ding can never leave. However, repairs are very simple and easy.
System Three puts out some excellent literature on their site:
http://www.systemthree.com/reslibrar...Epoxy_Book.pdf
Well worth looking at if you are willing to put in the extra work for a bright finish that will last for many years.
.............. if you want a finish that will last for years and continue to look like wet varnish
. The best thing I've found is coating the wood (in this case teak) with System Three epoxy and then protecting it with varnish.
The attached photo shows our stern rail seats after five years in service. The teak strips have five coats of epoxy and three coats of varnish to screen out the UV. The surface still looks like wet varnish and is crystal clear. The trick here is to ensure that the woodwork is removed and hermetically sealed on all sides with epoxy and that all screws entering the wood are sealed with silicone from behind. The wood must also be completely dry, as in dried in the house for about a month.
The one catch with using epoxy is that you always have to be on the lookout for any dings in the brightwork which may allow water in. A mess if this is not soon repaired, as the epoxy ensures that any water that enters through the ding can never leave.
However, repairs are very simple and easy. System Three puts out some excellent literature on their site:
http://www.systemthree.com/reslibrar...Epoxy_Book.pdf
Well worth looking at if you are willing to put in the extra work for a bright finish that will last for many years.
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Good question.
I picked up System Three at a local fiberglass supply shop. It's the only one I've used to date. Quite honestly, I don't think it matters which brand you use. Waste Marine has their West System and I'm sure there are several others out there which are probably all the same formula.
The one thing to watch for is the literature they publish on the web. I see West System has some excellent info as well.
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/
The one really neat trick which System Three recommended to avoid ANY and ALL air bubbles on the surface, is to hit the wet epoxy surface very lightly with a propane torch. Leaves the surface flawless.
I picked up System Three at a local fiberglass supply shop. It's the only one I've used to date. Quite honestly, I don't think it matters which brand you use. Waste Marine has their West System and I'm sure there are several others out there which are probably all the same formula.
The one thing to watch for is the literature they publish on the web. I see West System has some excellent info as well.
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/
The one really neat trick which System Three recommended to avoid ANY and ALL air bubbles on the surface, is to hit the wet epoxy surface very lightly with a propane torch. Leaves the surface flawless.
Take a look at the Cetol "Natural Teak" finish. It is not like the old stuff.
I would also suggest that you have covers made for the seats regardless of what product you decide to use. If you keep them covered you can expect several years without refinishing.
I would also suggest that you have covers made for the seats regardless of what product you decide to use. If you keep them covered you can expect several years without refinishing.
Good Point Steve ......................
.................. the seat covers are probably just as important as the finish. I always leave mine covered when not on the boat.
.................. the seat covers are probably just as important as the finish. I always leave mine covered when not on the boat.
Cetol Natural Teak. Three coats is all you need. Our seat trim only needs a light sanding and one coat a year to keep them looking great, and we live in Florida. They're exposed to the weather 24/7/365 with no covers. Touch up repairs are also easy if you get a big ding you can't live with. And if you ever do decide to change to something else, it sands or scrapes off as easily as varnish.
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