Teak toe rail splitting
- Thread starter IanCC
- Start date
Tranona
Well-known member
The splits were probably there before you stripped the varnish but were protected so now exposed to the elements have opened up. You could clean them out and fill with epoxy thickened with fine sawdust but almost certainly will crack again sometime in the future. However if you do that and refinish with something like International Woodskin the won't get any worse. Personally I think bare teak with that sort of cross section horizontal surface area and plugs is a mistake as the teak slowly erodes and as you see prone to splitting.
IanCC
Active member
Thanks for response.
Clean them out is a big ask. They are maybe 0.1 or 0.2 mm wide. Seems to me plugs need to come out before epoxy otherwise they wouldn't ever come out if required.
Refueler
Well-known member
You have a situation that is basically unsolvable as is ... if you could sandwich the boat and fill the splits with epoxy - then squeeze boat to close them up - you might stand a chance - but that's not a viable method ... its just illustrating the predicament.
I patched by using PU glue and even tried adding screws / machine bolts + nuts to pull rail in .. but it doesn't work.
I bet if you get to underside of the teak and start digging with a penknife - you will find areas soft / rotten ... On my 25 - I actually found areas underneath that I could dig into hitting the screws holding the rail to hull.
Finally I bit the bullet and had pal who owns a yard - rip off the old teak and replace with Amercan Oak .... not cheap - but the difference is worth it.
I patched by using PU glue and even tried adding screws / machine bolts + nuts to pull rail in .. but it doesn't work.
I bet if you get to underside of the teak and start digging with a penknife - you will find areas soft / rotten ... On my 25 - I actually found areas underneath that I could dig into hitting the screws holding the rail to hull.
Finally I bit the bullet and had pal who owns a yard - rip off the old teak and replace with Amercan Oak .... not cheap - but the difference is worth it.
doug748
Well-known member
I have similar low profile, teak toerail capping. To fix it properly you need to let in new wood, perhaps using a scratch stock or small dia router bit;
Then drill out the old plug and refit a new one. It will look poor for a bit and then blend in nicely - if you can find some compatible teak.
I would never try and fill the thing which is often ugly and makes matters worse.
Honestly I don't think either course would affect the life of the teak, coat it with Woodskin, as advised, and it may well last many more decades.
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Then drill out the old plug and refit a new one. It will look poor for a bit and then blend in nicely - if you can find some compatible teak.
I would never try and fill the thing which is often ugly and makes matters worse.
Honestly I don't think either course would affect the life of the teak, coat it with Woodskin, as advised, and it may well last many more decades.
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johnalison
Well-known member
HRs of that vintage had forest-grown teak that should be very robust as long as it doesn’t get split with frost. Simple filling should be an adequate measure, even if it doesn’t last for ever, even if the proper job might be ideal
Mark-1
Well-known member
Should you varnish teak?
Refueler
Well-known member
Teak has a natural oil that means varnish doesn't adhere as well ... its better to 'oil' teak ,,, you can buy Teak Oil specifically for it.
I use Decking stain as produced for balconys and decking ...
KevinV
Well-known member
I agree, the plugs have had it. Clamp the splits shut before drilling them out so you don't end up with an egg shaped hole.
You'll never clean or dry the splits unless you open them up, so I'd glue the new plugs in with pu adhesive which likes a bit of moisture. Clamp the gap shut lightly, then wedge the plug down to push adhesive into the remaining crack, then crank the crack shut.
Mark-1
Well-known member
Yeah. The previous owner varnished it and it peeled right off.
The general YBW consensus on teak oil seems to have been 'don't bother'.
So unless other posters can make the alternative case I'm gonna carry on leaving it.
johnalison
Well-known member
There’s no law against varnish but it just doesn’t work. I had a boat in the ‘70s with a varnished strake that was hopeless. In those days Deks Olje was the answer but that wasn’t wonderful either. Thee are products now that will give a varnished look but leaving it and using Boracol/Patio Magic is what most of us do.Yeah. The previous owner varnished it and it peeled right off.
The general YBW consensus on teak oil seems to have been 'don't bother'.
So unless other posters can make the alternative case I'm gonna carry on leaving it.
