Adding Acetone to Teak ?

[landonshaw]

I am constantly trying to find a better way to keep my teak cleaned and oiled. Has anyone heard of adding acetone to the teak oil to thin it before applying to the teak. I heard it in the context of cleaning the teak with the starbrite product 1 and 2 then applying a thinned coat of teak oil. This will help the oil penetrate the wood better than straight teak oil? Any ideas or comments?

[cburger]

I don't like to put powerful solvents, mineral spirits, etc on my boats teak. Here is a hippies link to a comapny who's tung oil is pure, no harmful additives and reasonably priced. They aso sell a product called citrus solve that I believe is an all natural product that you can use to cut the oil 50% for the first couple of coats fo better penetration: Pure Tung Oil Finish - Wood Finishing - All Natural Finish - China Wood Oil - Real Milk Paint ®

That being said I have used the boats I have owned over he last twenty years as real word practical test beds and have tried many ways to keep teak looking beautiful. In the northeast where the sun is not as harsh as in some other locales if you want to use oil it is my experience that you will be re-applying aproximately every three months and this will become a downward trend of the teak looking darker and darker, until it finally turns ebony color. When you apply oil you are essentially coating the wood with a liquid food, that mildew, mold and other types of organisims like to munch on as well as a coating that dirt and anyting else that is floating around likes to adhere to. Every time you recoat if you don't clean teak down to that nice light blond color you won't acheive the beautiful warm hand rubbed oiled effect that people like so much.

Now here's something that you will never hear from the manufacturers of the so called " Teak Oils", teak doesn't need protection, as a tropical hardwood the natural oils in the teak are what protects the wood. There are places on my vessel that where the teak has never seen any type of product ad the wood looks as good as it did wen installed 35 years ago. In my personal teak pathway to enlightenment I have become convinced that in the future I will be leaving the wood to weather naturaly.

Good Luck!

[boatsmith]

Oiled teak can be very beautiful but it takes a fair amount of work yo keep it so. Oil will atrract dirt and the teak as mentioned above will turn darker and darker and then require bleaching The simplest way to keep your teak looking sharp is to wash it with a mix of simple green,clorox and water. 3-1-2 mix. This will brighten the color. Mop it on , let it soak for 10 minutes and wash it off. Unless you want to support your marine carpenter never brush your teak.
When the grain starts to become raised on your teak it is time to sand it smooth again. Raised grain holds moisture which holds dirt which abrades away the soft grain causing the grain to hold moisture........ The fine yachts with the most beautiful teak decks are sanded regularly. The more often you sand them the less material you remove.
We install lots of teak decks as well as refurbish them and sand them.