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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: "Zero Cavity" Teak Console continued...
Posted By: Capt Patrick McCrary In Response To: Re: "Zero Cavity" Teak Console continued... (Rocket)
Date: Friday, 30 September 2005, at 5:29 p.m.
Rod,
Ahhhh.... That's the BIG question! Always is with teak, varnished or natural.
I use only the highest quality varnishes w/ UV inhibitors. Epifanes only. Then I go through a minimum of 12 - 14 coats with very little of the build sanded away. Since I'm spraying Gerry's console, I may even go as many as 20 coats.
Now good varnish, lots of thickness, & UV inhibitors only go so far in terms of how long the finish lasts. It comes down to how hard of use it gets, how well it's washed, rinsed, and dried & with what kind of soaps.
Beyond cleanliness, how much direct weather & sun will it get per year? These are all factors in longivity...
With proper care it will never have to come back to bare wood. The console will be installed in such a way that while 100% secure, it can be removed from the boat by removing a dozen or so screws & breaking the caulk line. Let's hope it never has to come to that.
Rules for maintaining good bright work, especially consoles, fighting charirs, & rocket launchers:
1 - Keep it CLEAN
Use only mild detergents
Use only soft cloth or mit
Use only fresh water
2 - Keep it DRY - Dry with a soft towel
3 - Keep it COVERED - when not in use, cover with canvas Canvas should not come in contact with the varnish, avoid chaffing & trapped moisture.
4 - Watch for tell-tell signs of the top coat getting old. It'll look like very fine cobwebs covering the surface, or slightly hazy. Within a short few weeks at most, the varnish needs to be scuffed with a refinishing pad & 2 maintenance coat of new varnish applied.
With proper care, this can be annually, maybe longer. Items like toe rails, step boxes, and other varnished irems that are always exposed to the elements will need freshing up every 3 months for a "Palm Beach Finish".
All of the hardware items on Gerry's console are easily removable for maintenance varnishing, so it should be no big deal to keep it looking great. I've come to know Gerry pretty well over the last 12 months & know he'll have it well babied...
Br,
Patrick
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