Stripping in Public

[Shack]

I'm getting ready to go naked up on deck, by stripping and can't figure if the slow and steady is a good method or if just ripping it right off and getting "down to it" is best. .... I mean my "teak" of course. What were you thinking of?

My teak wood needs some attention and I'm prepared to use the heat gun and a scrapper to peal off the current varnish. I have some advice coming in from several friends about the use of different chemical strippers and scrappers.

I plan to leave the teak bare and al'natural after I'm done. Seems to be an accepted option for teak maintenance.

I don't have teak decks, just wide cap rail and some trim peices. The current finish is already lifting pealing away in many places.

Does anyone have any horror stories I should be aware of before I get going?

[EO32]

We've been going naked in our cockpit.

My wife used a heat gun on all of the flat surfaces and it worked very well. It's fast and the chips turn into brittle pieces.

For the curves and groved cockpit sides we've been using 3M stripper with good results.

Here's a shot of the cockpit during our last sail.

[J36ZT]

From what I've seen, there are three basic ways of caring for your...ummm teak.

1. Varnish; sunlight will deteriorate the finish and it'll have to be re-done every year. I haven't seen a varnish yet that'll last more than one year, and even Cetol seems not to last more than two. Each time you re-do the finish, the teak will get smaller and smaller as you sand away the outer layer. Apparently, sand in your...ummmm teak isn't very pleasant in the long run.

2. Teak oil; you'll have to put on another coat every time you wash the decks or atleast once each month. For those of you that like that slick look, this fetish may appeal to you.

3. Bare; easy to maintain (scrub off the mold/grime with each wash). The teak will weather to a whitish color. You may loose the outer layer of teak every now and then depending upon how much algea/growth accumulates between each wash and how much you have to scrub. Eventually, the oils will be removed enough that the teak will crack and split...and nobody likes to see cracks when you go bare.

Basically, from what I've seen...teak on the outside of a boat is a high maintenace item if you want it to look good. But, this is true with everything in life.

Me...I've allowed the varnish to flake off of my teak and have gone to the weathered look for the time being. You might say I've let nature take its course and am naked and al'natural. One day, I might try the oil thing, but it seems like alot of work.

McGregor might have had the right idea after all.

Skipper, J/36 "Zero Tolerance"

[Shack]

EO32
I'm tried some heat gun today. The weathered stuff is coming off great (already flaking) but the rest is coming of with much more effort - kinda gummy.

Too much heat? Too little? Is it all in the wrist?

[EO32]

I guess it might be the varnish. Not sure what my PO had put on, Cetol or Spar, and mulitple coats.

My wife did the work. She would heat that area for about 3 to 5 seconds, until it starts to bubble. Then take a scraper and pull it off. When the scrapped varnish cools it turns into brittle chips. HTH

Chris

[allegedly]

teak guard works - look it up

[Dcneuro]

If you aren't going to use anything else, why do anything? It will all come off in time on its own. You can expedite that process by using teak oil, which will give some sheen to the stripped wood. I did this for a few years. Once everything was off, I cleaned and varnished it. Looks great, and looked good during the "stripping in process" years.

[Rockter]

Danish oil is worth a try. Each season I jet wash the teak with my old Kranzle jet-washer, then after it has dried, I add some teak oil. It's gone again by end of season, but I have to do something every now and again.
I set the jet washer to "fan" pattern, as it is easier on the teak.

[Shack]

Most of the winces I get from friends when I mention going bare is based out of concern for the rate at which teak will wear. Because teak cost more now than it use to, I am getting heat for not putting some kind of protectant on it. Just a couple coats of varnish to retreat a couple time a year.

EO32,
Although my heat gun was making the old stuff bubble, it wasn't coming off nicely. I'm not sure what I have on this wood. I tried some Peel-Away today and its working a much better.

Just need to sand now, and decide what to do with the wood.

I checked out Teak Guard Products Is this a flash in the pan product? Has anyone used it? .... Allegedly?

[lynn1120]

the USA-- guy on my dock has been very happy with the USA product--as with most things, preparation is critical....

I will post an info link in a sec-- gotta get post ten out of the way

I am going to try it myself on my toe rail after haul out-- will report back next fall