Poly...Varnish...Urethane

[rangerscott275]

I'm going to sand down and redo my v-berth. It is all original teak...though not seemingly as nice a quality as say the galley / main salon. Most of my boat was redone before I purchased it with enough coats to make the walls look like they are covered in a sheet of glass over the beautiful zebra teak wood. I'd like to replicate this as best as I can and I know you only get one shot at doing it right so I was wondering if anyone can give me some tips on what they did to make their interiors look amazing. I bought spar varnish but then was told by a furniture guy that it would dry too soft and tacky and that I needed a solid urethane. I thought polyurethane would do..like used on HW floors...but was told that it was too brittle and that I needed to use something that sounded like uriethlyide or something. Any pointers on products / procedure? thanks!

 

[Maynard Rupp]

For the interior wood, why not use a good teak oil? Exterior we use Bristol finish which is a 2 part poly with UV inhibiters. Interior we use Starbrite Teak oul and love it.

 

[Jackman]

I may not be the norm where this is concerned, but I finished my INTERIOR wood with a finish my grandfather has used for over 50+ yrs as a professional finisher. I'm sure there is better out there but this stuff has a good history with our family. My grandfather has used it everywhere from $50K pieces of furniture he refinished to his cabin on the Chesepeake where its not heated during the winter to being hot in the summer. It experiences the extremes. He often said the more of this stuff you put on over the years the better a piece looks.

Anyhow..its just Minwax's polyeurothane, the satin finish. I chose the satin over the gloss because the gloss will show any dents in the wood from "aging". I sanded the wood with various levels of sandpaper and then applied three coats, minimum. The first coat, then the second coat about 4hrs later. I then let it cure over the week and then put a finial coat on after a light sanding with 400grit paper. The third coat went on nice. On high use areas like railings ect I put additional coats on. My grandfather swears by poly brushes...the real name brand one's not the homedepot polybrush wanna be's, but I like using a good regular bristle brush because I control it better. Sometimes I was attempting the put a coat on a horizontal overhead surface and the polybrush tended to drip in my face! The bristle brush didn't do this because I was able to apply things quicker.

I'm sure these guys have something better but thats what I went with. Looks awesome for being 21yrs old inside.

Jack

 

[Walter P]

Jack, Your grandfather and I have something in common, I also like satin MinWax poly. After brushing on a second coat, let it harden for a few days then sand out all runs and other imperfections, then SPRAY the last coat on. The same product is available from MinWax in aerosol cans and it works very well. Do not spray too heavy, you want to have it look like wood not plastic.

Walt

 

[rangerscott275]

thanks for the advice thusfar. I don't really love teak oil when compared to a glossy varnish / polyurethane finish. I was told by previous owner that the rest of the interior was done with multiple coats of Epiphanes (and exterior with Bristol Finish). I think I might stick with the Epiphanes unless someone has had a bad experience with it or a reason not to use.

 

[MikeP]

One of my post-retirement (April 2 ) projects for this spring is stripping the Cetol off the exterior wood and recoating with Epifanes varnish. The interior (already done) looks great with 3 coats of Minwax Tung oil with a bit of Minwax red mahogany stain added to the first coat. It has a nice rubbed-gloss look and is super easy to refurbish/repair if needed.

 

[REBrueckner]

Teak oil on interior wood has the advantage that a scratch or rub mark can be wiped with a paper towel corner dipped in teak oil and... poof...the scratch disappears. It's a soft finish and roughly equivalent to satin in shine. To refinish, just wipe the existing surface to remove dirt and dust, maybe windex, and wipe on another coat..no fusss, no muss, no sanding dust.

When I bought my YF, some handrails and some moldings were black with grimy hand oil...I cleaned them down to bare wood with acetone on rags and vigorous rubbing...Except for one hand rail where the oil was in the wood in addition to the surface teak oil, I was able to restore them to new condition. I replaced the one handrail as I did not know how to get the crud out of the wood grain. (Light sanding didn't seem to help.)

Teak oil has the disadvantage that it scratches more easily than a urethane or other hard marine finish. When used on hand rails or moldings, it will accumulate more hand dirt/oil and tarnish more quickly than a hard finish. It's also slightly more susceptible to dirt/mold than a smooth high gloss finish.

Epiphanes makes two lines..one recommends sanding between coats, the other doesn't, so you can build up coats day by day without sanding between every additional coat. Some have reported applying daily coats without sanding even with the one with recommended sanding with good results. Any marine product, acrylic, urethane, old style varnish,whatever, will provide a more durable finish than teak oil. But this requires a lot more upfront effort in preparation and cleaning. Be sure to thin Epiphanes with their thinner as it's pretty thick directly out of the can.

For interior teak, I would think Minwax or other household brands would be fine. Water based finishes are now extremely durable as well, such as water based floor urethanes.

