treating teak

[BellBoyBob]

Hi All:

I am helpiing a neighbor get his boat in shape and was wondering what, if anything, needs to be done to treat a teak swimboard mounted to the transom of his I/O Wellcraft. Should we use teak oil or linseed oil to protect it. Its benn sanded and, of course, will be exposed to water. The is not moored but trailered.
Thanks for any ideas!

Best,
Bob

[Tim_Mattson]

Teak help-Amazon Gold

Bob,
I`ve done some Teak repair and have even done teak decks that were really bad and loaded with splits, cracks and sand.
My dustless sander with 220 grit usually cuts thru to reveal nice fresh wood,some areas may throw wet looking pcs and may indicate some softness.
I usually sand until fairly even looking,going lengthwise with grain always the key( last pass done by hand to blend edges and corners).
TEKA sells a product that bleaches the wood with a 2 part process.......some do skip the bleaching which whitens it up.
I prefer just Teak Oil by Amazon,the Golden kind that gives that rich look.
Two passes may be needed,then I leave it be and touch up if it starts to look dry.
Teak is good stuff,stands up to real world use,moored or or the road.
TiimM

[BellBoyBob]

Thanks, Tim, I will pass this along.

Best,

Bob

[FINS]

Tim is correct. Depends on what shape the swim step is now as to how much prep is needed. If it has turned black, the bleach or teak cleaners are needed. Once the bare wood looks good, just rub on a teak oil. On the tournament boats here at the Lake, we do a coat a day for three to four days until it does not soak it up any more. This is usually a once a year activity. Try to avoid heavy sanding as the screw tips will start to show through after several sandings.

[mikekronick]

Bob.
All good advice. Just want to add my two cents. DO NOT use linseed oil. Turns things dark and nasty. You might want to wipe everything down with denatured alchohol or paint thinner to remove the natural oils, then the teak oil you apply will have somewhere to soak into. Sounds weird but seems to work. If you want a hard yacht type finish, 3 coats of a two part penetrating epoxy then multiple coats of Epiphanes varnish. Of coarse you won't have the non-skid characteristics of the teak oil finish.
Mike.