Tranona
Well-known member
Yes, you can apply a coating - but not traditional "varnish". Get it clean and apply a woodstain such as Woodskin, or if you have a lot to do and have the patience Sikkens Cetol. Woodskin usually lasts about 2 years on horizontal surfaces and several years on vertical. Example here in Woodskin.Yeah. The previous owner varnished it and it peeled right off.
The general YBW consensus on teak oil seems to have been 'don't bother'.
So unless other posters can make the alternative case I'm gonna carry on leaving it.
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Mark-1
Well-known member
So Woodskin won't peel and look dreadful? It ages/wears gracefully on oily woods?
Could I use leftover woodskin on marine ply? (I'm asking because I have a Marine ply temporary outboard bracket which I'd like to preserve but is cosmetically unimportant. Ideal for varnish leftovers.)
vyv_cox
Well-known member
My toerails were varnished when we purchased the boat in 1994. We continued to varnish on a regular basis as the appearance was good. Ultimately we followed the advice of many on here and stripped them to obtain a silver appearance. What a mistake!
Over time the surface gradually eroded to dust, steadily losing surface timber until eventually the teak plugs began falling out with nothing left to hold them. The rails are now considerably smaller in section than they were.
For the past 10 years we have applied Woodskin after Deks Olie failed miserably. It is not perfect and does need annual servicing but far better than varnish.
I concluded that Deks Olie works well on untreated wood, as I did a new teak outboard bracket at the same time, lasted well. On the previously varnished toe rails it peeled within three months.
Over time the surface gradually eroded to dust, steadily losing surface timber until eventually the teak plugs began falling out with nothing left to hold them. The rails are now considerably smaller in section than they were.
For the past 10 years we have applied Woodskin after Deks Olie failed miserably. It is not perfect and does need annual servicing but far better than varnish.
I concluded that Deks Olie works well on untreated wood, as I did a new teak outboard bracket at the same time, lasted well. On the previously varnished toe rails it peeled within three months.
Refueler
Well-known member
Varnish unlike normal paint does exude component into wood ... watch sanded wood raise grain when used ... This has an effect on any product you use later.
I changed to Decking stain after having similar results ... Superanne - hand rails and rubbing strake were all varnished when I bought the boat .. I cont'd on for many years - but as the rubbing strake aged - it just split and failed. Scarfed joints 'popped' ... plugs came out ... underside was like dry sponge ...
My new oak rubbing strake is at this time untreated - but will receive Decking Stain once keel repairs completed and she's going back into service.
Snowgoose-1
Well-known member
Anyone tried the two part exterior varnish ?
I saw a shipwright using it on a teak toerail . He said that UV would not be a problem. Wish I could remember what he was using
It seems on these forums that the wood is likely to move hence cracking and UV damage would still be a problem. I seem to remember a two part varnish designed for use on timber masts.
I saw a shipwright using it on a teak toerail . He said that UV would not be a problem. Wish I could remember what he was using
It seems on these forums that the wood is likely to move hence cracking and UV damage would still be a problem. I seem to remember a two part varnish designed for use on timber masts.
Refueler
Well-known member
My preference would be for a traditional single pot varnish - rather than a two part ....
Tranona
Well-known member
There are 2 different types of "2 part". The first is where a base is mixed with a hardener before application and results in a solid impervious coating. Not commonly used now, although Epifanes still offer it. The second is 2 stage with a base coat followed by a top coat. There are many products of this type, particularly for the construction industry that are suitable for use on boats. Perhaps the most common is Sikkens HLS base and Cetol No7 top. Satin finish and available in various tints, the light pine being good for masts in particular. This is the mast of my old Eventide which I coated just before I sold it in 2019. Previously it had an earlier Sikkens 2 part NovaTec/Top which lasted over 15 years with a couple of "top ups". That however was a dark stain and looked murky whereas the new staining is much better.
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IanCC
Active member
So this Woodskin:
That'll be "International Woodskin"?
What does annual maintenance look like please?
Thanks to you and everyone else for responses to thread. Very much appreciated.
That'll be "International Woodskin"?
What does annual maintenance look like please?
Thanks to you and everyone else for responses to thread. Very much appreciated.
Tranona
Well-known member
Yes. 3 or 4 coats after cleaning back to original golden colour and degreasing. It is not very abrasion resistant, but provided it does not get rubbed of by warps etc then a flatting down and new coat every 2-3 years.