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Keith..The biggest problem with teak is it's biggest asset. The reason it is used on boats is that it contains high levels of oil, which prevent it from rotting. Unfortunately that also prevcents anything from sticking to it for any length of time.
I have seen sailors who have taken the time to varnish all the teak on their boats only to have to either re varnish or totally remove the varnish after a year or two because it all started to lift off as the woods oils repelled it.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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Hello Keith. We have done several side boards for trawlers in the Clear Lake area. Sometimes the customers furnish their own teak boards for or we will custom cut the boards to their specs. Although we can't v-carve we will gold leaf the name of their boat on the teak board. I won't gold leaf the board until the board is completely smoothe and void of it's grain. So several coats are necessary to build a smoothe surface. Once smoothe, before I apply the gold leaf I sand the board for it's next coat of varnish to be applied over the finished lettering. Lettering finished, several coats (at least four or five) of varnish are needed to seal the over the gold leaf. Varnish as a finish does not hold up for a long periods of time and requires a lot of maintenance. Many boats down here have varnished teak on them. I know of a few people that make a living doing what is called "bright work". They sand, strip, recoat varnished teak on boats. These people love doing this kind of work because of the opportunity to be near the water. When you see a varnished surface ugly and curled up it's because the varnish has broken down from uv rays. A yearly sanding and recoat is what is needed to keep the varnish looking shipshape. Dave is right about the oil in teakwood. But as long as the varnish is properly maintained the varnish will look great for many years. Because of the intense labor that is necessary to build the varnish on these boards I send the boards to a bright work specialist. They prepare the boards to a smoothe finish ready for the gold leafing. Once the lettering is completed I send the boards back to the specialist for several more coats of varnish to complete the job. A lot of work? Yes!.... mucho labor...Charge mucho. Hope this helps.
Check out the web sites of West System - www.westsystem.com and US Paint -www.awlgrip.com for info on finishing brightwork. Also, a quick web search will return many sites with info.
Good luck,
Marty
-------------------- Marty Engel Berkley, MI Hill Mountain Signworks LLC
marty@hillmountain.com 248-890-8265 Posts: 58 | From: Berkley, MI | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Teak can be rough on tools if you are doing hand-carving. Apparently along with the oils it has tiny mineralized crystals within the grain structure. We have done a good number of boat boards but always stick to mohogany.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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