Cetol Natural Teak

SPIBob · Post by **SPIBob** » May 27th, '07, 16:13

Just got a can of the new Cetol Natural Teak finish and was anxious to try it out. I removed the old finish on the cabin-top hand rails down to bare teak, then applied three coats of the Natural Teak and then two coats of the Clear. Here's how it came out:
[img][img]http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa12 ... C_0004.jpg[/img]
As you can see, the finish is more translucent than the original Cetol with a much better color.

I have no connection with these folks, financial or otherwise.[/img]

Russell · Post by **Russell** » May 27th, '07, 17:00

Definately a huge improvement, though I wonder if the "mile deep" varnish look is possible with more coats of the clear? Even if not, with the huge color improvement I may actually consider this stuff if I see it in person and like it, the varnish is killing me in the tropics, but I still cant stand the look of normal cetol.

John Ring · Post by **John Ring** » May 28th, '07, 08:00

I am also in the process of putting Cetol Natural Teak on my boat. I stripped all the 3 year old Original Cetol off the anchor platform, rub rails, and toe rails, and have one coat of Natural Teak on so far. I'll put on one or two more coats and top it off with Cetol Gloss this week.

Cetol Natural Teak certainly has a lighter, more transparent look on the teak, but the difference really shows on the ash anchor platform. Where the teak will always look dark, the ash now looks like it has a coat of clear varnish on it - very clear and light in color as ash should be. With one coat on, I can see the traditional Cetol pigment isn't there in the Natural Teak. It looks like a wooden baseball bat again (also ash). Before, with two coats of regular Cetol on it, the ash just blended in with the teak - really couldn't tell it was a different wood.

John Ring
CD28 Tantalus

SPIBob · Post by **SPIBob** » May 28th, '07, 12:54

Russell wrote:I wonder if the "mile deep" varnish look is possible with more coats of the clear?

I think that if you start with very smooth, bare teak, then sand between each of four or five coats of the Natural Teak (with the heaviest sanding between the first two or three coats), then follow that with three coats of the Clear with maybe a light sanding between the first two, this will produce a finish that would be indistinguishable from varnish to all but the most discriminating eye.

To kick it up a notch, I would do a pre-Cetol teak oil wet-sanding, a la Rebecca Wittman's recipe. The wet-sanding builds up a slurry of teak oil and teak sanding residue. When the slurry gets tacky, let it stand for a few minutes, then buff lightly. The idea is to buff the surface smooth without removing the slurry from pores, scratches, etc. Then you would need to sand less and to use fewer coats to get a super smooth, mirror-like finish. Then even the most discriminating eye might not be able to tell the difference between Cetol and varnish.

Evergreen · Post by **Evergreen** » May 30th, '07, 04:01

We just finished a new teak cockpit table with 3 coats of the new Cetol Natural followed by 2 coats of the Cetol clear gloss. We were both amazed how good the final result is and strongly recommend its use!

Troy Scott · Post by **Troy Scott** » Jul 14th, '07, 00:33

How long has this new product been available? Since they've eliminated the iron oxide pigment I wonder what exactly provides superior UV protection in this new version? Could it be mica flakes? Also, since the
Cetol®Marine Gloss is clear, I wonder what "pigment" provides UV protection. Will the clear last like the original Cetol Marine? I've been planning to use varnish when I refinish the teak on IMAGINE, but if these new Cetol products will have an almost equal appearance and really will require less maintenance than varnish, I may reconsider. Please help me decide!

John Ring · Post by **John Ring** » Jul 14th, '07, 07:53

[img]http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x105 ... Cetols.jpg[/img]

My boat is tranisioning (albeit slowly) to the new Cetol Natural Teak. I believe this product just came out this season.

The ash anchor platform has two coats of Cetol Natural Teak, no gloss yet. It has a very light amber coloring to it, nearly transparent.

The rub rails and toe rails are teak, also with Cetol Natural Teak. They also have one coat of Cetol Gloss. This combination allows the natural grain of the teak to show through, much like a traditional varnish/polyurethane. I don't know how long it will last, but it looks really nice.

The coamings have the old regular Cetol and some gloss on them from three years ago. The grain of the teak is barely visible through the old heavily pigmented Cetol. It does last a long long time though.

Best,
John Ring

[img]http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x105 ... lsPort.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x105 ... chored.jpg[/img]
Note that in this fish eye image the INNER sides of the teak toe rails are still sporting the old heavily pigmented Cetol, but the clarity of the new Cetol Natural Teak on the ash anchor platform is pretty obvious.

SPIBob · Post by **SPIBob** » Jul 14th, '07, 15:18

The web site http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa//news/us/ ... ageID=6808
doesn't specify exactly what the new UV protectant in the Cetol Natural Teak is. Maybe a company secret? But they claim it is enhanced compared to the old Cetol Marine.

