Wood Mast Oil

[Woodentop]

I have wooden masts - sectioned Douglas Fir by Noble of Bristol.

They have had varnish and paint. I am about to take them back to bare wood. (actually - after years of neglect they are almost all bare wood)

What I want is an oil rather than a varnish - something that can be applied again each year without having to sand out all the previous layers.

Ideally to scotch-bright or lightly sand the top coat and add a couple of more coats.

Any suggestions ?

 

[Peterduck]

I have had success with Deks Olje and with Sikkens oils, but you have to understand that they are both two-part systems. You don't mix the two parts like an epoxy, you apply one over the other. With Deks Olje, you should apply the No.1 until the wood refuses to accept any more, and then apply a couple of coats of the No.2. The No. 1 is very thin and soaks into the wood, and the No. 2 is very thick and forms a a protective coating over the No.1

With the Sikkens I used the HLS first, [several coats] followed by the UV-proof Filter 7.

I understand that Coelan beats the pants off anything else on the market, but I haven't used it myself. Once again, follow the instructions!
Peter.

 

[fishermantwo]

Outdoor furniture oil or decking oil from any of the major paint manufacturers.

 

[Seagreen]

Just a word of warning. Don't, and I mean DON'T use linseed oil under any circumstances. It'll turn your mast black, unless you want to ook like a knackered old trawler, that is.

 

[srp]

DEks Olje D1 - you don't have to use the D2 as well. D1 will give you a matt finish and protect the wood for 6 - 12 months. If you want a gloss finish you can uae D2 on top, but it's not compulsory. See http://www.boatpaint.co.uk/acatalog/DeksOlje.html

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Which type of finish would you suggest to be applied to the new Sitka spruce mast and spars that I am building?

 

[Niander]

Id say oil especially if you can do it every year....if mast comes down yearly.

 

[roly_voya]

I have had good results with the sikens, omly system I have found that lasts more than one season. For a mast, unless the boat is very decorative, I would just go for the 'part one' not the glossy cover. The result shows the grain better and stands up to abrasion/easier to repair. Try it on a sample and see if you like the effect

 

[cliffordpope]

There is an old wive's story that wooden masts traditionally have a hole in the top with a bung. Periodically someone shins up and tips in some more linseed oil, and very slowly it seeps out at the bottom.

 

[Woodentop]

Thanks for the responses.

The aim is to have masts that look acceptable, with a coating that can be topped up without dropping the masts i.e. slap another coat on from a bosun's chair.

Obviously traditional varnish fails the test.