Refinishing the Interior of a 1979 Cape Dory 27

[Jim Walsh]

Had no idea Jim ... !!!

When you think about it, with enough heal, one side or the other becomes the "ceiling"

[Dick Villamil]

Nice looking interior - I used teak oil once but what happened made me promise to never use it again on the interior wood - it can get moldy! Instead I use either lemon oil or orange oil before putting away for winter and during spring commissioning - no mold, looks great and is non toxic! As for the varnished wood I use a heat gun and scraper to remove the old finish then apply 3 coats of varnish - the first one diluted 30% so it soaks in. I only did this on the plywood teak and holly cabin sole using Captain's Varnish. For stains in the ash perhaps a dilute solution of oxalic acid will work but be careful with it since it is corrosive. Frankly however your boat interior looks so nice that it only needs periodic oiling to look fresh!

[fmueller]

Dick,

What I did not mention I my rambling posts is that I initially used lemon oil for a few years. Then switched to “teak oil” from West Marine. Never had the problems you had and it covered a bit better but it got me thinking. What is this stuff? Well suffice to say it’s a complex product FOR teak, but does not contain any oil derived FROM teak. In fact it’s a wild concoction of chemicals. I found a safety data sheet for a similar Watco product.

https://ace.infotrac.net/getmsds.aspx?sku=1064757

Full of nasty stuff. Not sure if I should be coating my environment with this stuff or similar any longer.

“Lemon” oil for furniture is not much better. In this case 70% petroleum distillates -

https://www.howardproducts.com/files/sd ... lish-1.pdf

Linseed oil is actually flaxseed oil ... ! It is not toxic ... i think the author of this thread might have done me a favor. I’m going to try it. Gonna look at pure tung oil too ...

https://vermontwoodsstudios.com/content/linseed-oil



Cheers everybody.

[John Stone]

Dick,

What I did not mention I my rambling posts is that I initially used lemon oil for a few years. Then switched to “teak oil” from West Marine. Never had the problems you had and it covered a bit better but it got me thinking. What is this stuff? Well suffice to say it’s a complex product FOR teak, but does not contain any oil derived FROM teak. In fact it’s a wild concoction of chemicals. I found a safety data sheet for a similar Watco product.

https://ace.infotrac.net/getmsds.aspx?sku=1064757

Full of nasty stuff. Not sure if I should be coating my environment with this stuff or similar any longer.

“Lemon” oil for furniture is not much better. In this case 70% petroleum distillates -

https://www.howardproducts.com/files/sd ... lish-1.pdf

Linseed oil is actually flaxseed oil ... ! It is not toxic ... i think the author of this thread might have done me a favor. I’m going to try it. Gonna look at pure tung oil too ...

https://vermontwoodsstudios.com/content/linseed-oil



Cheers everybody.

I’m not a fan of linseed oil, boiled or otherwise, on wood. It can yellow wood and then darken, sometimes to almost black, over time. Linseed oil is an important component in paint. There are different kinds of “teak” oil, which of course is not made from teak. Not all teak oils are equal. Daley’s Seafin teak oil is supposed to be the Cadillac of teak oil...but, I have never used ihttps://www.dalyswoodfinishes.com/store ... ucts_id=16 I have used Interlux teak oil with very good results.

For oil to work well it has to be applied in a very specific way. Rebecca Wittman describes the process in great detail in her book. I have done it once to a select piece of wood and it was lovely. But, it is a whole lot of work and it absorbed the light. I do wipe teak oil on the bare walnut I use as bulkhead trim on the Far Reach.

Chemicals. OK. You got me on that one Fred. But there are chemicals in fiberglass and epoxy and in all the paint and varnish we use. And then there is bottom paint...nasty stuff to handle and sand. And diesel exhaust.... WD 40 is a petroleum distillate. We use acid and bleach on our boats...not to mention acetone. In a number of countries sawdust is listed as a carcinogen.... I experience a reaction to sawdust from Iroko and Sapele.

About 10 years ago WoodenBoat magazine printed an article on boatyard chemicals. It was really interesting. It certainly opened my eyes but it gave some practical advice too. I think it’s smart to be wary but some of these products are dangerous or not depending on how they are used.

