Teak treatment question

[bassarama]

Hey guys

I have all the accent/trim pieces from my V fisherman in my garage ready to be cleaned and polished. I must say that I don’t want to stain the wood…

Now comes the big questions, what product you guys use to clean teak other than the orbital sander and what marine polyurethane will hold best?

Thanks

Joe

[bradford]

I usually scrub it with an all purpose cleaner called Greased Lightning. After it dries I apply teak oil, and after that dries I'll varnish it. It usually takes about five or six coats of varnish.

[76GMC1500]

Sikkens Cetol Marine Light is your friend. It's so much easier to apply than varnish. Did all of my sanding with random orbit sander.

[Skools Out]

you can thin urathan with acetone and then several coats after cleaning the teak.

[Geekie1]

Cetol Marine Light will last 4 times longer than any other coating I know of. Looks great too! Regular Cetol Marine is too dark for my taste. I have tried most of the other varnish and urethane products such as Epiphanes, Flagship, Helmsman, etc. etc. and with them you are stripping and re-finishing every other year at best. The reason I have alot of experience with finishes is that I have had cedar strip canoes and kayaks and have experimented alot with re-finishing them. I did use varnishes on them because cedar canoes are clear coated with fiberglass (epoxy) and require epoxy UV protection. Unvarnished epoxy will deteriorate in the UV rays of the sun. Fortunately, cedar canoes and kayaks are not out in the sun for 7 or 8 months of the year like boats are so varnishes last alot longer.

I clean teak with a solution of 1/4 chlorine bleach 3/4 water. I have also used a small electric pressure washer (1650 PSI) with good cleaning results. If you use a higher power pressure washer you will probably damage the teak. Let it dry and sand it with an orbital sander and give it about 3 coats of Cetol sanding between coats. Works for me!!!

[bassarama]

Cetol Marine Light will be :)


I like the chlorine cleaning...
Last year I built my sunroom with rough cut Tulip wood. before cutting the lumber I wash the whole thing with a 25% chlorine liquid shock solution. It even removed stains from mouse s***t.

Presure washed the timber and got back the natural wood color.

I'm gonna try the same method with the teak.

Thanks to all
*

[76GMC1500]

The Cetol does have an orange stain to it. It can cover up a lot of discoloration. If you look at my guages, their backing was a piece of very white plywood.

[bassarama]

I can live with that...

by the way, you did an oustanting job on your boat :)

Thanks

[msbhammer]

Yo Bassarama, you move in with Fishbone. ??
That picture of that large room looks like one of Fishbones mansions that he owns. ;) ;D

[parishht]

HAMMER, I had the exact same thought. :-/