Removing Teak

[Glenn Basore]

Capt Nemo,

Yes, it's the Cetol marine finish I'm using.

I didn't like it when I first put it on, had a orange tint to it, I used the light natural color. It does last a lot longer than Teak oil.

The gloss for me looks a bit better to me as I like the luster.

At times I wish I would had used some type of hard finish as this stuff just seems too soft even when it's dried thoroughly .

Glenn

[TedW]

Rahn,
Your teak looks great. I think I'm going to try the Semco. Did you use Clear or Gold???
Thanks,
TedW

[Rahn]

I use the natural. All the teak on my boat was in rough shape when I bought her as the DPO must have power washed it before slapping a coat of Cetol on it. it was rough to the touch and had to be sanded. I then used the two part cleaner and brightener from Semcoe and have applied two coat maintenance since then. It lasts the entire season up here in upstate New York.

[capt_nemo]

Glenn,

If you like a hard glossy finish consider Epiphanes Wood Finish Gloss. It applies like varnish AND, there's NO SANDING BETWEEN COATS provided the surface is recoated within 72 hours. That's why I like it so much. It builds up nicely and looks great. Used it to coat all the brightwork on Highland Lass several years ago and am quite satisfied with its performance. (The boat is garage kept.)



capt_nemo

[Bob23]

Looks like you exhibited Highland Lass at a show...how'd you do? Thanks for the Epifanes advice. I used their satin hand rubbed varnish belowdecks on my 23 exclusively and love the look and durability. I may try the gloss on the exposed teak.
Bob23

[Glenn Basore]

Capt- Nemo ,

That is the look I'm looking for!

Can you put Epifanes over Cetol light  or would I have to strip it to the bare Teak and start over?

Glenn

[capt_nemo]

Glenn,

Sorry, I don't know about the chemical compatibility between Cetol Light and Epiphanes products.

For answers, you could read the Epiphanes application instructions (probably available on line), or contact Epiphanes directly by phone or e-mail. Experimenting yourself, even on a piece of scrap Teak, could be an expensive exercise.


Bob23,

Highland Lass won the "Best in Show, People's Choice Award" at the 2009 Great IV Florida Gulf Coast Small Craft Festival, held in Cortez, Florida.

capt_nemo

[Bob23]

And well deserved, Capt! Photos don't do the Lass justice. Congrats. Do you get to sail her often?
Bob23

[Glenn Basore]

Capt Nemo,

I forgot to ask,  after wet sanding the Cetol , can you then buff it with a furniture or wood polish to bring out the luster?

Usually the hard finishes I put on other wood projects I put on 2-3 layers, lightly sanding between coats, The final coat, i then wet sand to get really flat smooth, this leaves it like a flat finish.  I then use a wood polishing compound to buff and bring out the high gloss shine.

This leaves it very smooth without any imperfections in the finish with a mirror finish .

Glenn

[capt_nemo]

Bob23,

Not as often as I'd like, too much else going on AND, I do have a Com Pac Sun Cat with demands on my time as well! AND, did I mention my motorcycle?!!!!

Glenn,

Don't know, have never done it - something you might have to experiment with to see if the finish holds up under sanding AND buffing with a polish which most likely has a MILD abrasive it it as well! Good luck, and let us know how it works if you decide to go that route. I am satisfied with applying Cetol Light (NO GLOSS) as recommended and like the resultant finish. A hard varnish is probably what you may need to achieve the look you want with buffing.

capt_nemo

[Bob23]

Well, if I do make it down to PG this spring, I'll have to help you out playing with your toys. Especially the Suncat. In reading all the posts here about the various boats, I really like the Suncats but, being a local Jersey guy, I have a soft spot in my heart for catboats. Compac hit a real home run by designing and building the Suncat.

Bob23

[Glenn Basore]

Well,

I tried wet sanding,( 400 and 600 grit) this worked better than I thought it wood. Wet sanding left it very flat with no inperfection, just flat and smooth. This also took away the high gloss and left it looking natural.

Wanting the high gloss finish I tried using my Howard's wood furniture polish using my buffer to rub out any fine scratches from sanding and to bring out the high gloss luster which I usually get from my other wood finishes.

This was disappointing , although it did bring back some of the gloss it didn't have the high gloss luster, more of a satin look.

Also, using my orbital buffing unit, I could see some small swirls in the finish caused by the orbital buffer.

Conclusion,

You can wet sand to get the mirror like smoothness and have a natural looking wood finish ( this does look nice) Trying for the high gloss mirror like finish without any marks at all, I don't think this is possible as Cetol is too soft.

That's to all of you for your help and suggestions.

Glenn

[capt_nemo]

Glenn,

Sorry it didn't work out the way you had hoped.

A BIG thanks to you (and a Good Karma) for the experimentation and sharing the results. We all learned something as a result of your efforts. And sometimes, that's what this "mess'in about in boats" stuff is all about.

capt_nemo

[Craig]

Cetol is a "soft" finish, by design, halfway between hard varnish and teak oil. That is probably why it is easier to recoat and lasts longer than a "hard" varnish finish. If you really want that super high gloss finish,a traditional or polyurethane varnish is the only way to go. The good news is that you can probably overcoat the Cetol with a hard varnish unless the polish you used has  wax in it, in which case a solvent wipe-down(check with the Cetol folks) might be in order prior to an overcoating with varnish. Nevertheless, because teak has such a high oil content(the reason it resists rot and lasts so long) virtually any finish that does not "breathe" will fail as the oil works its way to the surface under the hard coating. Heavy UV exposure and heat accelerate the process.

[Bob23]

   I've used Flagship varnish on the exterior teak of my 1985 23/2 and, while I hate the sanding, waiting and mulitiple coats (7), the finished product is perfect. Car finish smooth, very hard and clear. Applying maintenance coats in the fall and spring gave me a finish that lasted 5 or 6 years before it started to fail. I've refinished the bow pulpit once, the hatch and cabinboard guides once and touched up the winch pads every year. It still looks great.
   That being said, I could not keep Flagship on the eyebrow trims to save my life. I've since switched to Teak color Cetol and it holds up well. From a few feet away, you can't tell the difference.
   Has anyone heard of Armada finish?
http://www.bluewatermarinepaint.com/arwoflco.html
A friend who maintains and repairs some really fine catboats in Barnegat Light, NJ swears by it. As legend goes, the company was started my some Cetol mutineers who jumped ship. Dunno...maybe. Anyway, he loves the finish, apparently applies similair to Cetol (no sanding) and lasts well. I've seen the finished product and it's really nice. Approaches my Flagship job.
   A word on applying varnish: After sanding I do an acetone wipedown to remove as much oil as possible as well as the sanding dust. Then I seal the teak with Tung oil and wetsand it in. Let it sit a bit and wipe off. I usually let it dry for a couple of days and then start with thinned Flagship, gradually thinning subsequent 3 coats less and less, sanding between each coat. The final 4 coats are unthinned. The result is a car-smooth finish. But it's a real pain in the posterior to achieve!
Bob23