I think if one is happy with BLO, and understand its advantages and disadvantages, then ‘Rah, use it.

[jbenagh]

I wouldn't go with linseed oil. Like John said it will darken and appears to attract mildew.
Tung oil is great stuff for interior work. I've used it on small projects like boxes and shelves. You do need to look out for spontaneous combustion with the rags so I bring the pieces home to work on.
Jeff

[atcowboy]

To be clear; I never said I was going to use linseed oil. I've seen BLO on a deck and it did turn a nasty black. Eventually, after about another 20 years, that black faded (mostly). But by reading, "teak" oil often contains some amount of linseed oil - but all the formulations are different.

When I pulled the boat this year, I basically brought everything home. All the cloth, cushions, any piece of wood not screwed down that I could (to experiment with finishes at home). Next time I check on it, I'll probably bust out the screwdriver and bring home the table and all the cabinet doors.

I read up on wood oils a lot, and besides the process required for "true" oils which is extensive and slow I felt that some of the "mixed" oils would work better on the boat and not be so time intensive. If I had to follow a true oil process I probably just wouldn't do it. I settled on Watco Tung oil. It should basically be a mix of Tung oil and polyurethane. It dries overnight, and doesn't specify any temperature range for application. My work space is cold but above freezing, and I want to be able to start applying it to the boat as soon as I can. Of the parts I've brought home, 3 coats on the companionway stairs, under sink drawer, and chain locker door look FABULOUS. The icebox lid had a water stain on it and I thought it would be a good litmus test for the minor damage to the dark wood around the boat. I applied the tung oil directly to it without trying to get rid of the stain and while it's still there the contrast is much diminished and I think it looks much much better. I can't wait to see what it is like when it's all done.

I appreciate all the compliments on the interior. The dark wood is in pretty good shape, or hides what is wrong well. But the ash ceilings are (were!) rough. I pulled all the ceiling planks out and I'm in the process of refinishing them. They've been sanded and bleached and are looking pretty fab. Just laundry bleach, to try to remove the deep, deep water stains without changing the color of the wood. I've attached a picture in the boat and after sanding. They look even better after bleaching. The ash is going to get Halcyon varnish. along with the teak & holly sole.

- AT

[atcowboy]

Dick,

What I did not mention I my rambling posts is that I initially used lemon oil for a few years. Then switched to “teak oil” from West Marine. Never had the problems you had and it covered a bit better but it got me thinking. What is this stuff? Well suffice to say it’s a complex product FOR teak, but does not contain any oil derived FROM teak. In fact it’s a wild concoction of chemicals. I found a safety data sheet for a similar Watco product.

https://ace.infotrac.net/getmsds.aspx?sku=1064757

Full of nasty stuff. Not sure if I should be coating my environment with this stuff or similar any longer.

“Lemon” oil for furniture is not much better. In this case 70% petroleum distillates -

https://www.howardproducts.com/files/sd ... lish-1.pdf

Linseed oil is actually flaxseed oil ... ! It is not toxic ... i think the author of this thread might have done me a favor. I’m going to try it. Gonna look at pure tung oil too ...

https://vermontwoodsstudios.com/content/linseed-oil



Cheers everybody.

I’m not a fan of linseed oil, boiled or otherwise, on wood. It can yellow wood and then darken, sometimes to almost black, over time. Linseed oil is an important component in paint. There are different kinds of “teak” oil, which of course is not made from teak. Not all teak oils are equal. Daley’s Seafin teak oil is supposed to be the Cadillac of teak oil...but, I have never used ihttps://www.dalyswoodfinishes.com/store ... ucts_id=16 I have used Interlux teak oil with very good results.

For oil to work well it has to be applied in a very specific way. Rebecca Wittman describes the process in great detail in her book. I have done it once to a select piece of wood and it was lovely. But, it is a whole lot of work and it absorbed the light. I do wipe teak oil on the bare walnut I use as bulkhead trim on the Far Reach.

Chemicals. OK. You got me on that one Fred. But there are chemicals in fiberglass and epoxy and in all the paint and varnish we use. And then there is bottom paint...nasty stuff to handle and sand. And diesel exhaust.... WD 40 is a petroleum distillate. We use acid and bleach on our boats...not to mention acetone. In a number of countries sawdust is listed as a carcinogen.... I experience a reaction to sawdust from Iroko and Sapele.

