Teak Oil - One more time

[crashkahuna]

Originally Posted by zeehag

"What is good on teak on the INSIDE?"

awesome interiors are teak--ambiance..more ambiance, and durability.

inside i do with orange oil.

+ 1 for the orange oil

[Capt.Fred]

Originally Posted by zeehag

"What is good on teak on the INSIDE?"

awesome interiors are teak--ambiance..more ambiance, and durability.

inside i do with orange oil.

zeehag, orange oil?...there's fungusamongus! Seriously, citric products love the moist environment of boat interiors. Perhaps your boat is exceptionally dry. OK, I didn't get on this thread today to talk about useless products and hope springing eternal in the breasts of sailors hoping for an easy fix to beautiful teak...Puleez, just STOP buying products. My teak is always beautiful, natural and if I'm splashing about at sea alot I don't do anything to it. Note the following from Wikipedia for teak maintenance on the exterior:

Teak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Teak

Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products.[1] Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the Caribbean. Burma accounts for nearly one third of the world's total teak production.[citation needed]
The word teak comes from the Tamil (in the Dravidan region) word thekku.[2] This tree is mentioned in the seventh-century literature of Tamil popularly known as the Tevaram. In Bengali it is called 'Segun' (সেগুন).
Tectona grandis is a large, deciduous tree that is dominant in mixed hardwood forests. It has small, fragrant white flowers and papery leaves that are often hairy on the lower surface.
Uses in Boatbuilding
Teak has been used as a boatbuilding material for over 150 years. In addition to relatively high strength, teak is also highly resistant to rot, fungi and mildew. In addition, teak has a relatively low shrinkage ratio, which makes it excellent for applications where it undergoes periodic changes in moisture. Teak has the unusual properties of being both an excellent structural timber for framing, planking, etc., while at the same time being easily worked and finished to a high degree. For this reason, it is also prized for the trim work on boat interiors. It is also relatively easy to work, unlike some other similar woods such as purpleheart. Due the the oily nature of the wood, care must be taken to properly prepare the wood before gluing.
When used on boats, teak is also very flexible in the finishes that may be applied. One option is to use no finish at all, in which case the wood will naturally weather to a pleasing silver-grey. The wood may also be oiled with a finishing agent such as linseed or tung oil. This results in a pleasant, somewhat bland finish. Finally, teak may also be varnished for a deep, lustrous glow.
Teak is also used extensively in boat decks, as it is extremely durable and requires very little maintenance. The teak tends to wear in to the softer 'summer' growth bands first, forming a natural 'non-slip' surface. Any sanding is therefore only damaging. Use of modern cleaning compounds, oils or preservatives will shorten the life of the teak, as it contains natural teak-oil a very small distance below the white surface. Wooden boat experts will only wash the teak with salt water, and re-caulk when needed. This cleans the deck, and prevents it from drying out and the wood shrinking. The salt helps it absorb and retain moisture, and prevents any mildew and algal growth. People with poor knowledge often over-maintain the teak, and drastically shorten its life.
Capt.Fred

[zeehag]

interior teak does quite well with orange oil. i use it and i use lemon oil an di use teak oil and i use tung oil--depends on the area i am treating. interior gets lemon or orange oil. i prefer orange but cannot always find it.
exterior gets sea water cleaning and teak or tung oil. if i had teakwood decks i would splash em with sea water every day. it is most impractical to douse the interior with sea water on a regular basis, so orange oil is awesome.

as this was about what do you recommend for INTERIOR teak, i made my recommendation. isnt like i dont know how to care for teak.
cpt fred--you musta not read my history of teak care...i always recommend sea water on exterior teak and on decking of teak. remember, i have a teak and fg boat--only the hull is fg, not the rest.

[Capt.Fred]

Quote; zeehag,
as this was about what do you recommend for INTERIOR teak, i made my recommendation. isnt like i dont know how to care for teak.
cpt fred--you musta not read my history of teak care...i always recommend sea water on exterior teak and on decking of teak. remember, i have a teak and fg boat--only the hull is fg, not the rest.[/QUOTE]

I'll digress here for a couple of thoughts. One knows he's getting older. He becomes a dashing older guy, then the dashing fades away.
You are correct, if the citris product works for you. Do you have a brand name?
I missed the subject of salting the exterior teak, so I got a bit uppity, We all understand the struggle to keep salt out of the interior.
zeehag, I enjoy all your writings that I come across and you do have one fine boat.
Happy days,
Capt.Fred

Faith is not the Truth

[zeehag]

capt fred--i dont use many brand names--just what i can find--i use watco or tung oil finish outside and inside whatever lemon or orange oil i can find....

[VirtualVagabond]

Just for the record, the original question was for external teak, excluding decks which are best left natural, but of course internal teak treatment is also useful.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Just for the record, the original question was for external teak, excluding decks which are best left natural, but of course internal teak treatment is also useful.

good thing i answered for both then, isnt it.....

[sarafina]

My bad for the tiny thread drift, but I figured that the group in here was already thinking about teak treatment and the op had been answered ; -)

Just to make sure I am clear... The friend's boat with the teak interior is UNvarnished wood...

In that case we are still good with the orange or lemon?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by sarafina

My bad for the tiny thread drift, but I figured that the group in here was already thinking about teak treatment and the op had been answered ; -)

Just to make sure I am clear... The friend's boat with the teak interior is UNvarnished wood...

