Varnish Yacht Brightwork Like a Pro - Part 1
I am a yachting traditionalist and I feel that a yacht is not really a true boat unless there is some outside teak nicely varnished. We call that teak brightwork. But today's boat builder prefers not to use any teak if at all feasible at the insistence of today's consumer.That is too bad as I often hear buyers tells me "if there is any teak to maintain forget it". To me, the high gloss brightwork give a yacht character.
The key to preserving bright work is to reapply the coating before it needs it, yes, before. Don't wait until it begins to crack or peel, you have waited too long. Lets take for granted you are looking at a 1980s trawler I have for sale.. The owner has let his bright work go and it needs revitalizing. Should you shy away from purchasing that trawler? No, not at all. Let me show you how to get it looking great.
The first thing to consider is if we should simply sand down the existing varnish or strip it down to bare wood.
if we need to strip it completely, I recommend using a heat gun and putty knife found in the paint department at Home Depot. This method is easier than using chemicals. Don't even think of using a vibrating sander! Turn on your heat gun on full power and hold it about 4-5 inches from the surface; with some help from your putty knife the varnish will come off in sheets. Don't get too close or you will singe the teak. After you have it down to bare wood, sand with 120 then 220 sandpaper and you are prepared to varnish.
So how about varnish that does not need removing but needs some upkeep?I did my annual upkeep last weekend and here is the rundown. Just so you know, my trawler has 94 feet of teak handrail.
My choice of finish is Sikkens Cetol. It's a product produced for teak by the manufactures of Awlgrip. You can check it out at http://www.yachtpaint.com.
Shopping List
·Heat gun (if you are taking off the old varnish)
·Sandpaper 120/220 grit
·7-day blue painter's tape
·Mineral spirits
·Tack rags
·Soap
Step 1 - Clean the Teak
The first thing you want to do it get some soapy water and really clean the dirt off your teak. Get the dirt and crud off. Let it dry. Next, very important here, dampen a cloth with mineral spirits and wipe the teak down again. The solvent will remove any wax, grease or silicone that might be present.
Prep Time - 30 minutes
Step 2 -
After the teak is clean, we will need to roughen it up some to make the new varnish stick. Using medium grit sandpaper, 220 grit, we want to lightly scuff the surface of the finish. Not enough to go through to the wood mind you, but just to knock off the gloss and level the surface. Using a tack rag, remove all of the dust
Next, tape up any adjacent metal to keep varnish away from those areas you do not need varnished. Use blue 7-day painter's tape; it will save you lots of cleanup time later on.
Time - 2 hours
in our next article, we'll start our varnish application
The key to preserving bright work is to reapply the coating before it needs it, yes, before. Don't wait until it begins to crack or peel, you have waited too long. Lets take for granted you are looking at a 1980s trawler I have for sale.. The owner has let his bright work go and it needs revitalizing. Should you shy away from purchasing that trawler? No, not at all. Let me show you how to get it looking great.
The first thing to consider is if we should simply sand down the existing varnish or strip it down to bare wood.
if we need to strip it completely, I recommend using a heat gun and putty knife found in the paint department at Home Depot. This method is easier than using chemicals. Don't even think of using a vibrating sander! Turn on your heat gun on full power and hold it about 4-5 inches from the surface; with some help from your putty knife the varnish will come off in sheets. Don't get too close or you will singe the teak. After you have it down to bare wood, sand with 120 then 220 sandpaper and you are prepared to varnish.
So how about varnish that does not need removing but needs some upkeep?I did my annual upkeep last weekend and here is the rundown. Just so you know, my trawler has 94 feet of teak handrail.
My choice of finish is Sikkens Cetol. It's a product produced for teak by the manufactures of Awlgrip. You can check it out at http://www.yachtpaint.com.
Shopping List
·Heat gun (if you are taking off the old varnish)
·Sandpaper 120/220 grit
·7-day blue painter's tape
·Mineral spirits
·Tack rags
·Soap
Step 1 - Clean the Teak
The first thing you want to do it get some soapy water and really clean the dirt off your teak. Get the dirt and crud off. Let it dry. Next, very important here, dampen a cloth with mineral spirits and wipe the teak down again. The solvent will remove any wax, grease or silicone that might be present.
Prep Time - 30 minutes
Step 2 -
After the teak is clean, we will need to roughen it up some to make the new varnish stick. Using medium grit sandpaper, 220 grit, we want to lightly scuff the surface of the finish. Not enough to go through to the wood mind you, but just to knock off the gloss and level the surface. Using a tack rag, remove all of the dust
Next, tape up any adjacent metal to keep varnish away from those areas you do not need varnished. Use blue 7-day painter's tape; it will save you lots of cleanup time later on.
Time - 2 hours
in our next article, we'll start our varnish application
