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McSalty · 06-03-2011, 11:19

Just bought meself a boat. Has been sitting neglected for 5 years, varnish mostly gone (flaky) underneith: greyish/reddish "checkered" wood.

1st.: Went by it with a heat-gun and two scrapers to get all the varnish off.

2nd.: Went over it with 80grit sanding

3rd.: This does not look like I want to varnish over!

....tried to "deep sand" with 50 grit, but that takes away WAY too much wood without bringing me to an even coloured base that I could start to build varnish on.
(Deckhouse, etc. looks the same.)

Any ideas?
(I have read the thread about the dragon, but I sure do want to varnish or maybe "oil"?)

**boatman61** · 06-03-2011, 11:31

Try a caustic soda bath with a scrubbing brush... make sure you wear gloves...
Wash off well after....

PAR · 06-03-2011, 15:53

You have a number of issues there, all of which can be handled in some fashion. As you've found agressive grits just force you to repair things. Purchase one of the several thousand wood finishing books that are available. These will guide you through the steps of identifying what's going on and how to contend with each issue.

McSalty · 06-03-2011, 22:12

Yes, that is exactly the problem!
"....several thousand books on...."
(a) As many books there are = the amount of opinions on the issue; Aka: The more you read up on the subject, the more confused U tend to get.
(b) Did I get confused on the purpose of a forum?
(c) I was hoping for solid advice of someone who's "been there-done that"

McSalty · 06-03-2011, 22:15

(d) simple solutions = good solutions = a few words is all it takes, but that one cant fill books with cover to cover. (Which is why I find that in many topics "expert-advice-books" are useless, because they fill them back to back with blahh to make a book out of something that could be covered by a leaflet. Just my2cents)

Q: How come this thread is not visible in the overview of the category?

PAR · 06-03-2011, 22:35

Wouldn't it be great if there were a few simple words, to describe your various issues on that wheel. My point is you're in need of a great deal of wood working and coating information and this venue wouldn't be best avenue to pursue it, unless of course another member would be happy to supply a short course on the various subjects.

Maybe you'd be better off stopping by the local paint store and picking up one of their DIY "leaflets", maybe two, they're probably small.

delmarrey · 06-03-2011, 22:55

Can the wheel be disassembled? Those look like rivets!
If you could get it apart, each piece could be spun with fine paper just like it were being manufactured. If you can't get it apart then you have to be careful with the chemicals getting in the seams. Paint removers will remove lacquer but you do not want it in the seams.

The other alternative is a light soda blasting after taping off the metal parts. Then hand finish with a scotchbrite. IMHO

**hummingway** · 06-03-2011, 23:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAR

Wouldn't it be great if there were a few simple words, to describe your various issues on that wheel. My point is you're in need of a great deal of wood working and coating information and this venue wouldn't be best avenue to pursue it, unless of course another member would be happy to supply a short course on the various subjects.

Maybe you'd be better off stopping by the local paint store and picking up one of their DIY "leaflets", maybe two, they're probably small.

I'm not sure why you think this isn't a venue to pursue information. It seems like an excellent and very appropriate place for him to ask his question, but I think we understand that you don't wish to offer any information. Others do appear to have something to offer.

McSalty · 07-03-2011, 12:27

Update: bought some 2-component starbright "premium" cleaner (whatever the "premium" stands for) and will try it with that.

Maybe I will be able to post unrestricted by the time I have the results and be happy to share them with you guys here.

Plan is to fill some of part 1 into a jar, wet the wheel down with fresh water, brush some of the stuff on with a kitchen type brush, followed by some intense rinsing, application of part 2, some more intens rinsing and wait for the sun to dry it all up to show the results.....

cabo_sailor · 07-03-2011, 12:47

You will find critics of using the stronger bleaches but I've had great success with them. There are any number of bleaches that you can use but for myself, faced with really badly discolored wood, I use the 2 part Te Ka. As you say wet the wood down really well and brush the Part 1 on, do wear gloves. I then keep the wood damp using a garden hose with a nozzle set to mist. Let it sit for about 10 min. If your product acts like Te Ka, the wood will turn almost black, that's normal. Thoroughly rinse off Part 1 and apply Part 2 the same way, again mist and let it sit. You will see the wood getting lighter again. If there are some dark spots, apply a bit more of Part 2 to the spots. When done rinse well. Let dry. You will need to sand before applying varnish or some other finish. I would probably use something like 120 or 180 grit.

