Restoring wood cabinets.. Shiny please

[puncta2000]

Hello,

I am seeking advice and guidance on how to mildly restore all the interior wood surfaces in our 45’ boat. The boat was built in 1989 and the interior has a cherry mat finish. Cabinets, closets, mirror edges, etc. We keep it clean and wiped down with wood polish. The wood is in very good shape but it’s dull so to speak. But now I would like to make the wood more shiny and maybe a bit darker cherry.

Is there a product that I can use to shiny the wood to give it a veneer look... maybe a wood varnish.. I am not familiar with wood products other than wood polish.

Any ideas, suggestions or guidance would be appreciated.

Stre

[Checkswrecks]

Interior finishes largely come down to a stain and then any of a number of finishes. Oil, varnish, urethane, oil or latex, you get the idea.

It'd make a huge difference to know what year, model boat, maybe some photos, and any other details you could share.

[Tayana42]

Howard’s Restor-A-Finish comes in cherry stain. This is an easy wipe on wipe off product with just enough stain to fill in small scratches. And it looks great after you’ve done it.

Howard Products RF9016 Restor-A-Finish., 16 oz, Cherry https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LNUKDS..._JaQcEbN96BPDB

[a64pilot]

If the finish isn’t coming off I’d leave it alone and consider myself lucky.

But if your sure you want to mess with it, be sure to experiment on the inside of cabinets or something you don’t see.
If the finish is in good shape I don’t think anything will penetrate it, certainly not evenly if it does.

The restore a finish is an oil based product with I believe some thinner. There is also a wax your supposed to put on after you use it.
Most likely your finish is a lacquer or similar product that most lays on top of the wood and gives a nice satin finish, the restorer is an oil type of product that will penetrate it and darken it.

Be careful

[Sparx]

Try something like this first...
https://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/rf0017/

A light sanding may be required to open the existing finish.

Boiled linseed oil may also give good results.

[dadster3]

Start with basics. You can really screw up a good thing if you don't know what your are doing. The first step is to clean the wood. Try Murphy's Oil Soap for Wood. It is mild, does a good job and, if I remember correctly, doesn't need to be rinsed. I did a whole set of kitchen cabinets in a house remodel and was pleased enough not to do more. Once it is clean, some Old English furniture polish may be all you want or need. Good luck with your project.



https://www.amazon.com/Murphys-Soap-...a-567699364693

[LakeSuperior]

It seems like the polish that was applied through the years would have to be completely removed as the first step as this would interfere with application of a stain and/or new surface coat.

I second the opinion that if the finish is not coming off and is tolerable I would'n't mess with it. Getting a profession non-hacked interior boat finish takes some serious investment.

[ronstory]

A suggestion. If the existing finish is solid, try Orange Glo wood cleaner and polish. We do our boat 1-2 times a year, cleans the surface adds a nice shine and help repel those random splashes. There are a lot of look-a-likes so if you want to give it a try... please buy the right one.

YMMV

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orange-G...3A00/100375951

[CaptainLen]

We have a 1981 C&C. Lots of wood down below, teak veneer on plywood for the most part. It has always been oiled. We like to look but didn't like to be oiling it all the time. Solved the problem by stripping off the oil (teak cleaner) lightly sanding and touching up the worn areas with Minwax Gunstock color stain. Then several (5-6) coats of Epifanes gloss varnish followed by two coats of Epifanes Handed Rubbed Effect varnish. The result is a durable finish that looks exactly like oiled teak. It's a lot of work but well worth the effort. Since the two finishes look so similar we've taken years to do all the wood down below. No-one can distinguish between the well oiled teak and the rubbed effect varnish.

[sailcrazy]

Our 1989 Taswell, made in Tiawan, is nothing but solid teak and teak-faced plywood below deck. And the finnish is getting thin, and/or discolored, and scratched in places. Following, looking for possible ideas.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailcrazy

Our 1989 Taswell, made in Tiawan, is nothing but solid teak and teak-faced plywood below deck. And the finnish is getting thin, and/or discolored, and scratched in places. Following, looking for possible ideas.

Our 87 IP is similar, the finish is beginning to come off in places and anything you do darkens the wood there, and kind of oil soap etc.
I believe all that can be done is sand the old finish and re-apply, but I’m also pretty sure the veneer is very thin and easily damaged.
I believe a furniture restorer if such a thing still exists anymore could do it, but not cheap.
They likely have gone the way of cobblers though.
I’ve been afraid to do much of anything myself.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by puncta2000

Hello,

I am seeking advice and guidance on how to mildly restore all the interior wood surfaces in our 45’ boat. The boat was built in 1989 and the interior has a cherry mat finish. Cabinets, closets, mirror edges, etc. We keep it clean and wiped down with wood polish. The wood is in very good shape but it’s dull so to speak. But now I would like to make the wood more shiny and maybe a bit darker cherry.

Is there a product that I can use to shiny the wood to give it a veneer look... maybe a wood varnish.. I am not familiar with wood products other than wood polish.

Any ideas, suggestions or guidance would be appreciated.

Stre

I'm interested in the results of this post as well.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ Mike

[gonesail]

i would try either orange or lemon oil .. the orange glo wood cleaner product sounds good. we found that lemon oil on bare teak does not darken it and makes the boat smell nice

[Oceandeep]

Minwax makes an all-in -one product that might be worth trying . It’s a stain and gloss finish that comes in a variety of colors. It sits on top of the existing finish so it might be worth a try. You will need to completely clean the cherry wood surface with a paint thinner and perhaps give it a light scuff with scotchbright type of pad first. As others have said you may want to experiment on an inconspicuous place first or even a scrap piece of lumber.

As for me, my boat has a lot of teak in the interior. I clean it up section by section and apply a satin varnish every few years. It seems to last pretty well when there is no UV and is a nice contrast with the white paint.
Good luck ��

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

Following