Removing Clear Epoxy

[Dick Barthel]

Like Neil, I just took my cover off and the first thing I'm doing is tackling the toe rails. Following the advice from previous posts I've purchased some clear epoxy in the hopes of preventing moisture at the joint from spoiling the finish.

One question - Down the road (hopefully way down the road), how hard is it to remove the sealing coats of epoxy from teak? What is the best way to do it?

I'm going with 5-6 coats of Epifanes High Gloss (no sanding in between) over two coats of clear epoxy.

Thanks,

Dick

[Ed Haley]

Hi, Dick:
I may be trying the same system as you on my eyebrows. One of the problems with the eyebrows is finishing behind them.

According to the advice I obtained, to be most effective (or effective at all in some cases) when applying the epoxy you must be sure to put 2 or 3 coats on the entire piece, including the back. So I'm planning on removing the eyebrows and trying it later in the spring. But first I'll do a test piece to see the results. The eyebrow rarely gets stepped on so I assume it may hold up. But like you, I wonder how hard it is to remove when the time comes to refinish it again.

[Zeida]

Hi, all. For the past two weeks I've been doing the toe-rail/gunnel on Bandolera, my CD-33. A piece of it was damaged by hurricane Wilma and I had to cut it out and replace it. The new inserted piece worked out fine, but then I decided to take the entire toerail down to raw wood and refinish the teak from scratch. Phiuuuuu!!!! But immaculately clean it came out. However, I have been using Honey Teak for many years now, (similar to Bristol Finish) and grateful I am. The last job lasted FOUR YEARS.

I question the use of Epoxy under the varnish. Isn't Varnish isupposed to "penetrate" the wood? If you use epoxy to "seal" the wood, how is the varnish going to penetrate? Wouldn't it just sit over the epoxy and eventually flake off even sooner?

In the last two days I have put 4 coats of the Honeyteak on the toerail... wet on wet... still a lot of work. Now I plan to apply 7 coats of "Clear" the second part of the treatment. But after I finish, this job will also hopefully last between 3 to 4 years. Varnish would never last as long, especially in Miami,
FL. Today Bandolera also had her hull compounded and waxed.
What a gorgeous boat she is.

[Troy Scott]

Zeida,

What sort of product is Honey Teak? Is it a varnish, or something more like Deks Olje?

Regards,
Troy Scott

Hi, all. For the past two weeks I've been doing the toe-rail/gunnel on Bandolera, my CD-33. A piece of it was damaged by hurricane Wilma and I had to cut it out and replace it. The new inserted piece worked out fine, but then I decided to take the entire toerail down to raw wood and refinish the teak from scratch. Phiuuuuu!!!! But immaculately clean it came out. However, I have been using Honey Teak for many years now, (similar to Bristol Finish) and grateful I am. The last job lasted FOUR YEARS.

I question the use of Epoxy under the varnish. Isn't Varnish isupposed to "penetrate" the wood? If you use epoxy to "seal" the wood, how is the varnish going to penetrate? Wouldn't it just sit over the epoxy and eventually flake off even sooner?

In the last two days I have put 4 coats of the Honeyteak on the toerail... wet on wet... still a lot of work. Now I plan to apply 7 coats of "Clear" the second part of the treatment. But after I finish, this job will also hopefully last between 3 to 4 years. Varnish would never last as long, especially in Miami,
FL. Today Bandolera also had her hull compounded and waxed.
What a gorgeous boat she is.

[Mark Yashinsky]

The HONEY TEAK System is a two step, catalyzed acrylic urethane enamel coating. This is from their web site at http://www.signaturefinish.com .

[Bob Shulman]

Our Cape Dory 27 had Honey Teak on the coamings and the outside of the toerails, and no finish on the inside of the toerails We decided to do the inside of the toerails with Cetol as it is an easier finish to use, and then after comparison decide which finish to continue with in the future. Oddly, we could not see much difference in appearance between the 2 finishes. We now use Cetol on everything. I say this with some reservation, as it seems that the search for a "better" finish is a never ending process.

Regards,
Bob Shulman

[tartansailor]

Methylene Chloride
There are many patent paint removers being marketed, but the only one that will remove epoxy is the Non-Flammable solvent based type with all methylene chloride. And it costs!
Do not buy the flammable solvent type. That is loaded with acetone and toluene and is useless against epoxy.
Dick

[Dan & Pat]

We're in Ft. Lauderdale where, like Miami, the sun IS VERY INTENSE for 10 months a year.

I concur with Bob on the use of Cetol. With proper preparation and diligent installation it lasts longer than most other finishes I've tried. It goes over other "stuff" very well (when you don't know what the heck it is?) and keeps its finish extremely well.

In a perfect world, you'd only have to apply wood finishes once - EVER! But lets face it, what most people forget is that maintenance is the critical key to longevity. Check your brightwork frequently, and when you see a little nick, or a wear spot, the sooner you address it the less the impact. I'm kind of anal (Kind of Pat asks? ) when it comes to keeping my wood looking like new. I keep a small plastic bottle (cough syrup) with my finish of choice, a piece of 320 wet/dry sandpaper, and a dry cloth aboard in an inconspicuous place. It takes 10 minutes to clean, dry, sand and apply a quick coat or 2 over those bruises. Follow up with additional coats in an hour or so, and you will find the the complete stripping, sanding, and varnishing can be delayed by a year (or more - for you up-northers).

[Neil Gordon]

Like Neil, I just took my cover off and the first thing I'm doing is tackling the toe rails.

<<

Sheeesh. The first thing I'm going to do is shovel the snow out of the cockpit.

[Cathy Monaghan]

...Sheeesh. The first thing I'm going to do is shovel the snow out of the cockpit.

Hi Neil,

It snowed here this morning too -- we had "thunder snow". It stopped by 1:00 p.m. I removed some hardware from the deck, so it's a good thing she's still under her winter cover.

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay