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Cheechako · 29-11-2014, 10:52

Hard to see the photos well, but for quite a while the "in" thing to do was to strip and epoxy coat cabin soles.... they looked wonderful when done, but my remark to friends was.. "eventually someone is going to hate you did that..."
A good test to see if it is epoxy is try some paint stripper on it. If it loosens up it's not epoxy. Then I would strip most with stripper and lot of rags. Finally fine sanding it. another options is heat gun.
If epoxy... wow.. not sure what to tell you, maybe a heat gun and scraper as mentioned.
Whatever you do, be careful on the sanding... a lot of soles are ply and once you sand thru the top veneer... it'll never look the same.
For a quick fix, I once used those interlocking, 3/8" thick 2 ft x 2ft "diamond plate foam grey squares" they sell for garage /shop floors. It actually looked really good when cut to fit and was super easy on the legs etc... due to the cushion. Probably take $30 for that whole floor...

jpstevens · 29-11-2014, 11:32

I used Bona Traffic floor finish (2-part) on my last boat. It's easy to apply(much easier than varnish), non skid, and very durable. I use it on hardwood floor installations subject to heavy traffic of kids and pets.

Oceandeep · 29-11-2014, 13:31

Beautiful boat. All that teak will look great when you are done. If it was me I would start on the bulkheads and work my way down as you don't want a lot of tools and traffic on a freshly finished sole. Why not pick a small area and finish the bulkhead walls and trim on the overhead first?
I agree that a heat gun and a good scraper are the way to go to get rid of the bulk of the old finish. I like a small paint scraper with replaceable blades. You can get one at any hardware store. Keep a file handy to maintain a very sharp edge. The old timers were so good with their scrapers that they hardly needed sandpaper to get ready for varnish. After scraping you will need an orbital sander, a vibrating sander and finally hand sanding to get you ready for varnish. This job is 90% preparation and 10% painting. In fact you should sand lightly between coats of varnish with a sanding pad sad to remove dust a bubbles for a flawless finish. I would stay away from the 2 part varnishes until you have a bit more experience. Just use a good quality marine varnish and be prepared to add a new coat every couple of years to keep it in good shape.

Once you have a finished a few teak items you will be a pro and find it easier to tackle the rest of the job. I like to keep it small and go section by section in so the whole boat isn't torn up . Also it's great to have a finished section to inspire you for the rest of the job. A small warning for you though. The teak will look so good you will probably need to paint all of the white surfaces as well just to balance things out!

mrlee · 29-11-2014, 17:30

Hi, A quick note on the heat gun...if you are not familiar with using one start by pointing it stem to stern or vice-versa...this will keep you from burning any adjacent wood as you are getting the hang of it. At first do not point the gun straight down at a 90 degree angle...rather start at a 45 degree angle and increase the angle as you get more familiar with the gun.
This shouldn't be a really big chore...just a little time consuming.
To finish,I like to sand with 150 and go to 220, 320, and 400 before starting to refinish. Then after each coat you can orbital sand with 400 as many times as you like...With each successive sanding and revarnishing it will be smoother and smoother...how smooth do you want it???
Good luck and please do keep us posted...
Be safe and happy...

Subway Sailor · 30-11-2014, 02:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oceandeep

Beautiful boat. All that teak will look great when you are done. If it was me I would start on the bulkheads and work my way down as you don't want a lot of tools and traffic on a freshly finished sole. Why not pick a small area and finish the bulkhead walls and trim on the overhead first?
I agree that a heat gun and a good scraper are the way to go to get rid of the bulk of the old finish. I like a small paint scraper with replaceable blades. You can get one at any hardware store. Keep a file handy to maintain a very sharp edge. The old timers were so good with their scrapers that they hardly needed sandpaper to get ready for varnish. After scraping you will need an orbital sander, a vibrating sander and finally hand sanding to get you ready for varnish. This job is 90% preparation and 10% painting. In fact you should sand lightly between coats of varnish with a sanding pad sad to remove dust a bubbles for a flawless finish. I would stay away from the 2 part varnishes until you have a bit more experience. Just use a good quality marine varnish and be prepared to add a new coat every couple of years to keep it in good shape.

Once you have a finished a few teak items you will be a pro and find it easier to tackle the rest of the job. I like to keep it small and go section by section in so the whole boat isn't torn up . Also it's great to have a finished section to inspire you for the rest of the job. A small warning for you though. The teak will look so good you will probably need to paint all of the white surfaces as well just to balance things out!

