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TEAK treatment. . .


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This thread is not for the faint of heart. If you don't like rubbing your wood once or twice a year, you will NOT want to read this post. RTFM.gif

You have been warned. Lightning.gif

Last chance to avert your eyes, save your delicate sensibilities, and click off now. Baby.gif

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Aesthetically, there is minimal advantage to using the method below. The platform looks as though a nice job was done with teak oil. My reason for doing this is for longevity. Only time will tell if this treatment lasts longer than a few coats of teak oil. Supposedly, by treating the platform this way it is 'impervious' to water. . .

I started with a new teak platform, so there was minimal prep work necessary. The treatment involved using pure tung oil (purchased by ordering through my lumber yard) and VM&P Naphtha. Synthetic steel wool (#0 or #000) was used between coats, rather than sandpaper or bronze wool. No-lint cotton cloth and/or cheesecloth can be used for application/removal.

The Naphtha is used to thin the tung oil and drying time varies depending on the ratio. The early coats could be done one in the morning and one in the evening (~12 hours). Once I got to using straight oil, I allowed 3 days drying time between coats. The oil was applied using pieces of old t-shirt, allowed to set for 10-20 minutes, then excess removed using cheesecloth. The mixture ratio is listed below.

A well-ventilated area is REQUIRED. Naphtha is volatile and flammable--it is sometimes referred to as petroleum ether. I used a room above the garage with the windows wide open while working. After a period of time I closed the room and kept the temperature at 70° to aid with drying. The ceiling fan and lights were also left on directly above the platform. I must have done something right, because the garage did not blow up and the platform is now on the boat. :)

Naphtha : Tung Oil Ratio

4:1

3:1

2:1

1:1

0:1

Now for the best part. . .

Three or four coats of EACH ratio listed above was applied to the platform. Yeah, basically ~20 coats. And before anyone asks, I did the bottom of the platform FIRST. ;)

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You are NUTS! Don't they make medicine for these kinds of disorders?

And because I happen to be a little OCD myself, got pics?

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ok..so what is the whole point to this story?

I read your post Vin but not sure what the Moral is? You treated you teak and that's it? When I read the first post I thought there was going to be something really unique going on here.....

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I thought I was the OCD champ on this site (I once confessed to changing (not checking) the air in my car tires on a regular basis), but I feel I have been dethroned.

Yeah, I thought I was an OCD freak too...

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index....st&p=224086

and then I did the bottom...

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index....st&p=225615

However, We have been dethroned.

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Oh this degenerated faster than if Hank were still around. . .

Mike, the point is this: People talk about Teak Guard, Sikens, or various other types of treatment as compared to just using teak oil. The board is full of threads about this stuff and the pros/cons of each. My objective was to treat the teak in a way that might gain the best of both worlds. The platform is not slippery, as is the complaint with some sealing products. It is just as if I had used teak oil, BUT, I should not have to re-oil it all summer! Or so we shall see.

Here's a pic of the finished product.

post-30-1208190739_thumb.jpg

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Mike, the point is...

I knew what the point was. :) It's just always more fun to Tease2.gif you. :lol:

The platform looks fantastic. I hope it holds up all year for you. Actually, for all the work you put in,...it should hold up for ten years. Yes.gif

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Mike, the point is...

I knew what the point was. :) It's just always more fun to Tease2.gif you. :lol:

The platform looks fantastic. I hope it holds up all year for you. Actually, for all the work you put in,...it should hold up for ten years. Yes.gif

As usual, I did not concern myself with anything YOU said. Whistling.gif I was referring to the other Mike.

Here is a thread with lots of jabber regarding the platform. If what I've done works out, you can take every complaint about various treatment systems AND the complaints about regular oiling and throw them out the window. I took the time to do this for all of you, my brethren, so that you would have a new proven choice for your swim step. Well, altruism aside, I also had a brand new boat in the garage and 24" of ice on the lake. . . Crazy.gif

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Oh this degenerated faster than if Hank were still around. . .