In that case we are still good with the orange or lemon?

oh yes--perfect with orange oil--hand rubbed is gorgeous

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by Capt.Fred

zeehag, orange oil?...there's fungusamongus! Seriously, citric products love the moist environment of boat interiors. Perhaps your boat is exceptionally dry. OK, I didn't get on this thread today to talk about useless products and hope springing eternal in the breasts of sailors hoping for an easy fix to beautiful teak...Puleez, just STOP buying products. My teak is always beautiful, natural and if I'm splashing about at sea alot I don't do anything to it. Note the following from Wikipedia for teak maintenance on the exterior:

Teak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Teak

Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products.[1] Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the Caribbean. Burma accounts for nearly one third of the world's total teak production.[citation needed]
The word teak comes from the Tamil (in the Dravidan region) word thekku.[2] This tree is mentioned in the seventh-century literature of Tamil popularly known as the Tevaram. In Bengali it is called 'Segun' (সেগুন).
Tectona grandis is a large, deciduous tree that is dominant in mixed hardwood forests. It has small, fragrant white flowers and papery leaves that are often hairy on the lower surface.
Uses in Boatbuilding
Teak has been used as a boatbuilding material for over 150 years. In addition to relatively high strength, teak is also highly resistant to rot, fungi and mildew. In addition, teak has a relatively low shrinkage ratio, which makes it excellent for applications where it undergoes periodic changes in moisture. Teak has the unusual properties of being both an excellent structural timber for framing, planking, etc., while at the same time being easily worked and finished to a high degree. For this reason, it is also prized for the trim work on boat interiors. It is also relatively easy to work, unlike some other similar woods such as purpleheart. Due the the oily nature of the wood, care must be taken to properly prepare the wood before gluing.
When used on boats, teak is also very flexible in the finishes that may be applied. One option is to use no finish at all, in which case the wood will naturally weather to a pleasing silver-grey. The wood may also be oiled with a finishing agent such as linseed or tung oil. This results in a pleasant, somewhat bland finish. Finally, teak may also be varnished for a deep, lustrous glow.
Teak is also used extensively in boat decks, as it is extremely durable and requires very little maintenance. The teak tends to wear in to the softer 'summer' growth bands first, forming a natural 'non-slip' surface. Any sanding is therefore only damaging. Use of modern cleaning compounds, oils or preservatives will shorten the life of the teak, as it contains natural teak-oil a very small distance below the white surface. Wooden boat experts will only wash the teak with salt water, and re-caulk when needed. This cleans the deck, and prevents it from drying out and the wood shrinking. The salt helps it absorb and retain moisture, and prevents any mildew and algal growth. People with poor knowledge often over-maintain the teak, and drastically shorten its life.
Capt.Fred

So my 35 year old weathered teak is right where it should be! Lol

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by zeehag

oh yes--perfect with orange oil--hand rubbed is gorgeous

Tell me about it.

We spent hours. days. weeks. lifetimes this spring and summer stripping and sanding all the interior mahogany on our little hole in the water... And Himself is *just* finishing putting the final coats of spar varnish back on it...

I would have LOVED to have left it natural. But he is like a magpie and loves that shine...

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Hi Bob/Connie,
I've heard of people using Tung oil. I've also heard horror stories about the rags spontaneously combusting if not gotten rid of quickly and properly.

I'm curious to know a bit more although we're leaning heavily towards the Starbrite Tropical product.

Where do you normally get Tung oil?
Low cost?
Is it also good to use on teak for show as opposed to decks you walk on?
Do you need to mask off to apply it or could you just wipe off excess on the FG with an acetone rag or some suchlike?
How frequently would you need to re apply in the tropics?

Vic

Hi Vic

I've just finished applying a coat of tung oil to my decks.
Its quite thick oil compared to teak oil, and I thinned it 50/50 with turps.It also makes for a darker finish.
As far as I am aware, its a drying oil, and can be used on interior surfaces, it bit like Danish oil.
Any excess is easily wiped off, and bits which dry on the gel coat is easily removed with a scotch pad.
No idea of the durability at the moment, if I remember, I'll let you know 12 months down the line.
Here in the UK it costs about £10 per litre (say about $15 per litre)

[DSDman]

Sarafina, my interior is mahogany and I am going to be doing a bit of reconstruction and refinishing as well. what would you recommend if I'm not so enamored with shiny stuff on the interior?

[Cheechako]

I satin varnished interior mahoghany on one boat. The satin done right looks like hand rubbed. Actually I used polyurethane . Varathane brand. I would caution against min wax. I have several cans I've tried to use on projects over the last few years and the stuff seems to take months to dry and may never quit smelling! I refinished a headboard on my bed last summer, every night when I go to bed a year later I can still smell it. Fortunately i'm not very sensitive to that type of thing....

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Tell me about it.

We spent hours. days. weeks. lifetimes this spring and summer stripping and sanding all the interior mahogany on our little hole in the water... And Himself is *just* finishing putting the final coats of spar varnish back on it...

I would have LOVED to have left it natural. But he is like a magpie and loves that shine...

Sara,

Below decks varnish is IMO the best finish, either gloss or satin depending on your taste. It is more work to do, but it will last for many years without further maintenance and look great all that time.

Our boat's interior is roughly 80% varnished timbers... New Guinea Rosewood, various Australian hardwoods, laminated deck beams and hanging knees, teak/holly cabin sole, and it is all varnished. With the exception of high wear areas around the galley, it has had zero maintenance for the nine years we've owned (and cruised) her. I believe that the various CF members who have visited aboard will attest that it looks damn good despite its age.

So, your SO's magpie instincts are right on... stop hounding the poor bugger!!

Cheers,

Jim