re-varnising

[rbrooks]

I must re-varnish the wooden tiller on my boat (and all the other wooden bits)
Last year I used outdoor varnish, it is now cracking and flaking.
Has anyone tried using fibre glass resin. I was thinking it might stand up to the elements better than varnish.
Or is their any better ideas?

Thanks

 

[ccscott49]

Expoxy or polyester resin is not UV resistant, you will have to varnish over it. I would use a very good yacht varnish, such as Epifanes and put ten coats on. You will need a coat a year after that. You could also use Coelans if you wish, its also very very good.

 

[Peterduck]

It's the thickness of the varnish that gives it durability. Don't skimp on the number of coats, no matter which brand you use. If you are starting with bare wood, dilute the first couple of coats with a little thinner to help it to soak into the grain, and then build up the coats of full-strength varnish on top of that. Don't forget to sand lightly between coats to provide a key for the new coat to grip on.
Peter.

 

[wjh]

Stopped using varnish all together. Own a 1953 Alfred Mylne and only use oil. It has one major benefit versus varnishing, it protects the wood from within. repair work is very simple and you don;t have to redo the whole works.

 

[ccscott49]

I still varnish, but an overall cover does wonders!! I use coelans on all wood which I cant, cover, bulwarks, toerails etc. in the meddy and like the results, but the cabin and wheelhouse is still in epifanes varnish. I keep it covered whenever I can, with a light over the boom cover. I just like the look of varnish, but can see your point entirely!

 

[dickh]

Use several coats as the other posters say.
I notice B&Q are selling International Yacht Varnish the other week at a very good price, until you read the small print - NOT SUITABLE FOR OUTDOOR USE... what a con - I wonder how many people have bought this thinking they would get good outdoor varnish at a reasonable price - it even had a picture of a yacht on the tin!

To protect the varnish when not on the boat, use a cover over the tiller - makes the varnish last much longer. Since fitting a cockpit cover 3 years ago, I haven't had to revarnish in the cockpit.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Guest]

I am interested to know which oil you use. I have used a product called Varnol diluted with pure turps and it works well and certainly smells nice but does not last very long. Other oils I have tried seem not to penetrate very well.

 

[ccscott49]

Even under high pressure, nothing penetrates teak very well, it eveporates a lot more than it soaks in. Real teak oil (that from teak) doesn't exist, all the products in normal use are mineral oil based, apart from varnol and real turps, but even those won't soak in, the secret is to keep putting it on, then the wood will stay clean and bright, anybody thinking the wood hgets saturated with these products is, I'm afraid, deluding themselves. Tests have been done to show the penetration of oils etc, into woods under high pressure, it just doesn't happen, not with teak anyway, even with pine or deal, the high pressure protectors they put in only penetrate just below the surface. (which is all thats needed)

 

[Guest]

thanks fr that

 

[Gordonmc]

I have come to the opinion that a lot depends on the wood you are trying to protect.
I use Deks 1 & 2 on the mahogany of my cockpit and saloon, six coats of No 1 and four of No 2. The tiller is a solid piece of oak which will take any kind of cheap varnish with no problems. Half of the tiller is under a cockpit cover most of the time and I really can't tell the difference. Toe rail and rubbing strake are mahogany again but take more of a beating than the cockpit and saloon, so I use coelans.
Two pack varnish and clear epoxy are fine for a while but fare badly in sun, eventually lifting. Moreover they are swine to get rid of.

 

[rbrooks]

Thanks, I think all the advise given was great, I will get swmbo to stitch a cover.
out of intrest does using oil not leave a "oily" residue on your hands if used on the tiller. or does is dry to some degree?

 

[ccscott49]

Don't oil your tiller it will look like shit very soon with the oil from your hands and muck etc, varnish it!! You can always take it off if you dont cover it, a taped up bin liner will do until you make a cover.

 

[Guest]

Concerning the COELAN: I have problems with my teak-decks leaking. I have a 33' Colin Archer model with single-layer teak-decks where the teak slowly separates from the Sikaflex, resulting in serious leaks. The Sikaflex was last redone (by
professionals) 10 years ago, but it started leaking only 3-4 years thereafter.
I consider using the Coelan system, but I have a hard time finding people with
experience when it comes to this product.

Will the Coelan eliminate the leaks? Will I have to recaulk my decks before
applying the Coelan? How long does the Coelan last? Is it difficult to remove?

Anyone with experience concerning the Coelan?
Thank you!

 

[ccscott49]

If your deck started leaking after three years after being re-done with sikalflex it wasn't done right! I wouldn't personally use coelans on a deck. I would rip out all the sikaflex, recaulk, properly and clean the grooves with a twin bladed circular saw, or router, then re-seal with sikalfex, priming the wood first. If you want to use coelans, you will need to sand the decks, (80 grit is ok) to remove any grease or grime, then soak in two or three coats of the primer, which ever colour you want, red or clear (Yellow) then put on six coats of coelans, it cures with moisture, as it's basically clear sikaflex, so you will be able to put a coat a day on minimum. leave it for two weeks and it will be fine. If you want to put any strips around cabins etc, bed them in the last but one coat of coelans, then cover them with it aswell, the decks will now be sealed. It is very easy to get off again with a heat gun or in fact you can peel it off, if careful to make any repairs, where it gets bashed. I like it, for other stuff.

 

[rbrooks]

Point taken. varnish it is then.

 

[Guest]

Some say the teak is a very oily kind of wood, which causes adherence problems with Sikaflex, even if it has been primed and is very dry. I have recaulked this deck several times, and it doesn't last many years before the leaking starts. This is why I consider the Coelan. I'm a bit worried about the colour/finish though, I want the teak to look natural.
CCSCOTT49, why wouldn't you use it on a deck? Do you know how long it will last?

 

[ccscott49]

The colour would be fine, I have acres of teak covered with coelans. My deck is teak, sealed with sikaflex, I have no leaks and its been down 30 years. I just dont like to see a teak deck varnished, it's a personal thing. If you are going to coelans a deck, you will need to add the antislip stuff to the last two coats, they supply it. I saw a dutch steel motor boat in Dartmouth with his decks sealed, it looks fine if thats what you like. His hasn't leaked in three years and still looks fine. In the med I'm not sure how long it would last, but they say 8-10 years, if done right. Most decks are laid with teak and sikaflex these days and they dont leak (much) sikaflex adheres very well to teak, especially when primed properly, so I din't see why yours doesn't, they make a special sikaflex just for this job.

 

[Guest]

Are you saying that your single-layer teak deck sealed with Sikaflex has no leaks after 30 years?
I prefer a teak deck without varnish, too, but I can't live with the leaking. Besides, it costs a fortune to have your decks redone every five years!
How many years have you had the coelans?

 

[ccscott49]

I've had coelans on my woodwork for two years now, its fine, mostly, but where I've damaged the coating, I need to repair it, but its simple with coelans, you just cut out the bad, sand, prime and fill the repair with new coelans. Just spots in my case. The answer to your other question, no my is not single layer, but the sikaflex is still adherering everywhere. Any deck will leak, single or two layer, if the caulking fails, water will find its way in! But mine has never up until now that is leaked a drop. The teak is 1 1/4" thick and the under deck 1" ply, so it's pretty substantial. If the sikaflex adheres in one place and not another, then the preparation was not good enough and it wasn't primed properly, its as simple as that.

 

[Guest]

what colour coelan did you use? Someone at www.rotdoctor.com says the coelan made his mahogany look pale and sick, I don't want this to happen to my teak deck.