Interior teak repair

We own a Sea Ranger trawler built in 1985. *Needless to say, there is a lot of teak in the interior of the boat - much of it is in good repair. *However, there are a few places where the teak veneer is lifting on some vertical surfaces, probably due to leaking windows. *Having repaired the leaks, does anyone have any experience regluing/repairing the veneer?

There are lots of threads on this subject.** Just take a look

http://www.trawlerforum.com/index.spark?aBID=115492&p=3&topicID=38689722

ALSO

http://www.trawlerforum.com/index.spark?aBID=115492&p=3&topicID=17435932


Hopefully this will get you a start. If not close to what you are looking at , repost.

If you do not find what you are looking for or need additional information let us know,

It would help if you could give some detail as the condition as there are several ways.

Thanks for the replies to my post. I have checked all the threads but haven't really found the answer. All the interior cabin walls are teak. - large surfaces with - for the most part - perfectly joined seams for the length of each panel. In some areas however, the joint between each panel of veneer is starting to lift... some joints only perhaps an 1/8th of an inch on each side of the seam, another place about 1 inch on either side of the seam and sometimes the whole length of the seam from floor to ceiling. The veneer is fairly brittle and I am not sure about the process of lifting or bending it back slightly to glue back down, (without breaking it!) and also if it will match exactly because the veneer is now slightly warped.

Also in one spot in the forward cabin, the veneer is also on a horizontal surface (ceiling) over the bunk and an area about 8 x 10 inches has actually lifted and split in several spots and almost seems to need a patch.. I don't want to remove the plywood backing unless absolutely necessary as it seems to be in good shape. If I am able to find matching veneer and cut a replacement piece, how do I glue it to what is essentially an upside down horizontal surface!

I have been to several veneer-wood working sites and there is quite a difference of opinion of what kind of glue to use and how to create adequate pressure on the surfaces to keep the veneer absolutely flat and tight to the backing.

Any ideas greatly appreciated!

I found these type of repairs to be very difficult, to say the least.* It is almost impossible to get a result that is flawless.* If your repair in not completely flush and you sand thru the veneer you have another unsightly mess.**Short of cutting out the loose veneer and filling and painting the whole panel I think you may have another option.* Glue a teak batten over the joint to cover all the loose egdes and finsh it to match the panel. The trim piece will blend in and you might not notice it.

Even replacing the whole panel often does not match.**Bottom line this is a tough repair to get right.* Good Luck** JohnP*

DR,

I have reattached veneer the same way as Old Stone. With contact cement. First clean the area with lacquer thinner. Then apply several thin coats of contact allowing it to dry between coats. The two surfaces have to be kept apart while applying glue and letting it dry. I use small bits of clean wood for this. After the final coat dries, pull out the bits of* wood smoothing the veneer as you go. Roll the repair with a hand roller working from the field toward the seam. If it needs to be taken up and done again it is difficult but possible using lacquer thinner applied with a flux brush and a thin flexible putty knife.

Good luck

Rob
37' Sedan

This could be dangerous, thinking, but if some of your problems are seams opening and the edge of the veneer lifting then carefull use of a hypodermic needle may help to inject glue behind the lifting veneer. I've sort of done this but not with the boat veneer but on some furniture at home. I usually Grind off the sharp point so the stuff goes more or less where I'm looking, not out the side and I only poke myself, not stab.

The iron with a damp towel sounds like a good idea also - sort of like steaming the wood (steam box idea) to soften it and make it pliable so it can be worked and pressed back down.
It's both the heat and the moisture that makes the wood pliable. I've not tried it myself so you may, if you consider this, try it out on something else.

Just as an aside, you might peruse the Wooden Boat forums and see if they offer any help. There are lots of serious woodworkers/boatbuilders there.

You may need to bite the bullet for some of it and be prepared to replace it.* You may not want to cut in a patch but replace a panel.* Even though it will be different it will be much less noticeable than a cut in patch.** Over a few years it will develop a patina more in keeping with the older panelling.* I had to do this on my V berth some years ago

Can you remove some pieces?** It may be easier to take them off and glue/steam/repair when you have them flat and apply weight and clamps.

