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I bleached this cup holder with Javex to remove the black but I wasn't keen on it considering I have an allergy to bleach. I have a recommended product now to use for the remaining pieces and I'll blog about my experience with it later.
The teak is in bad shape. Lots of discoloration. It’s 11:00 PM and I just came in from the garage to a kitchen full of dirty dishes, turned a blind eye and sat in front of the computer to write. I always do the fun thing first and if the not–so-fun thing doesn’t get done, not a worry. I have plenty of clean dishes to last a few more days.
I’ve discovered a new passion. Unlike beads and wool, this one doesn't cost anything except for a ton of elbow grease and a few tools already lying around. I’m stripping and refinishing teak and it’s very gratifying! The previous owners of our boat or maybe the ones before them, refinished the teak with a product called Cetol. For want of a better description I’d compare it to Orange Shellac once it begins to break down. I will be removing it and using Epifane varnish.
My philosophy is this. If you don’t know what you’re doing, do nothing, because somewhere down the line, someone else is going to have to clean up your mess. If Cetol is slapped on thickly it runs like cheap pantyhose which of course is what I'm dealing with on our boat, and worse, it sprayed all over the deck, especially the non-skid gelcoat. They didn't use drop cloths or tape off where they were applying it. It's like a Cetol crime scene. Every couple of inches there’s an orange dot that’s a bloody witch to remove. The only way I’ve found success is to use the tip of a knife to chip off the larger hunks, then a brass brush to rub the area which leaves a greyish metal stain and then Spray 9 to remove that. There’s a lot of down on my knees, not my greatest position, but no other way to rid myself of these crappy specs of finish, that glaringly stand out against the gelcoat.
So I will be stripping and refinishing every piece of teak on the deck. Quite frankly I’m embarrassed to show it in this condition; mortified that someone might think I did this horrible job. When we row up to the boat in the tender I can see it smeared under all the teak eyebrow trim, they brushed it all over the underside on the gelcoat and then it dripped. That’s the kind of thing that keeps me up at night.
So I thought I would start with the teak cup holder and the ships wheel before tackling the floor grates and cockpit table. The cup holder had come off and held in place with a plastic zip tie and you know that had to go! Gregg filled the old, eaten away screw holes with epoxy and redrilled them. The cup holder was black on the inside and not much better on the outside.
The current state of the teak on the wheel is blotchy with light and dark bits and raw wood exposed from the finish flaking off. When the varnish separates from the wood because the bond wasn’t good, it leaves a cloudy creamish colour and when the wood is exposed, water gets in and mold occurs. Teak is a fabulous wood, small grained and has the most beautiful patina imaginable. Teak should shine, with at least eight applications of Epifane vanish and a light sanding in between you should be able to see your reflection. Then every couple of years a light sanding and a few more coats, a very manageable upkeep. Cetol on the other hand, if done properly builds up over time with refresher coats and at some point needs to be removed and begun again. On our boat it was unfortunately done sloppily so it all has to go. Funny, a few weeks ago I’d never heard of Cetol but now it’s my nemesis.
So I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have a heat gun, scraper and sand paper of every grit. I have an abundance of elbow grease and I work like a machine. Tonight the sweat was dripping down my nose from the humidity and heat radiating off my body. To make matters worse, using a heat gun exaggerated the temperature. There wasn't any air movement inside the garage and my shirt was soaked and stuck to me like a wet T-shirt contest but I forged on, sailing season is too short to procrastinaate. We have to get on the water!
Our friends have a Nonsuch that was well protected from the weather, sailed on lakes instead of salt water and meticulously cared for. Their boat is actually four years older than ours but is in museum quality shape. The finish on the cabin sole is like glass, the wood is pristine as the day it was laid. The bright work, the hand rails and wood on deck are lovely, and I can’t help feel sorry for my sad girl with all the ugly Cetol, like orange tears dripping down her sides. My friends say all work and no play make Christine a dull gal...but I enjoy this work, I’m having fun and the big payoff is coming when i can proudly say “Welcome Aboard!”
