dadiOH writes:

Teak being used for what?

You forgot, "being used for impressing your lubber friends". Unlike you
and me, they don't properly appreciate the weathered surface. Ya gotta oil
it for them.

Chris wrote:
According the their web site (excerpts below), Le Tonkinois
is the best thing ever, much better than any other varnish.

It also says it is made with linseed and tung oils...just like other
varnishes. yawn

--

dadiOH
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dadiOH wrote:

People seem to ascribe nearly mystical properties to various finishes.
Truth is, it is all about chemistry. Here are a couple of links to some
interesting info about modern varnishes.
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00063.asp
http://www.woodfinishingsupplies.com/varnish.htm

--

dadiOH
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So is it silly to use marine varnish? It sounds like a good exterior
varnish from the hardware store would do just as well and half the
price.

I've used the super durable, very fast drying, polyurethane varnish
left over from re-doing our hardwood floors for a number of non-boat
projects. It's great. I put six coats on a mahogany base for a model
in one day and it looks like I spend weeks on it. The marine varnish
I've been using takes 24 hours before I can sand it easily and put
another coat on and doesn't look any better.

If I was sure about the UV aspect, I'd use that floor varnish on my
(already varnished) exterior teak. It sure would be nice to have it
dry in an hour and be working on another coat instead of worrying
about whether the guy next to me was going to be sanding his white
paint.

Just how important is the UV, Interior/Exterior business anyway? The
marine varnish I put on some of my exterior trim pretty much
disappeared over the season anyway.

--

Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
Just how important is the UV, Interior/Exterior business anyway?

Quite, IMO. But that doesn't mean the sun won't eat the varnish. Used
to have a boat with a yard...top of the yard needed doing every six
months max. Rest of the boat could go 18-24 months. About half that
without UV protection.


--

dadiOH
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On Tue, 04 Apr 2006 14:20:45 +0000, Roger Long wrote:

So is it silly to use marine varnish? It sounds like a good exterior
varnish from the hardware store would do just as well and half the
price.

I've used the super durable, very fast drying, polyurethane varnish left
over from re-doing our hardwood floors for a number of non-boat
projects. It's great. I put six coats on a mahogany base for a model in
one day and it looks like I spend weeks on it. The marine varnish I've
been using takes 24 hours before I can sand it easily and put another
coat on and doesn't look any better.

The problem with PU varnish is that it will still crack and peel like
anything else. But when you need to patch or redo it, what's left is next
to impossible to remove. It's probably the best thing for interiors
though.

If I was sure about the UV aspect, I'd use that floor varnish on my
(already varnished) exterior teak. It sure would be nice to have it dry
in an hour and be working on another coat instead of worrying about
whether the guy next to me was going to be sanding his white paint.

Just how important is the UV, Interior/Exterior business anyway? The
marine varnish I put on some of my exterior trim pretty much disappeared
over the season anyway.

It's everything! UV actually causes the wood to break down, which is what
causes varnish to crack and peel. Think about it -- debonding from the
wood has to happen from the wood side, not the weather side.

FWIW, Cetol has that orange tone because it contains iron oxide for UV
protection. This gives the most bang for the buck in terms of UV
protection. Clear UV protectants are expensive, and not quite as
effective.

I've had great luck with Deks Olje. The #1, basically an oil finish,
builds up quicker and easier than anything. If you like a satin finish
it's good as-is. If you want gloss you can put the #2 on over it. The #2
isn't as hard and glossy as the hardest and glossiest finishes, but it's
good enough for most people. If you want the boat to shine for a special
event, you can just sand in a coat of #1, then slap on a coat of #2. The
best thing about Deks Olje is that it's so easy to maintain, so you'll
actually do it.

I've been using a little Cetol lately, to see how it holds up and how easy
it is to maintain, compared to the Deks Olje. Ask me about it at the end
of this summer.

Matt O.

Maybe you can help with a question I asked here a while ago and never
got a good answer. My teak all has heavy coats of varnish that is now
chipped and cracking so it needs to come off. It's quite orange and
now I know why.

Questions:

Can I scrape it and use Decks Olje or similar oil successfully? I'd
rather put something on with a rag more often than get out masking
tape and brushes less often. (You use brushes for the first coats,
right?)

If I help the process along with a stripper, will I have problems with
the Decks Olje?

I ask because the teak I did scrape and revarnish didn't look like
teak because of varnish left in the grain. I don't want to remove
enough wood to get below that.

It's funny. I couldn't get straight answers to these questions in the
Wooden Boat Magazine forum either.

BTW I'm not compulsive about appearance. Our boat is like a very
attractive 60 year old woman. I just want the teak to look cared for;
not new.

--

Roger Long

I can speak for Desk Oldie. I used it on decking that was out in the
sun/rain for 5 years and the wood stayed new looking. After 5 years, I
dutifully buffed up the wood and recoated, but it really didn't need it.

Brian


"Chris" wrote in message
oups.com...
According the their web site (excerpts below), Le Tonkinois
is the best thing ever, much better than any other varnish.

A question to those who have used it:
Is it just great, or just snake oil?

I am looking for the best treatment for teak trim on a plastic boat.

Thanks!


Le Tonkinois frequently asked questions.

What is it and how is it better than my normal brand?
Le Tonkinois is an environmentally friendly natural oil based varnish
that actually does what the other brands claim to do.

Is it any good for boats?
Far better than most, on boats in fresh water sea or sludge, Le Tonkinois
is an old traditional marine varnish, used long before they invented the
stuff that falls off.

What about Ultra Violet?
Le Tonkinois is highly resistant to Ultra Violet. Its natural materials
protect both the varnish and the wood below. We have no reported problems
in our 10 years experience with Le Tonkinois. However a sample exposed
untouched for 10 years has shown an increasing yellowing. Where we added
an extra coat every 3 years no deterioration is visible.

What about using it on Teak?
Ideal for teak, mahogany, oak etc. Modern varnishes do not adhere to
woods which contain a lot of natural oils and flake off very quickly. Le
Tonkinois bonds well to these woods including Teak, Iroko, Pitch pine and
similar if the surface is "degreased" first to allow the necessary
penetration of the first coat. It also copes brilliantly with Oak, which
is notorious for its own special problems.

What about impact damage?
It has a tough durable coat which withstands abrasion and impacts. It
doesn't peel or crack. Areas subject to severe abrasive pressure are
easily repaired without affecting surrounding areas.

How long does it last?
Le Tonkinois provides long lasting protection. It does not need regular
stripping and re-varnishing, simply add another coat every few years to
extend the life.

Does it allow wood to breathe?
Wood expands and contracts through temperature and atmospheric changes, a
process timber experts refer to as breathing. The flexibility of Le
Tonkinois allows for this where others fail.

Among my boatbuilder acquaintances, there is not unanimity about varnish,
but we've narrowed it down to a few brands which are OK. The leading few
are Epifanes, Z-Spar, The West Marine house brands (Z-spar re-packaged), and
Interlux, but there have been a couple of positive mentions from otherwise
respectable people, of Le Tonkinois. Myself, I use Epifanes mostly. It
goes on a bit thicker and therefore builds faster. I have no experience
with LeTonkinois.
Whether it's going onto teak, mahogany or spruce makes no difference.

There is a good article about using Tonkinois in this month's issue of
Good Old Boat. The author of the article sang its praises. The
pictures look nice too.