Teak finish

How do I varnish over oiled interior teak?

Original Message: The previous owner oiled the interior teak in the cabin. I prefer a varnished finish. Anyone know whether the oiling is going to present problems in varnishing? Anyone done this? Any tips, secrets or suggestions? Thanks for the info! Chuck Hughes, Sand Save #223

Replies:

All my interior teak used to get white growth on it when the winter cold set in. I had success with my last boat in using varnish on the teak, so I decided to try it on my C34. After varnishing, I did not see any growth the past two winters. Excess teak oil had to be dealt with first. I washed all the walls and wood work with Brush Clear..the water soluble type. Then I wiped all walls and woodwork with acetone. Then I applied three coats of Helmans Semi-gloss varnish. It gives the boat a nice low luster wood look and is easy to clean. If it gets scratched, I carry a touch up bottle of varnish and some fine sandpaper. Because it is not in the sun, any touch-ups could wait till the next spring. No maintaince should ever be needed to the woodwork other than normal cleaning. Try not to use a gloss finish as it will show any defects and not look as rich looking. Capt Al, Kindred Spirit #55

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Maybe. I have had good success using Deks Olje #1 & 2 on a previously oiled teak table and a yellow poplar mast on a homebuilt boat. The #1 is a matte finish and the #2 gives it an almost varnished look. Well, at least it’s shiny. It isn’t very rugged but it has the advantage of being easy to refinish. Just wipe more #2 on with a rag. I recommend you test on an area that doesn’t show no matter what you end up applying to the teak. Charlie Pearsall, Delirious

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I refinished the interior our C34 using Daly’s Pro-Fin. Pro-Fin is a resined tung oil which produces a bright durable finish that can be easily repaired by wiping on another coat. Daly’s also produce a tung oil without the resin additive for external use. Its called Sea-Fin. I prepared the original oiled teak by spraying with domestic bleach solution and rubbing in the grain direction with fine bronze wool. This removed dirt and mold and lightened the surface. Bleaching is not a pleasant job and must be done with lots of ventilation or you’ll end up coughing for day’s after. You’d need to clean the surface in much the same way if you were going to use a regular varnish. After allowing the wood to dry, I then wiped on two coats of Pro-Fin. Each coat is liberally washed on, allowed to stand for a few minutes and then any excess is wiped off. The second coat can be applied a few hours later. Charles and Ba Holder

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I’ve used tung oil as a first coat to seal wood before varnishing and it seems to work fine. I’ve always used oil based rather than a poly or synthetic varnish. I’m not sure what happens if you put a poly over an oil. On the other hand, I have found that a couple of coats of tung oil wet sanded on with a fine grit emery paper can produce a smoother finish that lasts longer on interior teak than using varnish. It won’t hold up on exterior teak. Personally, I’ve found tung oil easier to work with than varnish especially on vertical surfaces and easier to touch up if there’s any dings—just rub some more on, smoothing it out with emery paper, if needed. Phil Davies

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Brightwork Refinishing

I just got done refinishing the exterior teak on "Cat Tales" and am really happy with the result, and I am no painter! I used Sikkens Cetol Marine SRD translucent satin, but added a gob of Pettit Red Mahogany Paste Wood Filler (#7666) to give the Cetol some life. Plain Cetol is brown and boring, and the Pettit product really livens it up. I used this same combination a year ago and I get a lot of positive comments.

Thought I would pass along the following advice for those getting ready for the fall maintenance work.

Brightwork Refinishing Steps:

1. Remove all hardware such as lock hasps, snaps, and hinges.

2. Sand the old finish with 180-grit wet/dry sandpaper until you can see the grain of the wood. (There is no reason to go to a finer grade of sandpaper, as the grain of most brightwork is fairly open.)

3. If any hole plugs have swollen, use a razor-blade style paint scraper to shape down the tops. Sand the plug flush with the wood. (Raised plugs can really make the finish coat look bad!)

4. Vacuum up all the dust you have created, and wipe the wood down with a clean cloth shop towel.

5. Add Pettit filler to the Cetol until you have the color you are looking for. Stir thoroughly to get the Pettit filler in suspension, and then stir every 20-30 minutes as you work.

6. Apply the Cetol/Pettit mixture with a 1 inch or 1.5 inch foam brush per the Cetol directions. Wipe up spills immediately.

7. Apply a second coat an hour later. (Instructions say wait 24 hours, but I have had no problems by just waiting until it is tacky.) This second coat will almost completely fill the grain.

8. Use acetone to clean up spills you missed, or to areas that you over brushed.

9. Come back the next day, admire your work, and decide if you feel you have good enough coverage. If you decide that you need a third coat, use a fresh foam brush, stir the Cetol thoroughly, and apply. If the finish looks okay, reinstall the hardware, and call your crew.

Other Hints:

-Keep the can of paint on top of its own rag to avoid scratches and drips.

-Wipe up spills immediately with another rag.

-Keep a stick in the can to make stirring easy.

-Use a sheet of sandpaper as a shield when brushing near other surfaces.

-Don’t bother with masking tape as the Cetol will wick underneath it. Just brush carefully and clean up your mistakes.

Fair Winds and Nice Finishes!

Toivo Mykkanen, Cat Tales, Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho