How to restore oiled teak?

[Pgitug]

I have a couple of storage doors and a folding table that does not look very good. Both have had several coats of teak oil through the years. Originally i believe the wood was stained. How do i bring it back to match the rest of the interior?

 

[Nomad Willy]

See "Teak Top Rails - to Cetol or to Varnish".

Let me know if you found it. My wife Chris does a good job and it's her department. She'll be out this afternoon but bacl in the eve.
However in three words it's hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinigar and most likely bleach .... Just looked it up it's baking soda not bleach.
See post #10 on "refinishing hand rails".

 

[Capt.Bill11]

That finish looks very red in the picture. Sure it's not mahogany?

 

[gaston]

Whats the fascination of stained timber on boats

Fresh white paint looks great and gives a bigger feel to a small area

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. g. "Whats the fascination of stained timber on boats" Aesthetics.

 

[Phil Fill]

Sand to reduce the depth of grain and varnish with semi gloss. We refinished most of the teak.

 

[Pgitug]

Sand to reduce the depth of grain and varnish with semi gloss. We refinished most of the teak.

Will Cetol work over wood that has been teak oiled?

 

[Pack Mule]

Will Cetol work over wood that has been teak oiled?

I wipe down new teak with Acetone before applying first coat of thinned varnish to lay down the natural oil in teak . Not sure about teak that has oil finish . The cetol guys should be able to answer that .

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. P. I would caution you about sanding the filler panels before you put a finish on due to the fact the veneer may be paper thin and once perforated is pretty well ruined. You can probably get fairly serious about sanding the solid wood framing and solid planks but as I said, careful with the panels.

Cetol should cover previously oiled material quite well and a wipe down with a solvent (Mr. PM suggests acetone which is fine) wouldn't hurt. You could also use Toluene, paint thinner or varsol as well. A rub down with solvent will also give you a very good indication of what the color will be after finishing whilst the solvent is still wet/moist on the surface. Maybe you won't have to stain...

Only problem I can see is the first pictures seem to be of a very flat finish and Cetol will NOT replicate that. Even the standard Cetol Marine has a gloss AND a tint (orange).

 

[Nomad Willy]

Teak is a very oily wood and any oil based coating should be fine.

Marty I would not use acetone on teak.

There is a book broadly considered to be the bible of varnishing written by a woman that really knows her stuff. But she's very old school. So am I. My finishing god recomemds thinning oils and varnishes w kerosene .. says it penetrates much better. I'll look up both books at home tonight .. have them.

I still don't know what Cetol really is so I don't even know if it's oil based. If it is then Cetol can go right over wood that has been "teak oiled". But not w complete assurance as "teak oil" can be anything ..... But I think all teak oil is oil base so the question lies w the Cetol. Never used it. Wildly popular in Alaska on everything but boats.

 

[Pack Mule]

Eric,
When I laminated my cap rails together West System suggested using acetone on new teak before using thickened epoxy . Thats where I got the idea that it might help before varnishing new teak .

 

[HeadMistress]

Will Cetol work over wood that has been teak oiled?

No. The first application of Cetol applied properly requires as much prep as prepping to varnish. And the wood must be bone dry.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Marty,
OK good.
For epoxy I can relate.

The two books I refered to earlier are;

1. Brightwork
By Rebecca J. Whittman

2. Skiffs and Schooners
By R. D. Culler

 

[refugio]

Egads, I just sand and BLO. You guys are crazy. Ok, I actually use my friend Bill Daly's SeaFin, but it's basically BLO.


Keith

 

[Nomad Willy]

I have no idea what BLO is but Daly's SeaFin did'nt do well for me.
I was also disapointed it had build.

 

[refugio]

BLO is boiled linseed oil, the base for all teak "treatments".


Keith

 

[Insequent]

Cetol is translucent orange paint, originally designed for fences and best restricted to such use.

I still have my bow rails to re-do. The Cetol is kinda cloudy now, except underneath parts that were covered and protected from the sun.

You might try Deks Olje for areas that have a prior oiled finish. Reason being that #1 is oil which is applied in multiple wet-on-wet coats until the wood is saturated. It leaves a matte finish. The #2 gloss coat is applied after #1 has dried for 4 days. But #2 is not a high gloss finish like some insist on eg the Bristol Finish brigade

For the OP, where interior teak has had lots of oil applied over the years and there is a build-up of gummy material, including dust that has stuck to the oil, then you might try Simple Green. It worked well for me. You get back to the natural wood without aggressive stripping. And as RTF said, avoid sanding if any of the areas to be done is veneer. You can then use your preferred teak oil, wiping down properly after it is applied. This give quite pleasing results.

 

[BruceK]

Cetol is translucent orange paint, originally designed for fences and best restricted to such use.

