Renovating a hardwood cratch

[cuthound]

Hi all,

 

I am currently in the process of renovating my hardwood cratch, which is weathered, and wondered what advice other members have regarding the final finish?

 

According to the previous owner, the cratch of Delta Queen has been treated with teak oil every now and again. However the exposed surface at the front of the boat is very weathered.

 

Once I have finished sanding off the weathered surface, should I apply teak oil again, or would it be better to use Sadolin or a similar stain & preservative?

 

If I use teak oil, how often should I reapply it to avoid having to keep sanding back a weathered surface?

 

Thanking you all in advance.

 

Alan

[b0atman]

I personally would go with sadolin

[cuthound]

Thanks B0atman,

 

Cratch now sanded down and outside of it painted in Sadolin One Coat. Looks much better.

 

Alan

[cuthound]

One year on, the Sadolin "one coat" has virtually all come off the outside of the cratch, whilst the inside still looks good. I suspect it was the high oil content of the previously oiled teak that caused it.

 

 

I am now considering sanding it down and applying Le Tonkinoise No.1. Any recommendations for this or should I consider something else?

 

Thanks in anticipation of some good advice

[smileypete]

The data sheet for a similar Sikkens product mentions cleaning any oil off with cellulose thinners, I s'posed meths might do. If there's some Sadolin One coat to be used up, I'd try at least two coats as a top plank is well exposed to the sun.

 

Varnish needs plenty of coats and religious maintenance or it'll flake off, there's a wooden boat forum out there which will have MANY topics on the different coatings for wood.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[DHutch]

I suspect it was the high oil content of the previously oiled teak that caused it.

 

 

Seams likely, although while typically much better than a year, it does tend to like a 'falling off' failure mode to any other .

 

 

Daniel

[Mike Jordan]

If the board is really made of teak (not very likely because of the extreme cost) or has been given numerous

coats of oil, the varnish will tend to sit on the surface rather than soak into the timber and get a grip.

I normally recommend that new timber is given a coat of exterior varnish thinned 50% with white spirit to allow it to soak into the surface before coating with full strength varnish.

If the oil content is causing your problem, you may have better luck with a cellulose based sealer. These do

seem to get a better grip on oil contaminated surfaces, the only other resort being to carry on using an oil finish which will need doing every year but is at least quick and easy to do.

Mike.

[cuthound]

Thanks for the advice guys, and sorry but has taken so long to respond. Real life has been getting in the way of keeping up with the forum lately

 

I think I will send it back again and try an oil based finish this time.