The same page says that the Cetol Marine Gloss also has UV protection, although it says on the can to only use it as a topcoat over one of the other coatings---Cetol Marine, Cetol Marine Light, or Cetol Natural Teak.

I've been using the Gloss as a top coat for three or four years and it seems to extend the time between maintenance coats considerably.

Troy Scott · Post by **Troy Scott** » Jul 14th, '07, 16:26

SPIBob,

You mention maintenance, which is something I'm very interested in. Could you please elaborate on what your maintenance normally consists of? I see you keep your boat in Port Isabel, where the conditions are probably similar to what we have along the Central Gulf Coast.

SPIBob · Post by **SPIBob** » Jul 15th, '07, 12:14

Ease of maintenance is why I went with Cetol when I first refinished Zephyr's badly weathered exterior teak when she was new to me in '99. I love the look of varnish but didn't want to face the rigors of maintaining it, especially under the deep south Texas sun. Now with the new Cetol Natural Teak, the look factor is much less of an issue.

I've found that the key to easy maintenance lies is the quality of the initial finish application. In this regard, Cetol is no easier than varnish. The more time and effort spent in prepping the teak (clean, smooth and no discoloration) and carefully following the application instructions on the Cetol can, the better it will look, the longer it will last, and the easier it will be to maintain.

Before I started using Cetol Gloss, my maintenance schedule was to apply one or two coats of the Cetol Marine twice a year. A problem with this schedule is a build-up of darker color with less and less wood grain showing through.

Then I started using Cetol Gloss as a top coat. Now I only do one maintenance routine a year. Not bad for these latitudes. For some vertical surfaces, e.g. the companionway drop hatch boards, it's been two years, and they still look great.

Before doing a maintenance coat, I scrub the wood surface using a nylon scrub pad, such as the Scotchbrite (spell?) brand, with a strong detergent solution. I use TSP (trisodium phosphate). An old toothbrush is helpful in tight spots. After thorough rinsing and drying, I apply two coats of the Gloss, with 24 hrs between application. Then I'm good for another year!

Hope this helps.

Troy Scott · Post by **Troy Scott** » Jul 15th, '07, 20:34

SPIBob,
Wow! The Cetol must be tough. The instructions with the TSP warn that it can soften and possibly remove paint and varnish. It's good to know that you don't have to sand before maintenance coats. So, disregarding the effort involved in the initial application, do you believe your Cetol finish requires less maintenance than a fine varnish job?

SPIBob · Post by **SPIBob** » Jul 16th, '07, 13:10

Troy,
I see on another post that your teak is ready to finish. Could it could become a laboratory of sorts? Maybe pick your top two or three choices, apply them to different areas, and see how they stand up to Gulf Coast conditions.

From what I've seen over the past nine years in Port Isabel and South Padre Island, Cetol will win hands down. I've seen some owners valiantly struggle to maintain their beautiful varnish finishes. And there is no argument here---it is gorgeous. But most give up and switch to Cetol because it is the only one to have the staying power under the UV onslaught we get in these latitudes.

The only boat down here that I know of that uses varnish is a Hinckley (spell?) that's owned by an M.D. who pays someone to maintain it. I've seen what happens to varnish when there's a lapse in maintenance. It cracks and peels and areas of wood where the varnish is still adhering begin to blacken from mold growing in the moisture that has penetrated through the cracked areas. It's ugly and requires a lot of work to remove, restore and refinish.

Like you, I deliberated a lot before finally choosing a finish. I went with Cetol, accepting less-than-varnish looks for easier-than-varnish maintenance and longer-than-varnish endurance. I've been happy with my choice. Now with the almost-like-varnish look of the Cetol Natural Teak with Cetol Gloss on top, in southern climes it's the only way to go, IMHO.

Hope this is helpful.

Troy Scott · Post by **Troy Scott** » Jul 16th, '07, 16:58

Thanks, SPIBob, it IS helpful.

I wish Cetol Natural Teak had been out longer. I don't know anyone who has had it on their boat long enough to say it lasts as well as the original muddy Cetol. Do you think the Cetol Clear is as UV resistant as the original Cetol Marine?

Sorry, but I'd rather my boat not be a laboratory. I just want to utilize the knowledge bank of this board to help me get this right. If I'm going to experiment I'll put a teak board on a piling in a marina with various finishes....., but wait, that's been done.... I'm re-reading an old Practical Sailor article now.

David VanDenburgh · Post by **David VanDenburgh** » Jul 18th, '07, 19:50

So what does Practical Sailor have to say about it?

Troy Scott · Post by **Troy Scott** » Sep 5th, '07, 23:37

Folks,

I've heard that Cetol will not cure without UV, so the boat needs to be outdoors for the application. Does anyone know about this?

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