Perhaps a trifle harsh, Brian.
I`ve had success cleaning a dull over-waxed antique furniture using mineral turpentine, or as we call it here, turps. It would not remove varnish, but oil and wax should be taken up on a turps dampened rag. I`ve even scraped excess wax out of corners carefully using a screwdriver blade, before cleaning with turps. After cleaning I waxed the surface( no doubt restarting the process).
Howards make a product called Restore a Finish, which can revive an existing finish. Some people find keeping the original finish and patina very important in old furniture. It`s a while since I used it but it did work.

 

[Insequent]

Bruce
Yes, a bit harsh, and somewhat tongue in cheek. I chose not to be subtle in case the point was overlooked!

I have been disappointed in Cetol's durability and performance, and its look, several years after applying it. It comes off easily (a redeeming feature) and I only have about 80 ft, mostly bow rail and toe rail on the foredeck, left to fix. Users beware! It may work for some folks in climates more friendly. I would suggest seeking corroborative support in your local area, from a bunch of people, apply the right amount of salt and make a choice from there.

I've followed your lead. Happy so far, but really too early to judge. Whatever happens I won't blame you - don't you worry about that - as the saying in Queensland used to go.

 

[psneeld]

Right from Interlux Cetol Pages preparation instructions

Exterior – Weathered Wood or Previously Oiled Wood:​

To ensure proper adhesion of Cetol products on weathered or previously oiled wood, use Interlux Premium Teak Restorer with a nylon scuffing pad as per instructions on label. Be sure to rinse the wood well with clean water to remove surface dirt and allow to dry thoroughly.This should be followed by the preparation procedures for New Exterior/Interior Wood.

Seems like the primary ingredient for the restorer which is water based is Oxalic acid. So much other than a clean dry surface, previously oiled wood doesn't seem to be a bad surface to start with as long as it is scuffed enough to present a holding surface.​

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. ps. I don't doubt your posting but I would be VERY hesitant about applying any water based material or water itself to the OP's door, the inner portion of which is probably a veneered plywood of some type. As I mentioned in post #9, the veneer might be paper thin and any application of water will probably raise what little grain is there and subsequent sanding will wear through the veneer to the point of destruction of the surface.

Those pieces that are made of solid teak? No problem as any raised grain can be sanded down with no damage to the board.

 

[psneeld]

Greetings,
Mr. ps. I don't doubt your posting but I would be VERY hesitant about applying any water based material or water itself to the OP's door, the inner portion of which is probably a veneered plywood of some type. As I mentioned in post #9, the veneer might be paper thin and any application of water will probably raise what little grain is there and subsequent sanding will wear through the veneer to the point of destruction of the surface.

Those pieces that are made of solid teak? No problem as any raised grain can be sanded down with no damage to the board.

I don't disagree...but that's what Interlux recommends.

I was mainly showing that a previously oil finish isn't all that bad, hard to work with if that's what the manufacturer recommends.

My teak was probably like the OPs and my PO had some ghoul slap some stuff that looks like redwood bench opaque finish over every inch of teak and it looked horrible.

If my teak looked that bad...I wouldn't worry about the veneer and try anything...just being prepared to put a new surface on it whether teak or not.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

The wood in the OP looks very red to me and the finish looks open grained like an oil finish might be. So if the photo is accurate you can't just clean the wood and finish it with any product. The color is going to have to be match first as well as match the finished used on the pictured wood.

 

[koliver]

I have had some success on my interior teak using a semi gloss varnish. I always found the oiled teak too dull a finish, and except for highlighting, my wife doesn't like a high gloss inside the boat. Preparation, as always, is the secret to success. Clean it thoroughly with a solvent soaked rag, you will be surprised how much of the dull finish is just oiled dirt and comes right off. Wetsanding with 200 or finer paper and varnish. one or sometimes two coats, depending on the quality of the varnish. A better quality will cover better.
For your table, I would use a high gloss varnish on the fiddles. For the doors, high gloss on the rails and stiles, semi on the panel. Of course you then need to do the rest of the interior to match, but you already knew that.

 

[Puffin_NT32]

Pgitug,

Nordic Tug's with teak interiors (newer NT's have moved to less expensive hardwoods) are oiled with Daly's Seafin Teak Oil. No veneers here, all solid teak. The way they finish them at the factory is to rub on several coats of Daly's, buffing between coats. 4-5 coats will come out with a smooth, satin finish. On going maintenance is a 50/50 mix of Daly's and Formby's Lemon Oil. For dusting, just use a rag with Formby's.