 

[surfdancer45]

Here is one more vote for the minwax poly, my interior was done four years ago and still looks like the day(days) it was done. I also used "Ultimate Sole" on the Teak and Holly flooring I put in last year. That stuff is amazing. Goes on easy, has a nice shine and the non-skid characteristic is great. Good luck on your refinishing. Bob

 

[REBrueckner]

I forgot to post: After surface preparation is completed, vacuum EVERYTHING in the boat to eliminate as much dust as possible. Wipe down all prepared surfaces liberally with acetone or other solvent to clean surface oils from the wood before applying a finish product of your choice. Use lint free rags, not paper products. Cheese cloth is usually recommended. (I haven't found it all that great.) Thining the inital coat of finish product is often recommended to get better pentration into the wood pores. The inital coat or two often raises wood grain and requires a light sanding aftwards...clean scrupulously.

Getting rid of all dust is the major effort in refinishing. I've only gotten near perfect results a few times among many tries. Tack clothes may help and those designed for Awlgrip preparation may be superior to traditional tack clothes. Traditional tack clothes are available in most paint stores.

 

[Pascal]

speaking of finish, what is best for Teak & Holly flooring.

after considering various options, I''ve just ordered sheets of T&H veneered plywood to redo the flooring in the SRs and companionway.. can't stand the carpet anymore... but I havent' decided on what to use as a finish.

eventhough the SRs and c'way are failry low traffic, i need something durable that won't require annual maintenance. preferably with no sanding between coats...

 

[SKYCHENEY]

There is a product called Fabulon that is used on bowling alley lanes. I have used it throughout my home on my oak floors and it holds up great. I bought it at a place near me that makes wood flooring. They recommend it exclusively as the best product that they have ever seen.

 

[Capt K]

Any input as to where to find Teak & Holly plywood. I'm in the Northeast, but will look at any option. Been thinking about the staterooms and engine room passageway, too.

K

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Here is a different approach to the problem. I found a vendor at the Miami boat show that sells a teak and holly flexible material similar to linoleum. Their product looks exactly like wood, grain and all. The material is flexible and soft, but has a good backing, not cheap paper like linoleum. I am going to install it in the galley and head of our 36C this week. I will comment more later. I first have to swear alot while removing the *&$* old stuff. The material is $7.50 per sq. ft., comes 6 ft. wide, and is hard to tell from wood. The company is PlasTEAK, 1-800-320-1841. The guys name is Derek.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I used t&h plywood on my bar top in my basement. I bought it at a specialty lumber yard in Detroit.

 

[dsharp]

to get the look you want is just a matter of building up coats. I don't refinish boats for a living anymore but, the most important thing is a good brush. I use badger hair brushes for varnish or poly. A 3" works for larger areas and a 2" for cutting and trim. I don't have any experience with Epiphane we used Woolsey because that's what we sold. I've never heard anything bad about it. I've used a lot of minwax brand also with good results. They make a Helsman Spar Urethane that builds up well. Expect to put on 4-5 coats and sand between each coat with 220 or 320. I don't like the garnet sandpaper it cuts too aggressively. Lighty sand after the first coat, when you get to the last coats sand it until all the brush marks are out. Also for a good varnish job you have too move quickly don't brush too much, alot of the brush marks will level out. Pour what you think you'll need in another container so you don't get dust in the whole quart. I don't care how much you clean there will still be some dust. After I clean my brush I oil it lightly with trans fluid and wrap the bristles in brown paper. I haven't had to buy a new brush lately they used to be 20-25$. Good luck.

 

[rangerscott275]

Thanks! I wanted to put a quick plug in for that ultimate sole...I too have that on my floors and it is amazing. since we're on the subject...anyone know what Shellac is used for?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Thanks! I wanted to put a quick plug in for that ultimate sole...I too have that on my floors and it is amazing. since we're on the subject...anyone know what Shellac is used for?

I thought shellac was only used by sports anouncers as in "What a shellacing that team recieved"

 

[NAN-PO 41]

Capt. K,
Try Boulter Plywood in Somerville Ma. They specialize in all types of exotic plywood. I understand you need to be prepared to take out a second mortgage on your house though.
Good luck, Fred

 

[MikeP]

Shellac is a wonderful finish material for wood that will NOT be exposed to water. Therefore it is of no use on boats. However, there is no wood finish that makes wood look as good as shellac does. It's very easy to work with except for the fact that it has to be prepared from alcohol and shellac flakes when you need it and not stored more than a couple of weeks. Store-bought liquid shellac is nowhere near as good as the fresh-made stuff. It's like comparing cooked frozen crab with fresh-caught drop-in-the-pot crab!

The best classical and flamenco guitars have had-rubbed shellac finishes for appearance and tonal quality. Great stuff but not for boats.

 

[luckydave215]

That so-deep-you-could-go-swimming-in-it varnish finish takes at least 12 coats, (20 is better) no matter what product you use, the more open the grain, the more coats it takes.
Epiphanes is the current best product by the way, but that will probably change by this time next week, the way product developement is forging ahead.
On high wear areas, like surfaces you walk on, build up with the varnish of your choice, and top coat with clear linear polyurethane for durability. I think awlgrip has the best shine, your milage may vary.