The teak trim components on my recently-acquired 2009 Sun Cat are faded and rough, needing removal and re-finishing. I would appreciate any advice on this project, especially the removal / replacement of the hand rails on the cabin top. The other components look to be fairly straightforward. Thanks in advance.
Love2Sail
The top hatch slides are held on with SS wood screws from the inside. Figure on going to the hardware store and buying new trim caps for all the fasteners. They are two piece. Bases and caps have to match. They are made for flush heads and tapered. get the right ones. Watch the length of the screws and where they came from some are longer than others. The hand rails are held on with SS machine screws with the heads on the outside. Mine had no bungs in them and caught rain and wasps in the holes. I bought new bungs at west marine and filed the holes when I was done. The machine screws are long screws that have been cut to fit. They may give you some grief going back on.
Are you sure you REALLY need to remove the teak to clean up? A 2009's teak should not be that bad! All you may need to do is scrub/clean it well and smooth a bit w/3M pads before applying the finish of your choice. Teak that has been neglected may look a lot worse than it is! As a wood the stuff is about as bulletproof as it gets. Removing will open up a whole new can of worms! Trust me, been there done that! Better to take a conservative approach to start. You can always take a more aggressive approach if you don't get the results you want. ;D
I agree with the above post. Use Masking tape, and tape off against the teak to sand on it if you need so you dont sand the deck.
a few layers will show you easily if you are sanding into them, and can easily and cheaply be renewed.
every day if it is outside, remove the tape, or atleast every other day until the job is done, this will save you from leaving tape residue behind.
New tape to refinish them. and take great care to tape against the wood, and push the tape down well to help keep from seepage.
this will save you time and heartache in the long run, and teak does indeed clean up easily.
Mac