Recaulking worn teak decks

[Sandibar]

Oh, I would also consider asking a pro for a quote. Not trying to spend anyone's money here but everyone here is giving advice from behind a computer screen and it's probably an unpleasant, difficult job with real potential to do damage on an really expensive part of the boat.

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by Sandibar

(btw, from the pic on the first post, I don't see a difference to a standard teak deck vs. Oyster - what is it?).

Agreed. Rabbetted planks worn to the point of the groove bottoming out is certainly not an Oyster specific problem.

Wish it was though, with that problem off the list I could have done something useful last winter!

[SailRedemption]

I didn't mention in my quick post, have a spare 2x4 to test your depth of the saw and go slow to keep your lines straight. I make mine roughly 3/16-1/4" deep. If you don't have one already, get a Fein Multimaster and get the caulking J hook caulk removal blade from Jamestown Distributors.



See more @ redemptiverepair.com

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I did the entire process myself over three summers on our Oyster 53. About 400 hours into it and now they look great. The process is much different on an Oyster than on other boats. It's a 15 step process, no shortcuts and it involves the use of a mini plunge skillsaw with the protection guides removed. Lots of hand tool work with chisels and absolutely no use of a router or Fyne tool. It's way too time consuming to write it all down here, can you contact me via phone when I return to America in October or give me a call here in Croatia?

I'd be happy to assist. Where are you and the boat located? Before I returned to my nursing career, I worked as a grand piano rebuilder and in the construction industry for fifteen years, so I'm handy with tools. How about you?

Ken

Now here's a guy that doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. I helped a friend with a Peterson 44 do his. No real science to it but a lot of sweat. That friend helped me grind bottom paint off on of my boats. That was much worst.

[poiu]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

Use a mini plunge Skill Saw and stack the blades (use 2 blades), two should provide the right width. You can make a guide for the saw to keep the cuts straight and create an attachment point out of PVC for a vacuum. Careful time consuming work. Hire someone to help and it should take about two weeks continuous.

The double blade idea sounds good. I once fastened two tenon saw blades before to make a fat saw cut and it worked well. I didn't know the blades in a skill saw could be stacked.

I don't understand what you mean about the attachment in pvc for a vacuum?

[poiu]

Originally Posted by chris95040

Agreed. Rabbetted planks worn to the point of the groove bottoming out is certainly not an Oyster specific problem.

Wish it was though, with that problem off the list I could have done something useful last winter!

It's probably not an Oyster problem, but I wish there were no rabbet as cutting that away and filling it in is going to be a big cost in time and/or money. If they had installed the planks in the first place without the rabbet it would have taken a tiny bit longer to install using spacers, but would have saved me, the second owner a load. Of ourse the first owner is on to his new boat long ago and Oyster have not dissatisfied their customer. Frustrating though. It comes to mind - spoiling the ship for a ha'penny of tar...

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by poiu

The double blade idea sounds good. I once fastened two tenon saw blades before to make a fat saw cut and it worked well. I didn't know the blades in a skill saw could be stacked.

I don't understand what you mean about the attachment in pvc for a vacuum?

You have to stagger them, one blade will be rotated 180 from the other. Works great.

See more @ redemptiverepair.com

[Terra Nova]

Having done too many teak deck restorations I will say you need several different tools to do a whole deck.

Preparing seams for new caulking.

Few boat owners should try using a router. It has done the most damage in inexperienced (even "professional") hands . Though I have developed my own guide system for doing curved deck seams.

In practice, for a deck which has been so badly abused and neglected that many of the seams have disappeared, a heavy sanding is required to reshape the worn deck surface. Then a small Skil saw is very fast to begin recreating the vanished grooves. Use a narrow kerf, fine pitch, carbide blade because it is difficult enough to stay precisely in the center of the groove. Once the groove has been opened up sufficiently I use a side rabbet plane to widen the groove and fine tune its edges.



There will be many places, like the ends of deck seams, where there is some obstruction which prevents you from using the above tools, where you must resort to the J-hook Fein tool blade, reefing hook, and various hand chisels and gouges.

Lastly the seam edges are sanded with course paper wrapped around a strip of 1/8" door skin. This fairs the edges smooth and gets rid of the last remnants of old caulk. Before re-caulking the grooves are washed with acetone or industrial alcohol.

Some caulk suppliers recommend applying bond breaker tape to the bottom of the grooves on traditionally laid teak decks. This is likely not necessary on thin veneers which are bonded to a glass deck. For small repairs the groove edges can be masked to make cleanup easy. But normally the caulk is simply gunned into the seam and immediately knifed down to flush. After thorough cure a medium sanding removes the excess caulk.

For big jobs a pneumatic caulking gun is indispensable.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Obviously you've never faced a $125,000 job on an expensive boat. I guess it's easy for you to sit there at your computer screen and imagin spending someone else's money.

Hey Ken...was your router bit high speed steel or carbide? Makes a big difference. When opening up my ports for larger stainless opening ones, I used a carbide, two flute endmill rather than the much softer Chinese high speed steel one that came with my cheapie trimmer. It was a whole lot faster and safer.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Hey Ken...was your router bit high speed steel or carbide? Makes a big difference. When opening up my ports for larger stainless opening ones, I used a carbide, two flute endmill rather than the much softer Chinese high speed steel one that came with my cheapie trimmer. It was a whole lot faster and safer.

I don't remember. The project is thankfully behind me now.

[Celestialsailor]

Good...next time then...

[bletso]

Terra Nova

That is one nice tool. I could have used one when I did my decks!

[Terra Nova]

Notice that tool cuts in both directions, depending on which way the grain runs.

[Gypsy Rose II]

Did my teak deck on my Endurance 35 with 2 routers (1st on got kicked overboard accidentally). 1st pick out the poly sulphide with homemade tools (bent sharpened screwdriver), then router out grooves…slowly, mask all the teak except the grooves, use a power calker to replace the sulphide, press in with flat trowel levelling the calk as you go. Let dry and remove the tape, lightly sand with orbital sander to flush the sulphide to the teak….done, leave natural for maximum traction and appeal IMHO. Pick out bung plugs, remove screws, inject epoxy to fill screw holes, redrill and countersink new holes for screw, insert new teak plugs with epoxy, let dry and cut flush with Japanese flex saw.