Questions on teak and oak

[Trevethan]

OK I have now bought a bunch of teak planks out of which I want to make a nice deck style galley counter top.

At the same time I was given about 30 three metre strips of oak and lots of other odd bits -- cherry -- iroko, ash, beech, (the place, Pridays ceases trading on Friday)

Questions are as follows --

I read the sikaflex guide to laying decks that came with last PBO -- seems there is a bloody lot of work and expense involved -- and it all seems to use sikkens products.

Being a cheapskate I am wondering if B&Q sells equivalent stuff...

I am thinking that I will build the worktop on a layer of 3/4 inch hardwood ply.

The first thing I need to know is how to adhere the teak to the board. -- thinking screed gripfill or similar water proof adhesive.

Good idea or not?

Also de-oiling -- is it needed on an indoor piece and how best can I do it?

Protection -- Acid -- eg lemon juice stains teak doesn;t it? What's he best way to finish it? oil? varnish?

The second question relates to the oak -- I want to use it to replace the grotty carpet in the pilot house.

I want to lay it like a deck also

We have a couple of hatches to the engine room in the floor and I envisage a mitred frame around each of them and fill in the area inside the frame with strips

Is it worth adding some brass angle around the edges to protect them?

Looking again to use screed adhesive and maybe copper nails

Once down I'll sand it all level, pay the seams sikaflex again I guess or is there another mastic I can use? and protect -- again suggestions are welcome -- we want to keep the wood light but also protect from wet shoes rain/spray if the door or hatch is open etc etc

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[tillergirl]

First question I guess is how thick is the teak and what are the general dimensions of the galley worktop? I'm thinking that 3/4" hardwood ply is a bit mighty. It's all added weight. But a lot depends on size of worktop and existing supports.

Yes caulking a deck does have a fair bit to it. The point about de-oiling teak is to get good adhesion for the adhesives, in this case for the bottom and the grooves. Unless you want to store up water ingress to the substrate (ply) I guess you are not going to be able to skimp on this part. As against that, this worktop is not going to have the flexing that a deck has to put up with. So you may well get away with B & Q products. Of course the primer for the seams that you get with Sikaflex is matched to that product and I don't know what's available of a similar nature in B & Q. Is this area really so big that the cost is a significant issue?

As to the base adhesive, why not try Balcotan.

Protection? Well I think you have got a problem. If you want a natural bare teak finish, it will collect cooking/tea/coffee stains. Oxalic Acid will get rid of most of these. I don't thinking oiling it will prevent stains although they will make it less obvious.

The Oak. Again what are the dimensions? Internally a brass edge would be ok but it will tarnish and keep you busy poliching if it gets wet. I don't think it's necessary. As to the light colour, you could coat it with a clear purpose made floor laquer. I assume you have the colour you want in the wood at present. If you are uncertain about the glue (which you shouldn't be) then you could secretly nail the strips (I'm making some assumptions on thickness here). Copper nails are not suitable in my opinion - soft, don't hold well (that's why frames have roves). I guess I'd go at just gluing.

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[supermalc]

If by worktop, you mean the worktop in the cabin, polyurethene varnish will protect it. I have just made a box, to double as a table, see pictures on my website.

Sand the wood, wipe with white spirit. 4 coats of varnish 50.1, 25.1,25.1.1.1 rubbing down with fine wire wool between coats.

This should produce a protective coat, yet leave the wood looking like wood, rather than plastic.

For other internal wood i.e woodwork not open to the weather, linseed oil and wax polish is all you need. A coat of wax every 3 to 6 months will keep it looking like new.

<hr width=100% size=1>Malcolm.
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[Trevethan]

The teak is 1/2 inch thick about 3 inches wide, the area of the worktop is approx four feet long and 3 feet deep at the deepest, reducing to 2 feet.

The pilot house floor is approx 8' by 8' with 2 hatches in the middle approx 4'x3'

The oak is 2-1/2" wide and just under half inch thick and yes, we like the colour as it stands

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[tillergirl]

I definitely reduce the thickness of the ply under the worktop, assuming adequate support. As to the oak, you could secret nail it - that's a diagonal nail through edge and substrate but I think I would probably rely on the glue alone. As to the finish on the teak worktop; it depends what you want to look at - a bleached finished (which will stain) or a finished surface which will give a 'varnished' look. I think I would avoid an oiled finish.

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[wishbone]

for sticking down the timber strips talk to havewoods flooring at Preston Lancs, can't remember the name of the stuff we used for a teak floor, but boy dose it stick stuff down! dont hang about when you do it!

Wishbone
Rolling, rolling, rolling keep them doggies moving!
Where’s me chuck wagon gone?




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[DavidGrieves]

Hi

Worktop made from teak? Teak is poisonous, if you get a splinter of it in your hand, it can cause blood poisoning. Teak would not be used in the food industry and would not get passed the environmental health inspector. Do you intend to use your worktop as a food prep’ area?

If you are going to nail the Oak, do not use steel fixings. There is an acid naturally occurring in Oak that will eat steel fixings away and cause a nasty blue’ish stain on the wood. Copper nails would work, if you pre drill, but difficult to source, brass pins OK and you can get them from ironmongers up 32mm’ish. You could also consider buying a pellet/plug cutter and screwing the item into place, pop the plug into the hole, plane off flush, looks quite tidy and easy to do.

All the above IMHO


Dave ( joiner)


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