Any ideas on exterior teak treatment? My exterior teak handrails and
teak trim over my cabin need something done to them. I used teak oil
on them a few months ago but it didn't last very long so I want to use
varnish to get the shine up. What type of varnish is recommended on
teak wood?

That could be long range time consuming repetitive job.
Type of varnish would depend on your location and weather conditions. Many
varnishes have UV protection added. Find a few boats in your area with good
looking bright work and ask what they use.
Varnishing is a work of art, preparing surface, getting correct brushes,
handling materials correctly, tack, base coats, layering the 5 or 6 final
coats, then touching up every month or two depending on the weather and
usage. No short cuts. Best work is done by patient men in no hurry and
islanders who varnish since childhood.
I have kept the varnish up on my wheel, which I also keep covered when not
in use. So I only needed to touch up every 4 months. My father had two
thoughts on outside teak, paint it or let it weather. I let the rest of the
boat weather.

stu


"Rob" wrote in message
om...
Any ideas on exterior teak treatment? My exterior teak handrails and
teak trim over my cabin need something done to them. I used teak oil
on them a few months ago but it didn't last very long so I want to use
varnish to get the shine up. What type of varnish is recommended on
teak wood?

I just did all of my exterior teak with Sikkens Cetol Light. It looks
more like oiled teak than varnished, but it lasts several years and
doesn't peel and require sanding when it needs a touchup.
If you decide to go with Cetol, I recommend the Lght as the regular
stuff has much more orange pigment in it.

Varnish recommendation: NONE - doesnt last long enough, lifts when water
intrudes underneath or through the wood.

Cetol: better to splash on root beer or brown paint with a straw broom
if you want a good looking finish in comparison to "cetol".

Consider using "Honey Teak" (www.signaturefinish.com)
Its a 2 part base coat and a 2 part top coat of polyurethane and
acrylic. It behaves and LOOKS like varnish.
Doesnt HIDE the wood nor is butt UGLY as Cetol ... or simple ugly like
Cetol Light.
On my present "teakey", the honey teak is now going into its fourth
season, and only with minor upkeep/topcoat. The longer its on the
lighter it gets. Can be flat sanded and hand-rubbed with rotten-stone to
be equivalent to the finest, most brilliant varnish jobs. (Hand rubbing
with rotten stone will develope a glass finish and the heat of hand
rubbing will develop a deeply irridescent 'patina' in the wood.) Its
recommended to apply a yearly quick top coat; but, some years I simply
power buff it with 2000 grit polishing compound. Typical sanding prior
to a quick top coat restoration is by using a 3M purple pad (100 grit).

The stuff is EXPENSIVE but in comparison to the short life of varnish or
the constant recoat of Cetol(which cracks/aligators severely when aged),
the stuff is a bargain when you calculate the cost vs. life of several
seasons (4+).
The manufacturer recommends 2 coats of base followed by two coats of
clear.... which you can apply in 1 or 2 days. I apply 3 of base and 4 of
clear - then I have enough to power buff the following seasons. If you
use it, lay on HEAVY coats with a soft 'artist' brush. At first the
stuff has a moderate amber hue; but, will quickly fade out to a 'honey'
clear in a few weeks. Use it ONLY on teak, not teak look-alikes such as
Iroko, etc.
Smith & Co. offers an equivalent called "5 year Clear" ... perhaps an
epoxy base material.

OIL: If you want a supreme OIL finish, dont use thin oil; but, consider
to use heavy 'resinated' oils such as NuTeak/Marykate .... and DONT wipe
it off between coats. Lay on several THICK coats, let cure a few weeks,
flat sand with 400 or 600 wet and dry, then add the final coat. Will be
equivalent to the brilliance of varnish. Will last 12-18 months before
it turns very dark due to UV .... then soak with trisodiumphosphate
(TSP) to remove and begin again. NOTHING beats the shine or brilliance
of hand rubbed (resinated) oil finish. I have a rifle stock that I did a
hand rubbed oil job on 35 years ago... it still looks like glassssssss.

wrote...

Sounds to me like you have a vested interest of some sort in Honey Teak. Your
opinion is far more colored than Cetol could ever hope to be. Meanwhile, Cetol
is far less work to apply and maintain than anything you have recommended.
Yes,
we all know it has a slightly "off" color to it, but huge numbers of people
seem
to be willing to make that awful sacrifice rather than spend the time you do
stripping, sanding and recoating.

I haven't used Honey Teak, but have used Cetol for 5+ years on my boat. After a
couple coats of regular Cetol, I switched to the Cetol Light. For those who
want a matte finish, it works very well. OTOH, I wouldn't use it where one
would ordinarily use a high-gloss varnish...

FWIW, Practical Sailor rated Cetol and Honey Teak about the same in a review a
couple years ago -- both at the top of their ratings. Take your pick!