I’ve discovered a new passion. Unlike beads and wool, this one doesn't cost anything except for a ton of elbow grease and a few tools already lying around. I’m stripping and refinishing teak and it’s very gratifying! The previous owners of our boat or maybe the ones before them, refinished the teak with a product called Cetol. For want of a better description I’d compare it to Orange Shellac once it begins to break down. I will be removing it and using Epifane varnish.
My philosophy is this. If you don’t know what you’re doing, do nothing, because somewhere down the line, someone else is going to have to clean up your mess. If Cetol is slapped on thickly it runs like cheap pantyhose which of course is what I'm dealing with on our boat, and worse, it sprayed all over the deck, especially the non-skid gelcoat. They didn't use drop cloths or tape off where they were applying it. It's like a Cetol crime scene. Every couple of inches there’s an orange dot that’s a bloody witch to remove. The only way I’ve found success is to use the tip of a knife to chip off the larger hunks, then a brass brush to rub the area which leaves a greyish metal stain and then Spray 9 to remove that. There’s a lot of down on my knees, not my greatest position, but no other way to rid myself of these crappy specs of finish, that glaringly stand out against the gelcoat.
So I will be stripping and refinishing every piece of teak on the deck. Quite frankly I’m embarrassed to show it in this condition; mortified that someone might think I did this horrible job. When we row up to the boat in the tender I can see it smeared under all the teak eyebrow trim, they brushed it all over the underside on the gelcoat and then it dripped. That’s the kind of thing that keeps me up at night.
So I thought I would start with the teak cup holder and the ships wheel before tackling the floor grates and cockpit table. The cup holder had come off and held in place with a plastic zip tie and you know that had to go! Gregg filled the old, eaten away screw holes with epoxy and redrilled them. The cup holder was black on the inside and not much better on the outside.
The current state of the teak on the wheel is blotchy with light and dark bits and raw wood exposed from the finish flaking off. When the varnish separates from the wood because the bond wasn’t good, it leaves a cloudy creamish colour and when the wood is exposed, water gets in and mold occurs. Teak is a fabulous wood, small grained and has the most beautiful patina imaginable. Teak should shine, with at least eight applications of Epifane vanish and a light sanding in between you should be able to see your reflection. Then every couple of years a light sanding and a few more coats, a very manageable upkeep. Cetol on the other hand, if done properly builds up over time with refresher coats and at some point needs to be removed and begun again. On our boat it was unfortunately done sloppily so it all has to go. Funny, a few weeks ago I’d never heard of Cetol but now it’s my nemesis.
So I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have a heat gun, scraper and sand paper of every grit. I have an abundance of elbow grease and I work like a machine. Tonight the sweat was dripping down my nose from the humidity and heat radiating off my body. To make matters worse, using a heat gun exaggerated the temperature. There wasn't any air movement inside the garage and my shirt was soaked and stuck to me like a wet T-shirt contest but I forged on, sailing season is too short to procrastinaate. We have to get on the water!
Our friends have a Nonsuch that was well protected from the weather, sailed on lakes instead of salt water and meticulously cared for. Their boat is actually four years older than ours but is in museum quality shape. The finish on the cabin sole is like glass, the wood is pristine as the day it was laid. The bright work, the hand rails and wood on deck are lovely, and I can’t help feel sorry for my sad girl with all the ugly Cetol, like orange tears dripping down her sides. My friends say all work and no play make Christine a dull gal...but I enjoy this work, I’m having fun and the big payoff is coming when i can proudly say “Welcome Aboard!”
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I carved this stylized sea monster about twenty years ago. It was my very first and last carving project. I never knew what to do with it until we bought the boat. Although not teak, the varnish gives it that wonderful glow. So far I've applied two coats and it's slow to cure from all the humidity. After several more coats and some sanding it will shine and blend in beautifully with the teak and mahogany in the cabin.
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