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-   -   Teak Swim Platform Restoration (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=784120)

JamesPB22 10-12-2010 4:35 PM

Teak Swim Platform Restoration
 
Hey guys,
Just wanting to know if its a good idea and/or reccommended that i take each and every board off the platform and sand it individually. going for the brand new look plus a knob coated it with Lacquer prior. leaving the platform together i am undable to sand off the black varnish/Lacquer between the boards. will i be able to get it back together pretty easily? or will it throw the boards out all over the place? also wondering i have seen some swim platforms out there that have a dark redish/brown look to them. mine turns out more yellowish. is it different timber or oil? wil i acheive a darker look by applying more coats? planning on using about 6 coats of teak oil and then a protectant when she is taken out for long periods over vacations.

i have also heard that it is not reccommended to use a sander b/c of the heat on the boards? there is no way i'm getting the varnish off my platform without using a decent hand held sander! do you think this will be an issue?

Cheers!

JDubs 10-12-2010 8:04 PM

Do not take it apart! Use a pressure washer first. You will be amazed at how it looks after just a good cleaning. Then take a high grit sand paper and lightly sand out the boards. Then teak it as you see fit.

rallyart 10-12-2010 8:31 PM

The natural oils are fairly light color but after several coats it turns a golden rich brown. You can get darker color if you use a teak oil that is gold or dark. I'd try to stay natural if you're going back to bare wood. It's easy to add a darker oil at any time in the future. I don't think you need any protectant on it. That's what the oil does, and why you use teak to start with. Use a 60 grit paper if it's got a lacquer on it but sand in the direction of the grain. If you get a brass BBQ brush it will work really well to get between the boards The teak is a long grain wood with lots of natural oil and it will gum up the paper quickly but you don't want to cut the fibers by cross sanding. Bronze wool, not steel wool, is also great for finishing.
There are some teak cleaners that can get out most of the black that builds up over time.

ridetige 10-14-2010 8:58 AM

I did that on my old boat. I got tired of oiling it all the time, so i cleaned it all up and used a marine spar varish and it lasted about 3-4 years looking brand new.

wtrgrl 10-14-2010 1:15 PM

You'd be suprised how well a teak cleaner works.My swimstep looked almost black and teak cleaner plus a scrubby brush (I used a dishwashing brush) and water made it look new again. I got several comments in regards to my "new" swimstep.

JamesPB22 10-14-2010 2:51 PM

I Have heard that after applying the couple of coats of teak oil on your platform, to use a mould resistant Linseed oil before every session to keep it from getting mouldy and protect it??? this worth while? Decided against taking the platfrom all apart cam eup pretty good with a decent sand. still had a little bit of black in between the boards i couldnt get to but it still looks brand new compared to how it lookd before hand.

rallyart 10-15-2010 8:52 AM

I use Teak oil and quite a few use Tung oil instead of Linseed oil but you can use that. When you put oil on you put on a lot. I pour some on the boards then spread it with a rag. Let it soak in, which might might take 10 minutes or an hour. Wipe off any extra or sticky parts and then reapply. I have put on four coats if the teak is dry. The idea is to soak as much oil into the wood as it can take. I then wipe on oil about once a month when the boat is out. Mine does sit in the water for a couple months in the summer so yours might need less.
End of the season I brush mine with the brass BBQ brush, along the grain. Wipe the dust off and oil it again for storage.

polarbill 10-15-2010 9:42 AM

Before sanding I would get a 2 part product like Teak wonder and a stiff bristled brush. Get the teak wet, squirt on the cleaner, then work the brush with the grain. After you have done this to the entire platform rinse all the waste off. Then pour the Brightener on and use the brush the same. After the teak has completely dried for a day or 2 use a generous amount of teak oil and rub into the teak with a rag.

I have done this on ski boats and it make it look brand new. I even did the first 2 steps on my dad's 42 foot yacht that has a 14 foot wide platform. It took me about an hour. It isn't really that time consuming and I would try that method before sanding.

hockeysk8er222 10-20-2010 8:45 PM

To sand it, use a Dremel tool with a really fine head to get in between to slats. Go really light as to not carve indents into random spots and make it look bad.

cadunkle 10-23-2010 12:19 PM

My last boat had teak. It was all weathered and had a few poorly repaired cracks. I took a stiff brush to them at first, them sanded to like 400 grit in 3 stages. Did this by hand, careful to get inside all slats. It's tedious but a good winter project. Have a few beers and get it done. Then once all sanded, blew off with air, sanded, more air, then oiled about 5-6 coats until it stopped sucking it all in. For the cracks, I removed the old screws that were holding the broken pieces together, got a waterproof wood glue at home depot, glued, clamped and put several stainless screws though when there would not be seen. I was happy with the result, just a quick brush and oil every month or two after that. My supra has a fiberglass platform which I don't care for. No character. If I ever come across a teak platform that will fit I'll probably change it out.

...

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1020139.jpg

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o...a/P1020144.jpg

Don't see any pics of when it's done, but you get the idea.


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