Trojan Boat Forum

Since it was nice and warm 55 today I had a chance to work on the Teak Rail. I sanded it and now I am wondering do I Varanish or use the Teak Oil I have. Any Ideals?

Oil for sure. Varnish will peel, chip and ware away with the sun. Oil using several coats. You can buff in between with oooo steel wool. It will give you a great finish. Make sure to buy good oil and not the cheapest you find. I am sure you can get it from Bob at Beacon.

oil is one option for sure. however i believe you will find many people (including me)who like the look of varnish. there is also cetol which i currently have on my boat. (this was put on by the previous owner ) i believe each has its own pros and cons. the cetol is very good with little upkeep, varnish will have some up keep as will the oil. before jumping in and picking one if you arent set on using one over the other i believe it would be smart to consider learning about all options.it might be smart to walk your dock and check out what others around you are using and you will also get a idea of the look of the products.
i also believe steel wool would be wrong due to the small pieces left behind will rust bronze wool or similiar might be better what ever finish you use

Maybe I will look for some photos of Oil and Stan too see what the differences are in looks.

I did find a site on the Cetol. I do think I will be using that. I like how it applys and with stands the weather. Here is link to the article I found.

http://www.yachtpaint.com/UK/sikkens/default.asp

if you are going to use Cetol... consider the light it gives the teak a more natural colour.

ready123 wrote:if you are going to use Cetol... consider the light it gives the teak a more natural colour.

I think I will I also found a pdf file on it. if anyone wants to see it..


http://www.yachtpaint.com/Images/15_26043.pdf

http://www.yachtpaint.com/Images/15_21129.pdf

I also found this for the rear swim deck.

Interlux Polymeric Noskid Compound is a non-skid paint additive that's added to deck enamels or Interthane Plus to provide sure footing on a slippery deck. May be brushed on or rolled.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... do?pid=136

If you can find it I use deks ole part one five coats its an oil used in the scandinavian countries

I find that non skid is not needed on the swim platform and it detracts from the look.
As you are in salt water I think non skid is even less of a need.

Steel wool should never be anywhere near your boat. Particles drop on decks, etc and quickly rust in place causing more work. Bronze wool is the only answer. Lot more expensive though.

If you go with Cetol, which I have used for many years on lots of boat restorations, you can use the new Teak coat. Some people don't like the orange tone of regular Cetol. I like to finish coat my taft rails with Cetol Gloss which is applyed over the base coats of Cetol. (don't use on decks or swimplatforms) This becomes my sacrificial coat that I light sand with 220 and recoat yearly. Search this topic on this site and you will get all the info you need. There is more to it than just applying it. Previous posts will help you a lot. Jimbo36.

This topic....oil vs vanish vs Cetol has been discussed many times. It boils down to personal preference. Each has something different to offer in appearance, prep and maintenance.

I'm in the oil camp for the natural appearance and easy prep. On the down side you need to apply it several times a year.....up side is it take about 1/2 hr of prep and 1/2 hour to apply and I love the natural looks of the teak.....IMO Cetol does not look natural (any color) and vanish is too much work...........each to his own........

Put me down as a Cetol lover.

You do NOT need the non-slip on the swim platform if you go the standard Cetol (which is what I use). I only use the standard stuff, so I have no experience with the high-gloss or satin or what-have you finish.

If you prep the wood correctly, do the appropriate number of coats, and then do 1 coat of maintenance per year, the stuff looks dynamite!

No more oil for me! (Ever!).

I do highly recommend an acid 2 part teak treatment before you coat the teak, though. It will remove any imperfections, ground in dirt, and raises the grain, which helps the Cetol "stick" to it. Also a lot easier than sanding. Use rubber gloves, or the acid will stain your fingernails yellow.

After 3 coats of Cetol, your teak will glow in the dark!

Cetol natural teak. It goes on effortlessly and lasts a long time. Gives a nice semi-gloss finish. I've used it on the swim platform and the teak trim in the cabin and the cockpit. I did use anti-skid additives to the final coat of the Cetol on the swim platform. Since I had the platform off the boat it was easy to try out the surface after I wetted it down and walked on it with my bare feet. More like skating on my bare feet. The anti-skid can be applied with a salt shaker. A little goes a long way, and you can brush off any excess on the surface after the Cetol dries. Teak oil just doesn't hold up and varnish doesn't stick well to oily woods like teak.

After sanding I cleaned with acetone to remove the oil because teak is such an oily wood then I put varnish on my railing for the warmth and Cetol on the swim platform for the durability.

Cetol works for me. Single step into rear cockpit, steps to fly and swim ladder have seen 2 seasons. No scratches on the single step and it gets used the most and sees much shoe traffic.