As to a reference on brightwork, my all time favorite is by Rebecca Whitman. Try this link:

Amazon.com: The Brightwork Companion : Tried-and-True Methods and Strongly Held Opinions in Thirteen and One-Half Chapters (0639785802969): Rebecca Wittman: Books

I have her original hardcover which covers everything including the history of varnish. A beautiful book that has an obscene price tag. The one referenced above is a strict, step-by-step, for all kinds of wood refinishing. It tells you what you need, often by brand, and how to use it.

If you wish more info, feel free to PM me. Good luck,
Rich

zeehag · 07-03-2011, 13:16

HAY LISTEN TO ME!!!! use 3m pad with sea water. then oil it./ leave it for 3 months. do the same again. if teak-- continue every 3 months until is nicely wood looking again--i did it 3 times then put waTCO ON IT AND LET IT SIT TO A NICE LOOK of varnish without the hassle--it loses that shine after you have used it a while-- 3m p-ad doesnt take off the wood and seawater makes it less full of cracks by making the wood rehydrate. go for it. have fun.
will look gorgeous . i promise. i own a formosa and have a lot of wood. had to bring all mine back from 4-5 yrs of neglect.

McSalty · 08-03-2011, 13:40

Did get down on my knees today and starting scrubbing the deck with sea water (the dirty stuff from the harbour, but that did not matter!) - amazing results!

Not sure if that will work on the wheel thou, but anyway, found that all the grime & slime & mold & stuff did vanish quite easily.

Only downside: The black stuff stays in the deeper lines of the grain, making it very difficult to resist temptation to brush WITH the grain.

Maybe it just needs a few repeats with that treatment, so I will scrub all the deck once now, and when done start at the beginning again. (This is the part where I understand why people dont want bigger boats! *smile*)

Ahm, one question (almost forgot) As far as I have seen 3m pads also come with different grain, which one would you recommend for starters (to get the worst removed)?

delmarrey · 08-03-2011, 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by McSalty

Ahm, one question (almost forgot) As far as I have seen 3m pads also come with different grain, which one would you recommend for starters (to get the worst removed)?

Goto page 2 of the link. http://academic.evergreen.edu/projec...ric/finish.pdf

**Pblais** · 08-03-2011, 14:33

3M starts with the green. It's not a bad beginning. I would not have used anything lower than 60 and you can get to 150 quick enough. You won't get it perfect but once it gets looking good it will finish nice. If you got heavy with the heat gun it may have some burn marks. The 3M won't be too bad and should smooth it up. 150 sand paper will get you almost done.

I have one to do as well just like yours but the next size bigger. Don't take it apart! Don't think about removing the ring around the middle. My hub is very pitted and I'm not sure what I'll do for that. Nice wheels (hideously expensive) and it would be nice to get it looking good again. Don't try for perfection. It's earned some battle scars so go with it. Maybe you can put some new ones in it too.

The teak isn't asian teak so it just does not have the natural oil content. The "modern not really teak" has only about 1/3 the natural oil. The asian teak looks like it is bleeding when you sand it because it's so rich in oil and a fire engine red dust comes off it. A daily scrub of salt water will keep the real stuff proper almost forever.

The new stuff won't. The daily part keeps it from drying out and splitting. Salt water cleans quite well. There are a lot of finishes. A spar varnish will look high glossy. I can't say I like the feel but it holds up. Something like a Semco natural finish looks nice and adds the slightest bit of color and seals the wood. A little sealer isn't a bad idea as the oil in your hands will get to it over time. They have other pigment levels too. It's easy to clean up too. I wouldn't use teak oil. It looks OK for a week and it's greasy for a while until you need to do it again. Watco aka linseed oil is nice but it takes a lot of coats dried in between. It's nice for furniture and fine cabinets though.

If the cockpit is open use a canvas wheel cover. UV trashes everything.

Last thing. We want pictures of it done!