Thanks...what do i do to the bulkheads? Oil? They look somewhat dull....

i have no experience with this work...if you look at the v birth area it looks great just looks like it needs life!! What do i do!?!?

I like the idea of working my way down...so i think you convinced me to do v birth/head/bulkheads/ then sole...though i may play with the sole and feel it out anyway to see if i can remove some ...

I'm going to maryland on tuesday and will somehow sleep on there and work in there all day/night and film for youtube.... Yes i know. Ensure proper ventilation due to fumes...

Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

cruiser3650 · 30-11-2014, 07:11

Number 1 you must get the water intrusion location found and completely repaired as well as any delamination around it.
Then I would use PlasTeak a eco -friendly alternative to sanding and repairing. Soft on the feet and impervious to most everything.
And it looks great.

Oceandeep · 30-11-2014, 11:54

The teak walls of your bulk head need to be treated the same as the cabin sole. You need to scrape the old finish off and sand to get ready for a new coat of varnish. Start small and try not to damage the teak by removing too much wood. Sometimes the teak is actually just marine plywood with a very thin coat of teak veneer . In summary you are trying to make the teak look as nice as you can. The varnish just protects a finish that you created with your scraping and sanding.

I like your idea of just starting in the v-berth area to begin. If you can find a small piece of teak that is in fairly good shape you might try this trick. Get scotch brand scuff pads and thoroughly sand the teak piece with it. You can dry sand it or apply a small amount of paint thinner to the pad and this will help dissolve the old finish as you sand and get it ready for a new coat of varnish. When you have all of the blemishes sanded out and the finish looks consistently dull, paint on a new coat of varnish and let it dry. This only works where the finish is in good shape to begin with and you just want to make it look like new again. For areas with deep scratches or rough finish you will need to scrape and sand to get it ready for varnish. 80 grit is good for removing the old varnish and 120 grit helps get the teak ready for the first coat. Always sand with the grain of the wood. Don't forget to use masking tape on the adjacent area that you don't want to paint. You will also need to think about whether you want a satin finish or a gloss finish. Most people use gloss for areas that get a lot of traffic i.e. handholds, cabin sole, etc. Large flat surfaces look good with a satin finish that doesn't show the flaws as much. Get a good quality oil brush. I like a 1" tapered natural bristle brush. Follow the directions on the can . Sometimes they want you to mix in some paint thinner on the first coat. You want to keep enough thinner mixed into the varnish so that it flows smoothly and doesn't get sticky while you are painting. You will nee to apply at least 3 coats of varnish and sand with your scuff pad in between coats. Professionals us up to 17 coats of vanish for a Bristol finish. After you do a few small items you will be ready to tackle a larger area like a bulkhead. Good luck . Work slow and do each piece a well as you can and the results will begin to add up!

Krogensailor · 30-11-2014, 14:02

Plasteak. Get a cabinet guy who knows how to do formica tops. Cheapest and best way to go. short of replacing the sole. Of course if it's solid wood, sanding is the way to go. Sand, bleach, and finish

Caribsailors · 30-11-2014, 14:02

If you are planning to keep your original sole, I would recommend the heat gun and scrapper method. There are some great video's on YouTube on the subject.

I redid my cabin sole complete. New wood as the 27 year sole was starting to rot.
I used the originals as router guides and that process was quite painless as I'm a wood butcher normally.
Once trimmed and fitted. I encapsulated all pieces with West Systems clear epoxy and then finished with Bona Traffic floor finish (2-part). I had some people here not recommend the Bona Traffic as a final finish, but after speaking with a fellow cruiser/commercial flooring contractor. He recommended it. I have had now issues to date.

Good luck!

Cheersw

Subway Sailor · 30-11-2014, 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caribsailors

If you are planning to keep your original sole, I would recommend the heat gun and scrapper method. There are some great video's on YouTube on the subject.

I redid my cabin sole complete. New wood as the 27 year sole was starting to rot.
I used the originals as router guides and that process was quite painless as I'm a wood butcher normally.
Once trimmed and fitted. I encapsulated all pieces with West Systems clear epoxy and then finished with Bona Traffic floor finish (2-part). I had some people here not recommend the Bona Traffic as a final finish, but after speaking with a fellow cruiser/commercial flooring contractor. He recommended it. I have had now issues to date.

