Roger,
Just a question about removing old varnish: do you scrape before sanding?
My varnish work goes a lot quicker when I use a 90degree scraper to get most
of the old varnish off before I sand. I like varnishing almost as much as
painting so will anything to get it over with quicker.
Many only sand, and I don't mean to say you are one of those.
The guy in the next slip at the marina where I used to keep my boat was
sitting on his deck sanding his hand rails one day and I demonstrated the
use of a scraper, even sharpened it for him. He refused to use it and I came
to believe the real reason was sanding alone took a lot more time, and this
kept him out of the house!
MMC
"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
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