Mike, the point is this: People talk about Teak Guard, Sikens, or various other types of treatment as compared to just using teak oil. The board is full of threads about this stuff and the pros/cons of each. My objective was to treat the teak in a way that might gain the best of both worlds. The platform is not slippery, as is the complaint with some sealing products. It is just as if I had used teak oil, BUT, I should not have to re-oil it all summer! Or so we shall see.

Here's a pic of the finished product.

post-30-1208190739_thumb.jpg

ahh..gotcha.

Very nice looking deck. Is it slick at all when wet? Be interesting to follow this thread and see the results of how long it lasts etc.

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That deck sits pretty high off the water on the new RLXi...

Be sure to report back later this summer. I know your boat stays on a lift, as does ours. We usually have to re-apply the oil at least twice a summer just due to the sun, even with the canopy.

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Hey Matt, good call on the deck height. Hadn't even noticed it. (edit) Also, do you notice the boards of the platform are no longer curved along the back of the boat??? They are straight across with the board closest to the transom cut to shape. (end edit)

In past summers, I've redone the oil several times throughout the season. That is, I would scrub the deck with soap/water/brush, let dry and re-oil. There have been times I would just oil it every week or two, then scrub it the third or fourth week. I really like the way it looks when freshly done and start to notice it doesn't look as good after a few weeks. As you said, mine does sit on a lift, platform uncovered, in the sun, and gets a LOT of use.

I'm really, really hoping this treatment lasts at LEAST half-way through the summer while retaining a good look for most of that time. If/when necessary, I will recoat with 1:1 mixture of Naphtha/tung oil. Then I'll redo it completely next winter.

Edited by VinRLX
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I had a local canvas shop make a cover for mine out of Sunbrella. Might not be a bad idea for you to pursue. It cost about 60 bucks. Mine site on a lift exposed to the sun as well.

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That really does appear high...was someone in the bow?....and if it doesnt conform to transom..seems like a toe or ski trap...finish looks really good though.... hope your ice is gone soon.

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I had a local canvas shop make a cover for mine out of Sunbrella. Might not be a bad idea for you to pursue. It cost about 60 bucks. Mine site on a lift exposed to the sun as well.

Yeah, I've thought of it. But we use the boat almost daily in the summer--just one more thing to cover/uncover. Given the choice, I think I'd rather have to re-oil it when it's sunny, but breezy, and I can't ski. :)

That really does appear high...was someone in the bow?....and if it doesnt conform to transom..seems like a toe or ski trap...finish looks really good though.... hope your ice is gone soon.

No one, no weight in the bow--the pic is just as it is. Maybe with my wife on the step it'll be lower to the water? Crazy.gif And the ice is gone, SAG, the pics are from NOW! :)

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  • 4 months later...

how about an update on the longivity of the tung oil treatment?

i was tired of the short life of teak oil treated platform so i moved back to teak guard.

i had tried teak guard before but didn't care for the way it stood up.

after reconsidering and re-reading the teak guard directions i decided that maybe i didn't adhere exactly so i decided to give it another go. i followed directions exactly; without a doubt this time.

overall the teak guard held up pretty good on the majority of the deck but the high traffic areas ended up showing too much bare wood.

am in search of alternatives, again.

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The tung oil treatment held up pretty well for a few months, then it began showing wear in a similar fashion to the teak oil I used in the past. I recently applied a 50/50 mix without cleaning, sanding, or anything. This brought it back pretty well, though it would definitely benefit from a more thorough job.

Bottom line for me is that it did hold up better than my previous method of teak oil treatment. I did absolutely nothing to it for 3 months. I'll continue to use the tung oil/naphtha, but will not take the time to do as many coats as the initial treatment. Not sure at this point if I'll use only synthetic wool to prep it, or use a cleaner/brightener.

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