"Capt. Mooron" wrote in message

Since it's approaching... well okay it's at least a month and a half away
for some of us... time to consider what approach to use on the vessel's
wood trim this year, I thought I would start the annual ASA wood treatment
thread.

There are those who use Varnish, those who use Cetol, those who use Tung
Oil and some of you that use your own secret recipe.

What is your preferred method and how do you apply the finish?

To start of... I have used varnish, and wasn't convinced that the work to
produce such luster was worth the effort of application for one season of
duration. I've even tried cetol and was not impressed with the results on
both occasions. For years I simply used Teak Oil or Tung Oil and kept a
kit aboard for touch ups as required. It's easy to apply and clean up is
no problem. The woodwork shows a nice colour and retains it's texture.
Last season I applied teak oil and let it dry before applying a coat of
clear Behr deck waterproofing, UV inhibitor sealant. It seemed to work
since I had no reason to reapply further teak oil all season. Yet this
year I noticed some greying of the teak... so here I go again. What should
I use this year? Should I just give up and try another Varnish or let the
teak go grey?

You're facing the age-old quandary, Cappy: how to get the appearance of a
multi-coat, hand-rubbed varnish finish with the ease of Cetol or oil.

Bottom line: ain't ever gonna happen.

Either use varnish, or get used to something less attractive.

My advice:

1) If you want a varnish finish, start with bare wood and anyone's long oil
varnish thinned to 50% for penetration. Let dry, then sand smooth. Then
apply three thick coats of Epifanes Gloss Wood Finish without sanding in
between. No sanding is necessary, if you apply subsequent coats within 72
hours. And each coat equals two or three coats of long oil varnish. AND it
is completely compatible with varnish, either long oil or urethane types.
You can even alternate coats between varnish and EGWF, provided you sand
after each varnish coat, but not the EGWF coats, not that anyone would
actually do this. But back to the process: now allow the last (3rd) coat
of EGWF to dry, sand very smooth with 150 grit, 220 grit, and 400 wet/dry,
and then apply your final coat of long-oil varnish, either gloss or
rubbed-effect (satin). Be sure to refresh the topcoat every year with one
or two coats of varnish, or you'll lose the finish and have to start from
scratch again. Or you can even use the EGWF instead of varnish--it has just
as effective UV filters as most varnish, and better than some. AND be sure
to repair any damage to the finish that penetrates to the wood immediately.

2. If you want a Cetol finish, sand the wood smooth, then apply three coats
of Cetol Marine without sanding between. That's it, along with refreshing
every years with one coat. Nothing could be easier, but don't expect a
varnish-like appearance.

3. If an oil finish is acceptable, apply two or three coats of reduced tung
oil (pure tung thinned to 50% with mineral spirits), and plan to re-apply
every three months during the summer and at the beginning of each season.
Nice appearance, but requires too much work, IMO.

My pick: Cetol Marine. An acceptable finish if viewed from 10' away or
farther, and it protects the wood nicely. Not for teak decks, however,
unless you enjoy ice skating in the summer.

Max