Teak Shelf Trim, goodbye?

[allanbranch]

I have a 30-1 Morgan, it's a project. The cabin's teak trim on the shelves are mostly okay, if I remove it and spend days cleaning, repairing and sealing.

I'm probably going to make many traditionalists very upset.

But I'm considering removing the teak trim on the shelves and just put shock cord on the shelves to hold the items in place. I'm specially talking about the shelves around the dinette area, galley and v-berth.

Has anyone else ditched teak for a low maintenance alternative like a shock cord?

How often will I have to be cleaning up this interior teak if I keep it? I've never owned a boat of this size before.

[MarkSF]

I would have thought that, once restored, the interior teak finish will last almost indefinitely.

I am just restoring some parts of the interior teak in my Bristol, at 31 years old. I expect the new finish to last about the same time, again.

What is wrong with the teak, and how are you fixing it?

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Allan,

I refinished some oiled teak boxes that held books on our first Insatiable. Sanded to bare wood, then about 7 coats of varnish. It was still good 17 yrs. later. So, yeah, if you clean it up, it could look snazzy. The clear varnish is harder than matte finish, so we used it in high wear areas. The matte finish hides minor blemishes better.

Shock cord is usually not man enough to keep heavy stuff in place when the boat heels more in a strong puff. Of course, you can use really stiff shock cord, but it will look tackier than varnish. We replaced our shock cords that allowed books to sail across the cabin with removeable teak bars. IMO, far more satisfactory.

Ann

[allanbranch]

Great wisdom, I'll keep the teak and just refinish it.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Teak fiddles on book shelves & such, also work well in conjunction with adjustable 1" webbing straps. They're not as pretty as what Ann suggested, but the work well.
Another option is brass bars, in lieu of take ones. Though they tend not to be as stiff, & thus, efficacious.

[The Way]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Hi, Allan,

I refinished some oiled teak boxes that held books on our first Insatiable. Sanded to bare wood, then about 7 coats of varnish. It was still good 17 yrs. later. So, yeah, if you clean it up, it could look snazzy. The clear varnish is harder than matte finish, so we used it in high wear areas. The matte finish hides minor blemishes better.

Shock cord is usually not man enough to keep heavy stuff in place when the boat heels more in a strong puff. Of course, you can use really stiff shock cord, but it will look tackier than varnish. We replaced our shock cords that allowed books to sail across the cabin with removeable teak bars. IMO, far more satisfactory.

Ann

Hello Ann,

When you say "removeable", how do you attach the teak bars? I've tried brass thumbscrews, which look nice but take some time to screw/unscrew. Also U-shaped slots to drop the bars into -- easy but sometimes get knocked out by a careless elbow.

What's your solution?

Fair winds,
Jack

[JPA Cate]

Jack,

Jim made slotted blocks and mounted them on the ends of the bookshelf, with the bar about 1/2 way up. We've never accidentally knocked one out, possibly because they were way outboard, not where shoulders would normally be.

Cheers,

Ann

[The Way]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Jack,

Jim made slotted blocks and mounted them on the ends of the bookshelf, with the bar about 1/2 way up. We've never accidentally knocked one out, possibly because they were way outboard, not where shoulders would normally be.

Cheers,

Ann

Thanks, Ann,

Mine are right at the inboard edge, because of space reasons, so they get knocked. Time for a bigger boat, I guess!

Fair winds,
Jack

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by allanbranch

Great wisdom, I'll keep the teak and just refinish it.

Our teak & Mahogany has not been touched for 30 years. Lift-out slats on book shelves. Strap & webbing or shock cord is not enough to keep books in place. I recommend the slats go most of the way down and extend well higher than ours - same reasons.

[JPA Cate]

Perhaps instead of "U" shaped slots in the blocks, you could use an inverted "L", so that when shoulders strike them, they go up a tiny bit, then stop? Or drill a small hole through slat and block, and stick a small cotter pin in to hold it?

A

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Perhaps instead of "U" shaped slots in the blocks, you could use an inverted "L", so that when shoulders strike them, they go up a tiny bit, then stop? Or drill a small hole through slat and block, and stick a small cotter pin in to hold it?

A

I could add to the lower edge. The problem is that the books manage to get flat enough to slide under. Sort of like water leaks if it can.

[Pelagic]

I have the Brass Bars and they work well with no maintenance issues.
The secret to any open shelving is to pack them tight and the brass bars flex just enough to keep everything from moving

Here is photos of them in my office and cabin

[UNCIVILIZED]

To keep the bars in place, bolt an (essentially) hemispherical turn button into the bulkheads at the ends of the bookshelves, above the bars. Thus, when you rotate the turn button so that it's flat side is facing down, you can lift out the bars. But when it's rotated so that the round side is facing down, it acts as a cam/friction lock to hold the bars in place.
- Cheap, Simple, & Pretty (enough anyway). Bull nose their edges to make'em full on pretty ;-)

Either that, or drill holes in the ends of the bookshelves, just above the bars for fast pins. Or fast pins with small, circular, or square blocks mounted on them. So, to lift out the bars, all you'd need to do is just pull out the pins, & you're done.

[zeehag]

someone removed the fidddles fromt he teak tables and shelves inm y formosa, and i am slowly replacing em. they are a valuable item when at sea and stuff shifts, like your dinner plate......my shelves where books have been placed have a bar across. only on stbd side, as work was unfinished by previous owner. i have other issues to deal with....rodl...when underway i use bungies and cords. cheap laundry line cords, to keep items at bay and in place.