On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 09:46:22 +0000, Roger Long wrote:

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?)

Actually you can just wipe it on with a rag. You keep doing it until the
wood won't take anymore, then wipe off any that didn't soak in. Nothing
could be easier.

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

No.

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.

It's a religion to that crowd -- myth and dogma.

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.

Go ahead and strip, and use the Deks Olje. It's probably more tolerant
than anything else. Good stripper works very well, and most varnish comes
off easily anyway.

Matt O.