After spending days with a heat gun and scraper I have finally removed the last of the Bristol finish, what an expensive disaster. After completely stripping and refinishing the boats
teak four times in nine years I have come to the conclusion that I never want a hard finish on the
boat again, however I am not willing to let the
teak go grey. A couple of the members here have lauded the benefits of Starbrite Tropical Teak
Oil claiming years of
service between coatings, no
sanding on recoats, finish gently wears away, etc, etc. I have drank this "Coolaid" before only to get burnt.
Last September I applied TTO dark color to the pulpit platform as a little test before I buy the whole enchilada. It has held up well so far but 8 mos is no test of the products durability. On of the things I have noticed with the product is that it doesn't handle any abrasion well, my
shore power cord has rubbed through the finish in a small area, I am assuming
repair of this spot should be fairly easy.
I have a friend who has done his Cape Dory's woodwork with the product and it didn't last a year, he is in the process of redoing all over with the same product. Members here have had varying results, some have gotten years of use, others not so much.
I would love to hear real world experience on the Tropical Teak
Oil as well as other types of products that will give a decent color with very low
maintenance, no
sanding or scraping.