Good luck!

Cheersw

i don't hav a clue how to even get that out of my cabin..if i had to...when i get there i'm definitely going to work on getting it all scraped off..then i'll go from there...if it looks wasted..i'll look into replacing.

Subway Sailor · 30-11-2014, 23:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oceandeep

The teak walls of your bulk head need to be treated the same as the cabin sole. You need to scrape the old finish off and sand to get ready for a new coat of varnish. Start small and try not to damage the teak by removing too much wood. Sometimes the teak is actually just marine plywood with a very thin coat of teak veneer . In summary you are trying to make the teak look as nice as you can. The varnish just protects a finish that you created with your scraping and sanding.

I like your idea of just starting in the v-berth area to begin. If you can find a small piece of teak that is in fairly good shape you might try this trick. Get scotch brand scuff pads and thoroughly sand the teak piece with it. You can dry sand it or apply a small amount of paint thinner to the pad and this will help dissolve the old finish as you sand and get it ready for a new coat of varnish. When you have all of the blemishes sanded out and the finish looks consistently dull, paint on a new coat of varnish and let it dry. This only works where the finish is in good shape to begin with and you just want to make it look like new again. For areas with deep scratches or rough finish you will need to scrape and sand to get it ready for varnish. 80 grit is good for removing the old varnish and 120 grit helps get the teak ready for the first coat. Always sand with the grain of the wood. Don't forget to use masking tape on the adjacent area that you don't want to paint. You will also need to think about whether you want a satin finish or a gloss finish. Most people use gloss for areas that get a lot of traffic i.e. handholds, cabin sole, etc. Large flat surfaces look good with a satin finish that doesn't show the flaws as much. Get a good quality oil brush. I like a 1" tapered natural bristle brush. Follow the directions on the can . Sometimes they want you to mix in some paint thinner on the first coat. You want to keep enough thinner mixed into the varnish so that it flows smoothly and doesn't get sticky while you are painting. You will nee to apply at least 3 coats of varnish and sand with your scuff pad in between coats. Professionals us up to 17 coats of vanish for a Bristol finish. After you do a few small items you will be ready to tackle a larger area like a bulkhead. Good luck . Work slow and do each piece a well as you can and the results will begin to add up!

please correct me but the bulkheads appear to not be varnished nor does the wood in the v-birth area right? or is that what a matt/finish finish is supposed to look like?...or is that what worn out varnish looks like?....wouldn't teak oil revive this with just the need of annual maintenance re-application, thanks for all your help...

shipleft · 01-12-2014, 13:24

I am a bit surprised no one mentioned trying a commercial paint/varnish stripper on it first, just to see if it is a varnish/oil product not an epoxy. Heat guns are great outside the boat but in confined quarters you may end up doing a lot more re-finishing than you bargained for. The beauty of the brush-on/ scrape-off stripper is you can control it easier than a heat-gun. Would be nice to know what wood you have there, are there no dock wandering experts on wood around you?

Delancey · 01-12-2014, 14:52

Well, I think the problem there is that you are working in a confined space. Also, if I am not mistaken MEK vapors are heavier than air. Maybe not a concern so much with citrus strippers but doesn't some like fun to me. Regardless of type, I don't think either would be effective against the epoxy which is by it's very nature chemical resistant. Add all that to the fact that you are working under your feet.

By the way, unless the OP has gotten a chance to get in there and pick at it a bit, I agree that what's going on here is that a PO applied epoxy to a dimensional lumber sole, not plywood, and that what has happened is that the wood has gotten wet and dry and wet and dry, and through that movement has caused the epoxy to lift from the surface resulting in the translucent amber bubbles.

Too bad, Gougeon Brothers are fairly specific about this aspect of working with epoxy. They should know, they wrote the book.

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/...k%20061205.pdf

Cheechako · 01-12-2014, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by shipleft

I am a bit surprised no one mentioned trying a commercial paint/varnish stripper on it first, just to see if it is a varnish/oil product not an epoxy. Heat guns are great outside the boat but in confined quarters you may end up doing a lot more re-finishing than you bargained for. The beauty of the brush-on/ scrape-off stripper is you can control it easier than a heat-gun. Would be nice to know what wood you have there, are there no dock wandering experts on wood around you?

I did early on....