Finishing hand held teak

[Tylerdurden]

Handrails, Tiller and the like. Any recommendations on a good durable finish. I am sanding like a kamikaze right now and want a good finish.

[Mrleft8]

Tung oil, or soap and salt water. IMHOP, varnished Teak looks like crap.

[Lew Barrett]

Tung oil, or soap and salt water. IMHOP, varnished Teak looks like crap.

I beg your pardon!:D

[JimConlin]

Varnish

[Paul Girouard]

Seafin Teak oil , and it's not just for Teak. If it's going to be in your hands , SeaFin Teak oil is the way to go. Easy to apply and re- apply. Joe should have used it on Tidbit's deck but couldn't find it:rolleyes: guess he never heard of the Internet:D

http://www.dalyspaint.com/images/prod_seafinteak.jpg

[Yeadon]

Seafin Teak oil , and it's not just for Teak. If it's going to be in your hands , SeaFin Teak oil is the way to go. Easy to apply and re- apply. Joe should have used it on Tidbit's deck but couldn't find it:rolleyes: guess he never heard of the Internet:D

http://www.dalyspaint.com/images/prod_seafinteak.jpg

I'd consider sealing up with CPES, then soaking in with the SeaFin Teak Oil. It'll have a really nice matte/satin finish.

I actually take that same teak oil, put it in a plant misting bottle, and mist the inside of my lapstrake peapod every once in a while. The "mist" really gets into spots that a little foam brush had trouble with. Be sure to wear a respirator.

You can find it for sale at these places (http://www.google.com/products?q=seafin+teak+oil&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1).

[Thorne]

I beg your pardon!:D

Well, it has the same rough **color range**....

;0 )

Actually, depending on temperature range for useage, I've always preferred the feel of sealed wood with a light pastewax finish, rubbed thoroughly to remove any excess wax. Smooth, not sticky...

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

1/3 Raw linsead oil
1/3 Tung oil
1/3 Real turpintine

Mix well, apply with a foam brush wipe off excess

[Michael Beckman]

I've always liked raw teak.

[Jay Greer]

Behr Spar Varnish for the ultimate finish and durability.
Jay

[JimD]

I'd consider sealing up with CPES, then soaking in with the SeaFin Teak Oil.

Will that work? How do you seal, then soak in?

[Bill Lowe]

I have always bought Dalys Seafin from West Marine - not in cataloge! special order. Great for a piss coat befor varnishing or interior use. Exterior cap and hand rails looks good in port but fails at sea. Might be alright for day sailing but not ocean passages.

[Yeadon]

Will that work? How do you seal, then soak in?

Great catch, on your part ... bad usage of a verb on my part.

I would like to withdraw my previous testimony, and replace it with: "Seal it up with the cpes, then protect it with water repellent teak oil."

This is what I've done with my apitong tiller, and over the course of a season it worked well. I'm sure that in a few months, I'll need to apply more teak oil. I really like the idea of rubbing a bit of paste wax over dried teak oil, too. Can't hurt.

[Todd D]

I like Epiphanes 2 part urethane varnish. Actually it is clear, but it gives a beautiful and very durable finish. I did my new cabin sole with it last year and after one season, I can't find a single scratch.

I also tried Interlux Perfection 2 part varnish. It worked well, but I felt the Epiphanes was a bit less unpleasant to work with and flowed out a bit better.

The only down side of either is that they are a bit pricey.

[Tylerdurden]

Ok more variations on the theme. Tiller handle is a laminations of mahogany and holly (Guess) the rest of the trim appears to be teak.

Would like a bright finish as it will dress up the rest of the frozen snot.

Interior seems mahogany ply veneers.

[Lew Barrett]

I don't like two part varnish, but strokes for folks, horses for courses, etc. etc. Regardless, O would opt for a varnished tiller. It will feel nice to the hand, and varnish will protect the wood well. Contrary to some opinions here, teak takes varnish quite well. Jay is so emphatic about the Behr product that it is worth giving it a try. I, a certified Epiphanes case, will try it based on his persisitance. What's to lose?

[Tylerdurden]

I don't like two part varnish, but strokes for folks, horses for courses, etc. etc. Regardless, O would opt for a varnished tiller. It will feel nice to the hand, and varnish will protect the wood well. Contrary to some opinions here, teak takes varnish quite well. Jay is so emphatic about the Behr product that it is worth giving it a try. I, a certified Epiphanes case, will try it based on his persisitance. What's to lose?

I agree, I am going to try and talk Steven out of a quart.

[Canoeyawl]

What's to lose?
Just another varnish job no big deal...

NOTE, This not a slur against Behr Varnish, just a comment that I tend to stay with what works for me.
Because of year round extreme sun in my locale I want the varnish with the highest UV reistance.
It has taken years to learn how to apply one type of varnish with good results.
The learning curve is not getting any shorter for me!

[Tylerdurden]

Just another varnish job no big deal...

NOTE, This not a slur against Behr Varnish, just a comment that I tend to stay with what works for me.
Because of year round extreme sun in my locale I want the varnish with the highest UV reistance.
It has taken years to learn how to apply one type of varnish with good results.
The learning curve is not getting any shorter for me!


What works for you? if you don't mind me asking.

[Bob Cleek]

Everybody has their favorite concoction. Mine's CPES and lots of good varnish, if I'm finishing teak bright. Without the CPES, varnish doesn't really stick all that well to oily teak, even with thinned primer coats. That said, handrails should NOT be varnished. They are safety items made for grabbing and bare wood provides a good grip, whereas varnish is slippery. The same applies if you wish to tie an occasional line to a handrail. Simply bleach with oxalic acid and water (don't scrub the soft wood from between the hard grain) and leave it alone. If you must, you can put something like Thompson's WaterSeal or Flood WoodLife on them and they will stay honey colored longer. Some prefer the clean, weathered gray and others the "just sanded" look. Bare is best for handrails and cleats.

[Lew Barrett]

Canoeyawl's light's out but if I recall, he's an Epifanes guy also.

[Canoeyawl]

Nope, not Epifanes, I use the old z-spar Flagship varnish.
According to their (Z-Spar) info this has 7 times the UV inhibitors of the Captain’s varnish. I don’t know how this UV rating compares to other brands, but remember the chemist?
He went into this issue of varnish quality in some detail and indicated that the best UV inhibitors were very expensive and this would reflect in the price of the product.

Epfanes was not available locally when I started and although I have considered it the Z-spar product has worked out well for me. The saucing I have figured out and when purchased (gallon) I repackage into 1-pint paint tins to avoid dust contamination.

[Lew Barrett]

So much for speaking out of turn, then. Flagship sounds better than Captain's to me anyway, and to be truthful, I am not sure how Epifanes is supposed to sound!

[Ron Joslin]

Mark,
dont use starbrite teak oil, you must know that teak oil has nothing to do with "oil of teak". I scrubbed all that CRAP - teak oil from my teak. I now wash it with dishwashing soap and rinse with clean Atlantic Ocean water I get at the inlet on an incomming tide which leaves the teak a nice tan-silver color and I can spend my time sailing. My tiller is Mahagony with varnish but I think that natural wood feels beter in the hand. Think of a wooden hammer or shovel handle. I say that a wipe down with boat soup is better than a thick layer of varnish for hand held items.

[Ron Joslin]

Mark,
the teak I am talking about on my sailboat are the toe rails. At first the teak oil looks good but it does not hold up well for me in the Florida sun & rain and I am not even going to try to keep up a varnish finish on them.