About 10 years ago WoodenBoat magazine printed an article on boatyard chemicals. It was really interesting. It certainly opened my eyes but it gave some practical advice too. I think it’s smart to be wary but some of these products are dangerous or not depending on how they are used.

I think if one is happy with BLO, and understand its advantages and disadvantages, then ‘Rah, use it.

Reading about chemicals can definitely be scary. I read a story about a welder who used chlorinated brake clean on a fuel tank. A tiny amount was left in a pit in the tank and the heat made a tiny puff. It basically ended his life as a functioning adult, just destroyed his airways and lungs. Assuming the story was true (as I have not tried to verify it). However, I've since started buying non-chlorinated brake cleaner....

- AT

[Keith]

I removed all of my ash ceiling slats from the main saloon and the V-berth several years ago. I then sanded and vanished them with 6 coats of Eplfanes clear and 2 coats of rubbed. They didn't require any bleaching. They still look great many years later.

Keith

[Paul D.]

I'm a big fan of Epifanes clear gloss as I've used in in several applications. Very tough, lovely and long lasting. Ideally I'd prefer satin varnish below, but since Femme's interior had an oiled finish and was rather dry, I cleaned her up and used Don Casey's advice and apply Lemon Oil (like Formbys or Parker & Bailey which is mostly mineral oil, with no silicones etc.) every two seasons or so. I am very happy with the results. A $10 bottle lasts a long time, it keeps the mold down contributing to a sweet smelling cabin, makes the wood look very good and it is easy to apply. I pick a warm dry day, open all the ports and crank some Beethoven, preferably the Diabelli variations, and go to it.

It is good to spend some quality time with the interior; you might spot a small deck leak or other soon to be larger problem.

[Jim Walsh]

To be clear; I never said I was going to use linseed oil. I've seen BLO on a deck and it did turn a nasty black. Eventually, after about another 20 years, that black faded (mostly). But by reading, "teak" oil often contains some amount of linseed oil - but all the formulations are different.

When I pulled the boat this year, I basically brought everything home. All the cloth, cushions, any piece of wood not screwed down that I could (to experiment with finishes at home). Next time I check on it, I'll probably bust out the screwdriver and bring home the table and all the cabinet doors.

I read up on wood oils a lot, and besides the process required for "true" oils which is extensive and slow I felt that some of the "mixed" oils would work better on the boat and not be so time intensive. If I had to follow a true oil process I probably just wouldn't do it. I settled on Watco Tung oil. It should basically be a mix of Tung oil and polyurethane. It dries overnight, and doesn't specify any temperature range for application. My work space is cold but above freezing, and I want to be able to start applying it to the boat as soon as I can. Of the parts I've brought home, 3 coats on the companionway stairs, under sink drawer, and chain locker door look FABULOUS. The icebox lid had a water stain on it and I thought it would be a good litmus test for the minor damage to the dark wood around the boat. I applied the tung oil directly to it without trying to get rid of the stain and while it's still there the contrast is much diminished and I think it looks much much better. I can't wait to see what it is like when it's all done.

I appreciate all the compliments on the interior. The dark wood is in pretty good shape, or hides what is wrong well. But the ash ceilings are (were!) rough. I pulled all the ceiling planks out and I'm in the process of refinishing them. They've been sanded and bleached and are looking pretty fab. Just laundry bleach, to try to remove the deep, deep water stains without changing the color of the wood. I've attached a picture in the boat and after sanding. They look even better after bleaching. The ash is going to get Halcyon varnish. along with the teak & holly sole.

- AT

I don’t know where you are located but since you have removed the ceiling you might consider placing some insulation on the hull before you remount it. I never bothered because my ceiling was all in great shape so I never removed it. I just wiped it down with turp and applied three coats of satin varnish.

[atcowboy]

There is basically no room behind the ceiling, maybe 1/8th in... Maybe. Insulation would be sweet though. I guess the ceiling makes an air gap insulation.

I got to start work on the interior today. Here is a picture of the dry wood soaking up all that oily goodness.

- AT

[atcowboy]

interior teasers