Weathered Teak

[Clay Jones]

Hello,

Many of you helped me in my quest for a CD 22 or 25. As it turns out, I found a Kittiwake on my own lake that was in good structural shape and at the right price. It is not a CD, but it is an Alberg that has the same basic hull and rig design. I'm hoping that this board is ok with me asking gernic restoration questions that will help me out. I'll do likewise, if I can contribute.

For example, the first job I plan on tackling is refinishing the brightwork. The prior owner applied Cetol regularily, but the teak has cracks is is very rough. I think he used a wire brush to prepare it. In any case, I plan on sanding down to a smooth surface and finishing with Cetol light followed by Cetol gloss. Does anyone know of the best filler to use on the surface cracks that will match the color and adhere to the teak. Any help would be appreciated.

Clay

[Bob Emmons]

Hi Clay,
What I normally do in this situation is to use teak sawdust mixed with the finishing product for filling pores and voids in the wood. If just small pores and cracks, I lay the first coat of finish on and wet sand it with 220 grit. It makes a paste and does a good job as a filler. Then I wipe any excess paste off and let dry. If the cracks are too large (1/8" or more) you might want to use teak sawdust mixed with epoxy for a more substantial filler. I highly reccomend the book "Brightwork" by Rebecca Wittman, available in many marine stores and libraries, for any info on maintaining wood on a boat.

Good Luck,
Bob Emmons
"Red Wing"

[Clay Jones]

Bob,

Thanks for the tips. Until I get the old finish off and sand down, I won't know how large the cracks/voids are. I'll order the book.

Regards,
Clay

[jdhunter]

I have a little experience with refinnishing teak. I own wood shop specializing in boats. First of all, there are many sailors out there who recommend mixing teak sawdust with epoxy as a filler. The problem with that is that the sawdust mixture is extreamly dark compaired to the freshly sanded teak. When you varnish, it will stick out like a sore thumb. If you thicken the epoxy with the micro baloons the color will be closer but not perfect. Also, you said the wood looked like the previous owner cleaned it with a wire brush. Teak is still a wood and that means it has growth rings. The growth rings have soft and hard properties and the soft rings weather away faster than the hard ones. simply letting teak age naturally will do what you described. When weathered wood is too far gone to sand again replace it. Teak is about $17 per board foot right now. Spend about $100 on a nice board and never throw away scraps. Use old pieces for patterns and take your time. A trim router and jig saw can get you a long way. When I baught my Ty, the stbd combing was broken along the length 1.5" from the top. I disassembled the combing. lined it up on the table saw and cut it just under the break. I cut a datto for a spline down the center and glued 1.5" of new wood to top of the combing. Using the other combing as a pattern I shaped it with the jig saw, rounded the edges with a 1/4" round-over bit in the trim router, and sanded it until the seam blended away. Today if you look at it, the only way to tell it was repaired is to look for the spline at the very end. Since then I replaced the toe rails with new wood and had a boom-tent made to cover the cockpit. The boom-tent keeps the sun off my varnish.

[barfwinkle]

What are the pros & cons of replacing the teak with mahogany?

TIA