Cetol Drying?

[bottomscraper]

I am a first time Cetol user.

I have some new teak that I prepared and cleaned as directed
on the can of Cetol Marine. It is being finished in my dry basement
which is about 65-70 degrees F. It has been a bit humid but not
that bad. It's been 2 days and it is still a bit tacky. This was a
new can of Cetol. Is this common? Am I just impatient or is this
normal. I would like to give it a few more coats (one more marine
and then 2 or 3 coats of gloss). How long should I wait?

Thanks

Rich

[Joe Myerson]

Rich,

Don't despair. That's not abnormal for Cetol.

BTW, you will probably like Cetol, now that they've come out with their "Natural" finish.

Oh, yeah, let the attacks begin!

--Joe

[Russell]

Are you doing your whole boat in cetol? Switching to the dark side?

Actually, I finally got to see some cetol natural in person on a Baba 30 a couple days ago. It looked terrific, I pretty much have decided to make the switch myself next time the varnish needs stripping.

[David van den Burgh]

We did some Cetol work in the garage and it remained tacky until it had some time in the sun.

[bottomscraper]

Are you doing your whole boat in cetol? Switching to the dark side?

Yes we are doing the whole boat in Cetol, but I'm not sure I'm
switching to the "dark side". It was Teaqua for the past few
years and Armada before that. From a color point of view it
is actually lighter.

it remained tacky until it had some time in the sun.

Can't do that today, and it doesn't look like an option for the next 5 days. Ahh spring!

[Sea Hunt]

Hello Rich:

I used Cetol Marine Natural Teak (CMNT) and Cetol Clear Gloss (CCG) on the toe and rub rails of my Ty Weekender and have recently used it on some teak work I did for the local sailing club.

I used Jen foam brushes (disposable after each one day use). http://www.jenmfg.com/

You do want to be careful not to apply to thick a coat. I have applied 3-4 thin coats of CMNT and then 2-3 thin coats of CCG.

On one of the tillers I did for the sailing club I did the work at home in my garage. Daytime temps about 75; nighttime about 65. Waiting 24 hours between each application, I did not observe "tackiness", except one day when after application of the 4th coat of CMNT there was a very slight tackiness. I just waited a few more hours before applying the 1st coat of CCG.

I have been very happy with Cetol, as have several club members who have used it on their sailboats. On behalf of all Cetol users, we take umbrage at Russell's suggestion that we have gone to "the dark side". The final color is actually a very nice light tan/brown without any hint of "dark" or the old Cetol "orange".

Happy "cetoling"

[Joe Myerson]

Robert's advice is right-on.

Add a light coat of Cetol Marine Gloss (or two, or three the first time), and next season you might only have to add more gloss, or one light coat of Natural, plus a light coat of Gloss.

--Joe

[Dick Spangler]

(Oops, I inadvertently posted the following as a new topic instead of here)

Cetol and other finishes need a sufficent amount of air changes to properly cure. Since you're doing the work in your basement, there may not be enough air. I have the same problem with applying finishes in my basement shop

[SurryMark]

The Cetol natural teak looks just right to me, but I prefer it without the gloss. Anybody have experience with how that holds up?
thx

[Markst95]

The Cetol natural teak looks just right to me, but I prefer it without the gloss. Anybody have experience with how that holds up?
thx

I'm going on my 3rd season just using Cetol Natural Teak (no gloss). It has held up well except for some wear areas from line rubbing. Every season I give it a scrub with a scotchbrite pad and a coat or two.

On a side note I just opened a 2/3rds full can of Cetol that I had stored with some propane last spring. No surface film!

[Joe Myerson]

On a side note I just opened a 2/3rds full can of Cetol that I had stored with some propane last spring. No surface film!

I've had pretty good success with putting a piece of plastic cling wrap into the can and pressing it onto the surface of the leftover Cetol, then sealing the can thoroughly.

If there is a film, it comes up with the plastic wrap.

--Joe

[joelcunningham]

Two days is quite normal. Did mine in my basement over the winter. Just remember to use some silky light strokes on the final coat for good gloss.

[Warren Kaplan]

I understand that Cetol drys faster outside when air circulates than indoors in some circumstances. I'm curious as to "dried to the touch" when done outside.

My reason mainly has to do with hatchboards. If I put a coat on the hatchboards first thing when I arrive at the boat, how long before I can close up the boat, i.e. put the hatchboards back in the companionway without smearing everything.

I know it would be best to get "substitute boards" temporarily, but right now I'm without them.

Let's say the work will be done outside in 60F weather. Does 4-5 hours seem too short? I know humidity would figure in but on an "average day" what should I plan for?

[Steve Laume]

Warren, Raven has a one piece, 3/4" plywood winter hatch board. It is very simple to make using the stacked hatch boards as a pattern. I used construction grade plywood, added a vent and painted it white. This past year I filled all the voids with a fairing epoxy mix and repainted it but it worked fine before.

Having a winter board allows me to take the teak ones home and work at my leisure. It also keeps the varnished ones out of the sun and weather for several months. The hatch boards, cockpit table and GPS/drink holder are real varnish on Raven.

As to your original question, I would worry that although dry to the touch things would not work out well with the hatch boards going back in on the same day. Cetol just doesn't seem to harden up too fast.

If you make a one piece board there are no tappers to cut and the fit is pretty easy. A bit of work with a saber saw, a drill to start the slot and some sandpaper might save you a lot of aggravation with uncured Cetol, Steve.