[LarryandSusanMacDonald]

OK - home from work.

I looked at your photos more closely - and I would tell your customer that you STRONGLY recommend letting the toe-rail go gray or cetol. The problem is that in a short time, any varnish you put on there is going to lift - and there goes your reputation.

As far as stripping, a heat gun, a sharp scraper (I custom make the handles on mine so they're longer and keep my lovely, manicured fingers away from the heat), and then sand. (We use a 3/16" D.A. - 3" diameter with a soft interface pad for any curved surfaces for toe-rails, hand rails, smaller cockpit coamings, etc.) After the D.A. hand sand with the grain to remove any swirl marks left by the D.A. (You can use a rag to wipe alcohol on the surface and it will help spot any swirl marks you have missed.) We use the 3M green tape while sanding to protect the adjacent finishes. Pull it and retape with the 3M blue for sealing and varnishing.

If your customer insists on varnish, let the teak stay open for a few days while you work on the rest of the brightwork. That will help dry it, and even out the color some.

If the hull, or deck is painted keep the heat away from it. And a chemical stripper can wreak havoc on painted surfaces - and it's almost impossible not to splatter unless you mask everything with plastic film - very time consuming - and then the wind blows.

As far as the actual bidding goes, I would give a very wide ballpark because there are so many variables. Part of it depends on the quality of work the customer wants. Does the finished product have to pass the 'two foot' test? (Perfect sharp edges, mirror finish, furniture grade) or the 'Ten foot' test? (Looks nice from the dock, just don't get up close or you'll see all the flaws.) Or the 'Fifty Foot' test? (Applied with a long handled broom from the dock without benefit of tape.) (We've all seen those jobs.)

From the looks of the pictures, he probably wants to pay for the 10 foot job, but hopes for the 2 foot. It takes some skill and experience to 'read' the customer on this one - and some persuasive skills to get him to be realistic.

Another point, you weren't sure what the original finish was - (thick fingernail polish?) Could be a number of things - sand some of it and see how it works. Scrape some of it and see if it is adhered well before going over the top of it. If it's a two part - like the Bristol finish - it can be a bear to sand or strip.

In any case, you can use almost anything over anything as long as it is fully cured.

Best of luck and let us know how you make out and how the job goes.

Cap'n Larry