[rbyham]

Just finished interior teak with Minwax spar urethane. Wow! Easy to use and incredible gloss. Brought up grain really well. Sanded and cleaned with Acetone and 3 coats of the Minwax. Very happy. Now considering exterior teak trim. Can says it is made for exterior with superior uv protection.

Then I saw paragraph 10 of this article and feel pretty sold to apply to exterior teak as well.

Exterior Wood Finish Test Two-year Update - Practical Sailor Article

Wow again! Anyone have experience with this stuff. While cost is not the issue it does not hurt that it sells at HD for little money...

 

[rbyham]

Here is more word on Minwax spar urethan/varnish

Canadian Sailing Icon Proving Ground for Age Old Wood Finish |

A concern develops in my mind when I learn that Bluenose is largely mahogany with no indication of teak being covered by the Minwax product. Hmmmm.

 

[Markwesti]

My slip neighbor uses that on his swim step .(that's the only exterior teak he has) He loves it . I think it looks good . I don't see why it would not work on mahogany .

 

[deltaten]

I use it exclusively on all varnished surfaces on or in the boat. I put five coats on my refurbished tiller and has gone a year eexposed looking new still. Three coats on my hickory oar kept atop the cabin....same result.
I prefer the semi-gloss
Cut with some thinner and it wipes on nicely.

 

[rbyham]

I am wondering if it makes a difference the wood being teak. Curious if anyone has experience with it on teak? I am thinking to thin the first coat 50-50 second 75-25 and last full strength. I am also a bit concerned about hardness of surface. The only thing they do not recommend is floors which tells me it may be a little soft. My guess is it will not hold up well to any chafe but then again no finish does. I suppose I will start with a test section maybe a handrail.

 

[TomMaine]

I am wondering if it makes a difference the wood being teak. Curious if anyone has experience with it on teak? I am thinking to thin the first coat 50-50 second 75-25 and last full strength. I am also a bit concerned about hardness of surface. The only thing they do not recommend is floors which tells me it may be a little soft. My guess is it will not hold up well to any chafe but then again no finish does. I suppose I will start with a test section maybe a handrail.

Thanks for the info on Bluenose. Unless the Teak is fresh, I wouldn't worry about the oils making it difficult for the varnish to adhere. I've never had a problem, but wiping with acetone first is standard.

The PS article is well done. It shows there is no maintenance free coating, just degrees of maintenance. I've used Urethane based spar varnishes and like them. The only reason I don't use them on my boat's exterior is, they may be more difficult to remove. Regular Spar Varnish is an 'easy' coating to remove.

Maintaining brightwork is a series, the end being removal of the failed finish. I assume the crew of Bluenose is finding the urethane Helmsmen removal not to be a big issue(interesting to me).

I'm experimenting with some lower cost spar varnish options on my boat which has a lot of 50+ year old mahogany and teak parts.

I'm finding application-sufficient initial coats(8 to 10), an annual spring maintenance coat, are the most important parts of my system. Spar varnish brand is secondary, for me. Pro's may choose a higher cost spar varnish based on experience with application, and rightly so.

As far as the hardness of the urethane Helmsmen, I'd guess it's harder(a bit) than standard resin based spar varnish. Spar varnish is a soft coating which is a quality that keeps it in use. It stretches a bit making it a very good wood sealer.

I use gloss spar varnish above and below, including the wood sole. It's hard enough for the sole, but the gloss turns to mat in a few seasons. Still, it's doing the job now-protective coating, 14 years after I coated it in several coats of spar varnish.

Do you have any larger photos of your boat? Beautiful in the small photo.

 

[rbyham]

Wow.. Having heard no objections I plan to at least test some on exterior teak. Thanks for some further confirmation Tom. As to the boat she is shaping up pretty well. She had been on hard 8 years when we bought her a year ago. Bringing her back has been largely fun and sailing her a real joy. I have put some larger pics in my personal album. Would welcome any and all comments as we continue to hit her cosmetics. Would love to replace mini bimini but can't justify 4k for canvas work. At this point we are considering a diy hard dodger...

 

[SJ34]

I've used it on exterior teak and the only trouble I've had was with lifting on the edges and darkening over time. It's very hard and wears great though.

 

[safira]

rbyham .... I have used the product minwax for many years on my boat .... it lasts around 2 to 3 years if you just let it go ... Every year during spring when the weather has not become the surface of the sun yet I do the quick sand (lightly) ... then I wipe with denatured alcohol not acetone and then apply ...
If you go all the way to the raw wood then apply 4 to 6 coats and there is no need to thin it ... but if you feel like you need to then go with the first coat at 75/25 then 50/50 then to full strength .... first number is the product
hope this helps

 

[rbyham]

Thanks SJ... I wonder if anyone would recommend bleaching teak prior to Helmsman?

 

[Sabreman]

I am wondering if it makes a difference the wood being teak. Curious if anyone has experience with it on teak?

I use Minwax Spar Urethane and Minwax interior satin exclusively on Victoria's interior. No issues on teak or any other wood, I use Minwax interior satin on the furniture that I build…. cherry, oak, maple, wenge, etc. I use Cetol Natural for exterior as it requires the least maintenance of any teak finish that I've used (many, many of them)

I am thinking to thin the first coat 50-50 second 75-25 and last full strength.

No need to thin, just apply. My rule of thumb is that the finish only starts to look good at 3 coats. My standard is 6. No issues with adhesion, but I sand and wipe teak with acetone followed immediately with finish.

I am also a bit concerned about hardness of surface

Any spar varnish is inherently soft. Beyond having UV inhibitors, that's why it's recommended for exterior applications. The softness allows for contraction and expansion. For that reason, it's not a great floor finish for inside a house. But I use it on my cabin sole and am quite pleased. Photos follow.