Varnishing or wood staining interior woodwork

[comfortably numb]

I want to completely rub down and redo all of the interior woodwork on our 62’ boat. Because of the amount to do it will be a long term project me thinks!

 

I planned on then re-coating it with Danish Oil which I have been told lasts a long time and/or is easy maintenance because you can just keep re-applying it over a previous coat of it. I was told that Danish Oil brings out the original wood grain well but prior to application the wood needs to be thoroughly sanded down to reveal/enhance the natural grain.

 

The fit out of my boat comprises of;

 

Roof lining – Light Oak tongue and groove.

 

Cabin sides – Light oak veneer with mahogany trim.

 

Fixed furniture – Solid oak with mahogany trim.

 

I’ve used a borrowed heavy duty electrical oblong shaped sander (orbital???) which I’ve found to be very heavy and cumbersome, and impossible to get into the edges or nooks/crannies.

 

I’ve found that after extensive sanding the veneer looks patchy and has revealed in places what looks like some infilling or patching. But the mahogany and oak has rubbed down well and looks good.

 

So I have 2 issues really.

 

Firstly, because of the veneer looking patchy would standard varnish hide or cover the patchy places rather than Danish Oil which would show them up? Because the mahogany and oak rubbed down well, could I still use the Danish Oil on that or do you think it would look odd having two different types of applications?

 

Secondly, should I go for a smaller sander and if so can anybody recommend a certain type and make?

 

I’ve searched for some answers on here but I’d really value the opinions of those of you who have had similar experience please.

[Woodstock]

I always prefer to use oil rather than varnish. Recently the varnish around the windows had peeled so I sanded it down and applied several coats of teak oil, I thought it may look patchy but it was very forgiving and you build up the intensity, I've never used Danish oil but heard good reports- I already had some teak oil-hence using that. Perhaps try oil on a small patchy bit in a non conspicuous area- it might be much better than you thought.

 

I don't know if this makes sense- but some areas around the window seemed really dry wood almost a little flaky (sun damage?)- and the oil made this much better

[BEngo]

I want to completely rub down and redo all of the interior woodwork on our 62’ boat. Because of the amount to do it will be a long term project me thinks!

 

SNIP

 

I’ve found that after extensive sanding the veneer looks patchy and has revealed in places what looks like some infilling or patching. But the mahogany and oak has rubbed down well and looks good.

 

SNIP

You have sanded all the oak veneer off the ply in places- it's only about 0.4mm thick. Whatever you do now it will look like you sanded the veneer off. You will have to paint it (or renew the ply) if you can't put up with it.

 

For corner work you want a detail sander- a roughly 50mm per side triangular thing, or a B&D mouse sander. Looks like

 

http://www.diyshop.com/detail-sander-180w-81-p.asp

 

N

[Ex- Member]

Agree with Bengo it's tricky enough to rub down veneered panels by hand without going through, let alone a sander.

 

I would now paint these damaged panels, as where you've gone through will be a different wood and show up. We've used quality washable emulsion, like for bathroom & kitchen, it's been on now for quite a few years and been re-coated too, not a problem anywhere and look as good today as did when first painted.

 

I much prefer Teak oil for wood, Oak especially, it definitely outlasts Danish oil, we restored our work tops recently and they came up a treat. Always use a 50/50 diluted coat first coat and you won't go far wrong, also leave 24 hours before buffing for best results.

 

For detail sanding I use a Bosch Multitool with Delta sanding pads, again really works well in corners.

[smileypete]

A few other options are acrylic varnish, hard wax oil, and a protective wood stain like Cetol HLS or Sadolin Ultra.

 

Probably best paint the OFP (oak faced ply) with an acrylic matt, satin or eggshell if the veneer has had it, would make for a lighter interior (photo from Mark99 on another thread):

 

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited November 30, 2013 by smileypete

[Ex- Member]

Agreed, definitely paint the paneling, when we did it, it made the boat much brighter and seem more spacious, we keep saying we'll do the bottom panels as well, possibly next summer, and possibly have a colour change on the upper panels too. Too much wood can be drab and boring after a while.

 

[David Schweizer]

One day I will tire of saying this, but getting a good maintenance free finish on wood takes some effort. By all means use Oil if you want, but be prepared to re-do it every couple of years, and if you are not particularly skilled in this area, oil is probably the best solution

 

Personally I would use a good quality varnish, and certainly not one containing any polyeurthane on any areas where sunlight can degrade it. Varnishing requires far more effort and application to get a good finish, but once done will last years without the need for any more attention, other than the occasional dusting.

Edited November 30, 2013 by David Schweizer

[comfortably numb]

Oops what a dummy (insert embarrassed smiley face if I could find one). I should have sussed that veneer would be very thin. Thankfully it is small area and one which is quite hidden away, but I wish I'd have consulted you lot before I went at it all 'gung ho'.

 

Many thanks for all your helpful suggestions. You've given me some options and much food for thought so i will have a good think as to my next move before proceeding any further.