Refinishing interior teak

[KenD]

I need info on refinishing teak thats been varnished (I hope) before, is there any way to clean it an refinish the surfaces to original condition former owner slopped varnish all over what solvent will clean the fiberglass. All help welcomed hope to be sailing soon. kd

[Stormer]

This month''s Sail Magazine has a good article on refinishing interior teak (it''s only a 3 pager - but pretty good).

Good luck.

[KenD]

Thanks I just got the article and read It good stuff!

[joub]

Ken,
Haven''t read the article in Sail Mag so don''t know what was covered. But can offer my 2 cents worth.
Old varnish can always be sanded down to a smooth surface regardless of how poorly it may have been applied. Use a sanding block for all the sanding you can, as it is the only way you will be able to level out all the valleys and peaks to a nice level surface. 150 or 180 grit is good for the rough stuff. When it starts to look pretty good go to 220 to sand out any scratches from the coarser grits.
As for the fiberglass, I''ve found a razor blade carefully used will lift most of the varnish from a fiberglass surface. The residue can usually be cleaned up with a rag dipped in acetone. If the residue is not coming off, use a little varnish remover to loosen it and it should wipe it off in a few minutes.
Before you repeat what the previous owner did, learn all you can about varnishing.
Casey''s book, Sailboat Refinishing is very good, Brightwork by Rebecca Wittman will make you want to turn your boat into a violin! It is not easy to do a good job without some experience. Try a small area and see how it turns out. When you feel confident, go for it!

Spar varnish is the only thing to use on the exterior, but I''ve learned that polyurethane varnish on the interior is easier to apply, and provides a harder surface. It should last for years.

A nicely varnished interior is the often the difference between a sailboat and a yacht!

Jim

[chefuno]

Very informative. We are planning the same project. My question is ... is it necessary to remove the wood to refinish it? would removing it enhance the finished result? and.... how do I approach the small trim spindles and other wood turnings? Thanks for any advice!

[PorFin]

+1 on using poly for an interior finish.

Originally Posted by chefuno

Very informative. We are planning the same project. My question is ... is it necessary to remove the wood to refinish it? would removing it enhance the finished result? and.... how do I approach the small trim spindles and other wood turnings? Thanks for any advice!

Necessary? No. Recommended? Yes (within reason.) Depending on your boat, you may find that a lot of your interior woodwork won't come out without a saw or a chisel; that stuff should be tackled in situ. Anything that can come loose with a screwdriver, you're better off doing it off the boat. Applying a finish on a vertical surface takes a good eye and hand, if you want to keep runs to a minimum. Taking the pieces off the boat will allow you to keep the large surfaces horizontal, and will make your life a little easier.

Spindles and turnings require patience and persistence. A small sanding sponge may be able to reach into the hollows. You'll want to use nothing coarser than 220. If the sponge can't get all the way into the crevices, then a visit to a good woodworkers supply store shoudl score you some abrasive cord (kind of like a hybrid of twine & sandpaper.)

Another trick is to make a contour sanding block out of rigid foam insulation.

[chefuno]

@PorFin Thanks for the tips. I feel a lot more confident in tackling the job now. Much of the wood looks like it can be easily removed with only a screwdriver. The rest will have to be refinished in-place. I will post before/after pics so everyone can see how it turns out.

[MarkSF]

I'd try lemon oil on the interior first, it really rejuvenated my teak interior.

[JimsCAL]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

I'd try lemon oil on the interior first, it really rejuvenated my teak interior.

Worth a try on an oiled interior, but won't do much on a varnished interior (except risk peeling when you re-varnish).

[sian]

I got a book on varnishing from Amazon Kindle store for only $2.99 . Best money I ever spent on maintenance- turned out a near perfect varnish job following the easy instructions. Covers interior and exterior varnish techniques, has good pictures. Name of the book is How to Varnish Like a Pro.