-- Edited by C lectric on Saturday 22nd of January 2011 06:45:57 PM

Delia Rosa, unless you can do the repair quite easily to look right, C-lectric's comment about biting the bullet and replacing a whole panel is often easier. I completely covered some old stained teak veneer, by just getting a new panel, cutting it to shape, then gluing it (liquid nails) over the old panels, the making it look 'original', by using teak trim in the corners and over any joins which are not perfect. Once varnished and exposed to light for a bit, any colour differences become virtually invisible.

We went to boat afloat/shows mainly to look at and get ideas as what we liked and did not like which really help in redecorating/modeling as it had to blend/match the original décor feel of the boat.* *The Eagle had too much teak we changed/covered/painted/texture/modernized it. Teak Teak ever where.* Also it was cold dark, shippy and stark. **

No body except you will know how/what the boats originally interior looked like and in a few months neither will you.* So changing the interior may look/seem major but not really. So give some thought about making some changes up dating instead of trying to make it look like it does.

As for the ceiling you might want to texture a lighter color which would brighten the room.* We texture and/or painted the ceiling a light cantaloupe color that went with rose color of the teak, and stained ½ round molding to cover the seams to match the teak.* The ceiling now accents the teak.* *******

Teak wood takes stain unevenly so it does not matter to much how uneven it looks.* Some of the open areas I filled the seams with teak wood putty, applied a several coats of clear varnish, sand lightly and applied a opaque teak color stain.* The more uneven, streaked the better it look like real teak.* Some areas built selves for books and plants/pictures.

Attract the eye so it sees what you want it to see.* Drawing*the eye*to something*to a*pictures, mirrors, wall coverings, curtains etc so it does not focus on the teak wood behind it.* If it does not work then lightly sand and start over.* The clear vanish prevents the paint/stain from being absorbed into the wood so you can sand lightly and start over.* You might find that after several coats of colored varnish that it looks pretty good.* I use Minwax Pecan as a base and the mix blend other colors to make lighter/darker.* *Some thing to think about.*
*

*


-- Edited by Phil Fill on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 08:52:33 AM

Old Stone wrote:

*Remember making a salesman very pissed off one day though, on a very expensive brand. He was spouting about how the interior was solid wood, and I challenged him that it was veneered plywood. It was REAL obvious. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up with other people around though, but he was soooo obnoxious about it. Oh well........

Click to expand...

A salesman told me one time not only that a veneered panel was solid, but that it was "solid, hard rock Cherry".* I just told him that he had better check that out before telling that to anyone else.

*

Since we were moored at the very south end and our marina was part of the show we got free passes.* My wife is not that interest in the boats but more creature comfort and life style.* She has been in the engine room maybe a dozen times in 15 years and that was only because I asked for her help.


*
So when my wife goes with me its looking at newer/bigger boats, socializing and visiting as we know a lot of the brokers, bankers, insurance, and boaters.* Most of the major remodels and up grading where after looking at boats to see what they have done.* As I mentioned before only you will know what the boat originally look like and in a couple of month you will have forgotten also.*Many brokers do not know that much about boats and/or only what they been told.* So you can not get to technical with them. Especially the at the boat shows.*

While you may find some folks on a boating forum that can tell you how to repair this, you will also get some bad advice.

I would suggest a web search on re-gluing veneer. It's something furniture repair people do all the time and you should be able to find a lot of good information.

You might also want to consider hiring a pro (furniture repair person).

When we started cosmetic work on our trawler, one of the real eyesores was the sun-faded fake-wood laminate on the "dashboard" beneath the front windows, and rear window shelf. It was a solid, clean surface, but instead of painting, I got a few sheets of peel-and-stick teak veneer -- backing as well as the sticky stuff it can be cut without splitting.

We put it on, slapped a few coats of Cetol on it, and it looks great. (to me, anyway. I am easily satisfied, the Admiral says)



-- Edited by ARoss on Wednesday 26th of January 2011 04:54:56 PM