Varnish or Oil

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:40 pm

so this weekend i plan on tackling the back end of my F36 to bring it somewhat back to life.... the teak is near death and i honestly dont think i can get it to look anything pretty at all so varnish and a few clear coats would be nice in my opinion, i varnished the fy bridge area and clear coated 7 times last year and it seems to be holding up just fine (someone decided to glue a carpet onto the teak instead of refinishing it and the glue wouldnt come out of the wood so that was my only option for that part) now the question is should i also do the back platform in the same manner.... since it will be exposed to the elements a lot more then the top deck that has the enclosure protection...

THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN A LONG TIME AGO WHEN I FIRST GOT THE BOAT, however the condition of the wood back aft hasn't really changed, i varnished the rails as well and it seems to hold up however they aren't a high traffic area...

any ideas?

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:43 pm

Varnish gets my vote....but that deck has seen better days..

aweimer · Post by **aweimer** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:05 pm

Same question for me this year. I stripped it and cleaned/brighten/oiled and it looks amazing! It will require only a wash or two and maybe 1 more oil this year.

Little more light work but less over the long run IMO. Your call though of course.

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:06 pm

im slowly restoring this boat, i needa snap a few shots of the top deck and post them up, its a little scratch prone however seems to hold up so far, im just a little weary of the slip factor on the back deck and the weather exposure... i mean i used regular golden oak minwax varnish (its covered by a coat so it wouldn't really mater) and then 7 coats of clear marine varnish... ill probably just post picks of the progress on here for people to tear apart, i know how much people dont like the slaughter of teak lol

the previous owner didn't take care of the boat at all thus i got it at a steal from a repossession...lots of work but its defiantly worth it...

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:20 pm

no varnish on the deck....hone and oil it..

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:14 pm

I am a big fan of Cetol. Also, varnish is normally a bad idea for surfaces that could get wet because of how slippery it could get under foot. Cetol or oiling is usually safer.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:18 pm

It really comes down to personal preference of course... for me unfinished teak looks best on decks and are improved if in a salt water environment... I really like the silver grey look they get after a few weeks and cleanup and maintenance is a breeze.
Now on railings many people don't like the feel of bare wood so they go the varnish route..... I prefer oiled wood railings and bare decks!

It comes down to do you like the look of varnish modified wood or the natural look.... I'll put some pictures up tomorrow of what I'm suggesting.

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:32 pm

Like Ready says... to each his own... Personally, I HATE raw, grey, bleached, unfinished teak. Here are some examples of different treatments from my 'Wood Finishes' album. Exterior Cetol tends to last 3-4 years (for me -- Great Lakes, fresh water) before any maintenance is required. Protected Cetol (on my flybridge) hasn't been touched since 2001 (the pics were posted a couple of years back)!

Here are links to my 'wood finishes' gallery:
Wood Finish examples (part 1)
https://www.trojanboats.net/wforum/view ... f=1&t=3206

Wood Finish examples (part 2)
https://www.trojanboats.net/wforum/view ... =1&t=12738

g36 · Post by **g36** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:09 am

i can cast a vote for cetol it does last for sure i have it on my f32, but i do like the look of varnish also especiallly on the railings. the varnish on the deck would look nice but will be slippery for looks, varnish but cetol on the deck would be the safest thing

rbcool · Post by **rbcool** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:12 am

Which Cetol are you guys using? I'm getting ready to do my Bow Pulpit.

Ron

lawyerdave71 · Post by **lawyerdave71** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:58 am

My teak looked like yours a few months ago.

I striped, cleaned, and oiled all with Watco products and it is simply gorgeous!

I prefer oil cuz a few times a year you slop some more on - whereas with varnish, eventually, it will need to be stripped.

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:08 am

rbcool wrote:Which Cetol are you guys using? I'm getting ready to do my Bow Pulpit.

Ron

I use Cetol (regular) for my swim platform, flybridge ladder steps, and 'boarding strips' at the cockpit. the pulipit - since nobody stands on it - is done with Cetol Light and then a few coats of Cetol Gloss over top.

The main difference between the regular Cetol and Cetol Light is that Light contains either no tint, or less tint, than the regular, so you get a lighter coloured result and see more grain. The plus of the regular is that with the tint, it helps blend things in and hide stuff if you have discolouration in the wood that you can't get rid of with cleaning and normal prep.

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:41 am

Dave, to the contrary, Cetol, if applied properly and maintained will rarely require stripping. I have used it for too many years to mention. Also, it contains U/V protection. Cetol rocks, and looks great, year after year.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:53 pm

As promised here are some photos of my buddy's boat teak deck, note this boat is freshwater mainly so is a little darker than with a salt water wash.

and

Fishblues · Post by **Fishblues** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:41 pm

I am up to 10 coats on my railings and 4 on my swim platform using Cetol. Went with 3 coats of Cetol light then started piling on the gloss, it looks great.

One problem I am having is tiny blankin bubbles... trying to be polite.

They are making me crazy, with each layer I am trying another technique to get rid of them. Different brushes, not loading to much, dust free room, I even thinned it slightly even though it says not to. I am sure the wood was dry before I started because I left all the railings and Swim platform in the dinning room for a month before I started, wife loved me. The F32 swim platform is huge.

This is no job I want to repeat any time soon. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Pics will follow soon.