Is this Cabin Sole Fixable?

[mike37909]

I stripped the existing finish off. The grey spot is where the previous owner let water drip from the solar vent. There was nothing left of the finish in that area. If it is fixable please recommend a method. It is on a catalina 36 teak and holly veneer. The only thing I have done is stripped with klean strip.
The wood looks similar to exterior teak that has been in the weather unprotected. I have heard of bleaching but this area is already lighter?
The marine woodwork business is new to me so help please.

[Cheechako]

that doesnt look too bad. I would sand (or stip then sand lightly) the whole thing down to bare wood. Be careful you dont want to go through the veneer (it is likely plywood) At that point , if you are still concerened about any areas not matching you can stain the whole thing one color. Then revarnish or poly. Should come out very nice. The other option is to sand the whole thing but not to bare wood, try to match stain any non matching areas and varnish. Put a little oriental carpet over the bad spot!

[gonesail]

the teak veneer is probably about 1/16" thick. if you sand thru that then you are out of luck. but you must sand if you want to refinish it.

[Tony B]

Take a rag and soak it in lacquer thinner and wipe the area. When wet, this will look similar to what it will look like with a finish on it. Then at least you know what you are in for. The lacquer thinner will flash-off in seconds with no clean-up required. If you don't have lacquer thinner, use mineral spirits and wipe it off thoroughly with lacquer thinner or acetone.
Like stated earlier, be very careful with the sandpaper, the veneer is very thin.
I personally would avoid staining. It will darken the dark areas even more and also darken the white holly strips. With varnish or polyurethane, the floor colors will darken on their own including a slight ambering on the holly.

[mike37909]

Originally Posted by Tony B

Take a rag and soak it in lacquer thinner and wipe the area. When wet, this will look similar to what it will look like with a finish on it. Then at least you know what you are in for. The lacquer thinner will flash-off in seconds with no clean-up required. If you don't have lacquer thinner, use mineral spirits and wipe it off thoroughly with lacquer thinner or acetone.
Like stated earlier, be very careful with the sandpaper, the veneer is very thin.
I personally would avoid staining. It will darken the dark areas even more and also darken the white holly strips. With varnish or polyurethane, the floor colors will darken on their own including a slight ambering on the holly.

Good idea. I will try it.

[Ukeluthier]

Originally Posted by gonesail

the teak veneer is probably about 1/16" thick.

Likely considerably less than that.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Mike...Heed the thin veneer advice... I personally would strip (I like heat gunning) then sand the whole thing, not try and match... The Lacquer thinner trick is a good one... Read about the various teak cleaning processes if your spot is still there after removing the finish... Start on the mild end... If you are careful, you are going to be amazed how well it actually turns out!

[roverhi]

A bleach won't make the wood lighter but banish the grey and bring out the natural color of the wood. Oxalic acid is a good bleach with a myriad of uses on a boat like removing rust stains in gelcoat as well as wood bleach.

[Craig Cape Town]

I second the use of oxalic acid. I've used it to restore weathered teak furniture and have had good results. Use a fine paper to fair before recoating.

[Greggegner]

Agree you should strip, sand lightly then apply thin coat to build up a smooth finish. It will look good. Sanding through the veneer means new wood. Please post pics and method when done.

[mike37909]

Thanks for all the info. I wet the spot with stripper rinse which smells like acetone. It looked way better in that spot when wet. I want to point out that the board is already stripped (except a few stubborn places). I will try the oxalic acid and then maybe a super light hand sand with high grit paper.
Should I buy teak cleaner or just try to find oxalic acid? Is there a name brand? Would home depot or somewhere similar have it or do I need to go to west marine?
Thanks
Will post pictures

[Ukeluthier]

Most teak cleaners meant for on-deck use contain phosphoric acid and will erode the grain in the wood, meaning you'll have to sand even more to get a smooth surface.

Oxalic acid is a white powder that you mix with water, and it essentially just bleaches stains out of wood without damaging the wood. I doubt most regular hardware stores carry it, but West Marine does... at least they did when I bought the supply that I have.

[mike37909]

First two pics are while stripping. The other pics are after bleaching twice. The boards are in the sun so the pics may look different but they are much lighter. Darker areas can still be seen around the outer edges of the boards but not near as much.

[Roy M]

Easy peasy. Look at this floorboard. A dog peed on it and it was left for several weeks, resulting in a dark brown stain, a wee bit more damaging than some seawater. I removed the topcoat with epoxy stripper, then treated the veneer with West Marine 2-part teak cleaner. Result, brand new finish, which will be treated with West System (different company) 105 epoxy and 207 hardener, then finish coated with 2-part clear linear polyurethane varnish.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Roy M

Easy peasy. Look at this floorboard. A dog peed on it and it was left for several weeks, resulting in a dark brown stain, a wee bit more damaging than some seawater. I removed the topcoat with epoxy stripper, then treated the veneer with West Marine 2-part teak cleaner. Result, brand new finish, which will be treated with West System (different company) 105 epoxy and 207 hardener, then finish coated with 2-part clear linear polyurethane varnish.

Dog??? Or is that floorboard panel directly below your radar display where you might... have seen a rather large blip very close to the center of the screen???

I kid !

105/207 and the 2 part top coat is definitely "doing the job right the first time"

What "different company" are you referring to??? Jamestown TotalBoat? Us Composites? Other?