For areas that are really dried out, faded, or water stained, there are several ways to go. Get a bunch of tack cloths, cheese cloths, and clean white rags. Clean up the teak with a fine bronze wool or 220-320 wet-dry sand paper dampened with mineral spirits. Wipe it down then start applying the Daly's. You can put it on with a rag or use a chip brush to apply a thin coat of Daly's. Let the oil soak in at least overnight to 24 hours before a light buffing, then apply another coat. For interior surfaces, 3 coats is usually enough. I put about 5 costs on the interior steps. I originally used polyurethane on the interior steps, but after wear-and-tear, chips, water stains, I stripped all steps and went back to Daly's. The only place I use satin polyurethane is the thin panel on the fridge and the salon table top. With any kind of oiled wood, it's an ongoing maintenance process, but I look the look. If I had a professional crew to maintain the boat, maybe I would go with a Hinckley's-style interior varnish, but it ain't going to happen.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Interesting ..
What does the Lemon oil do in the mix? I guess it mixes nicely w the oil based Daly's so would mix w any other oil based finish as well. Probably even colored paint so I'm curious how the lemon oil works. I see you're mixing in lots of lemon oil too.

 

[Pgitug]

Pgitug,

Nordic Tug's with teak interiors (newer NT's have moved to less expensive hardwoods) are oiled with Daly's Seafin Teak Oil. No veneers here, all solid teak. The way they finish them at the factory is to rub on several coats of Daly's, buffing between coats. 4-5 coats will come out with a smooth, satin finish. On going maintenance is a 50/50 mix of Daly's and Formby's Lemon Oil. For dusting, just use a rag with Formby's.

For areas that are really dried out, faded, or water stained, there are several ways to go. Get a bunch of tack cloths, cheese cloths, and clean white rags. Clean up the teak with a fine bronze wool or 220-320 wet-dry sand paper dampened with mineral spirits. Wipe it down then start applying the Daly's. You can put it on with a rag or use a chip brush to apply a thin coat of Daly's. Let the oil soak in at least overnight to 24 hours before a light buffing, then apply another coat. For interior surfaces, 3 coats is usually enough. I put about 5 costs on the interior steps. I originally used polyurethane on the interior steps, but after wear-and-tear, chips, water stains, I stripped all steps and went back to Daly's. The only place I use satin polyurethane is the thin panel on the fridge and the salon table top. With any kind of oiled wood, it's an ongoing maintenance process, but I look the look. If I had a professional crew to maintain the boat, maybe I would go with a Hinckley's-style interior varnish, but it ain't going to happen.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Puffin_NT32]

My quess is the lemon oil thins the Daly's limiting a build up, helps to remove any dust, dirty oils (around cooking area, hand prints on cabinets), and it smells better. As an aside, my Trinka dink has teak trim and I apply 5 coats of buffed Daly's on the trim and the oars. Only problem with Daly's is that it's tough to find. West Marine used to carry it, but no longer. Can only find it online... $30 a quart with shipping.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Puffin,
Thanks,
Interesting as I had build problems w Daly's on exterior apps in Alaska. I expect a product presented as an oil should not have build. That's the advantage of oil. You only put it on .. you never need to take it off.
When the build started I started mixing my own oil and I lost the build problem but gained much more of the usual oil problems. But the oil problems were easy to deal w in cool Alaska but probably wouldn't fly very well in the Florida sun. The worst problem I had was having to recoat so often (about every five weeks) and wanting to coat liberally I slobbered too much on adjoining surfaces.
The oil works very well on interior surfaces. Need to do that now.

 

[Pgitug]

Pgitug,

Nordic Tug's with teak interiors (newer NT's have moved to less expensive hardwoods) are oiled with Daly's Seafin Teak Oil. No veneers here, all solid teak. The way they finish them at the factory is to rub on several coats of Daly's, buffing between coats. 4-5 coats will come out with a smooth, satin finish. On going maintenance is a 50/50 mix of Daly's and Formby's Lemon Oil. For dusting, just use a rag with Formby's.

For areas that are really dried out, faded, or water stained, there are several ways to go. Get a bunch of tack cloths, cheese cloths, and clean white rags. Clean up the teak with a fine bronze wool or 220-320 wet-dry sand paper dampened with mineral spirits. Wipe it down then start applying the Daly's. You can put it on with a rag or use a chip brush to apply a thin coat of Daly's. Let the oil soak in at least overnight to 24 hours before a light buffing, then apply another coat. For interior surfaces, 3 coats is usually enough. I put about 5 costs on the interior steps. I originally used polyurethane on the interior steps, but after wear-and-tear, chips, water stains, I stripped all steps and went back to Daly's. The only place I use satin polyurethane is the thin panel on the fridge and the salon table top. With any kind of oiled wood, it's an ongoing maintenance process, but I look the look. If I had a professional crew to maintain the boat, maybe I would go with a Hinckley's-style interior varnish, but it ain't going to happen.

This may sound too simple, but by what means do you use to "Buff" between coats on the interior teak?