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#1
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Teak Wood Varnish
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? |
#2
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Teak Wood Varnish
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? |
#3
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Teak Wood Varnish
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. |
#4
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Teak Wood Varnish
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. |
#5
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Teak Wood Varnish
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! |
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