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Teak crack filler?

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Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/31/2008 : 08:38:18

I am in the process of redoing all my teak. I would like to try to fill some of the cracks that have formed on the rails and trim. From searching, I read that mixing teak sawdust with epoxy is recommended. I saw one or two mentions of using a filler putty. I'm not sure if I'm going to have much sawdust to fill the cracks since I don't have a whole lot of sanding to do. I've seen several different shades of wood putty and was wondering if anyone recommends one. I also read that the filler will soak in the Cetol or stain more than the wood and epoxy with sawdust will soak less, leaving the repair quite visible still. It sounded like the best option is to cut slivers of teak to glue into the cracks. I don't have any spare teak, so unless I can cut off some tiny pieces from a part that will be unnoticeable. I have some thinking to do. Any recommendations? Anyone had good results using a putty?

BTW... I'm going to be trying out the newer Cetol Natural finish with coats of Cetol clear gloss over it. I will start a separate thread with photos as I make progress.

Justin
Previous Owner of Sapphire Breeze - 1982 Catalina 25 SK/SR
My sail blog site: https://reveriesailing.com/

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Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2008 : 12:58:45

I’ve done the sawdust epoxy method a number of times and it worked well for me. A lot depends on the type and size of the crack and how fussy you are about your teak. (Personally, I like my exterior teak to be presentable but I recognize that it is not fine furniture and it is going to be stepped on rubbed against and exposed to the elements; so I tolerate some visible signs of wear) I had a split at the top of the vertical trim piece that holds the hatch boards by the companionway. I was able to spread it enough to put an epoxy –sawdust mixture in the crack and then and then clamp it tightly together. The result is a strong bond and a slightly visible line that on first glance could be taken for the natural grain of the wood. If on the other hand you have wide cracks that can’t be clamped together, then, I think your idea of cutting slivers of teak and gluing them in place and sanding them down is the right way to go. I don’t know about using wood putty for exterior teak because I have never used it but I think you are better off using epoxy because teak is a very oily wood and regular glues don’t hold well. You don’t need much sawdust (I would use SAWdust , not sanding dust because sanding dust will contain bits of emery that will change the color and texture) and if you haven’t been saving sawdust from other teak projects (shame on you) you can look around at woodshops, marinas and west marina dumpsters for a small piece of teak to rasp on. Good Luck.

PS: Justin, on a personal note, I have been trying to email you to re-establish my password for the members only area but haven’t received any response. Can you see what you can do for me.
Thanks

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2008 : 13:15:57

I've never had to do it, but, if you're going try mixing sawdust with epoxy, I think I'd try to stain the sawdust to match what you hope will be the final, finished color of the teak. After you mix it with the epoxy, it won't take stain. If it'll be the natural teak color with a clear finish, it probably won't be a problem.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2008 : 14:07:10

What concerns me a little is that epoxy tends to darken when exposed to sunlight. Maybe the Cetol will retard that... An alternative might be to mix the sawdust into some Cetol to make a paste. It might not be quite as permanent, but that might not be a bad thing.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/31/2008 14:08:24

BADAR2
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Response Posted - 04/03/2008 : 09:20:21

If you are going to fill the teak, I have used the sanding dust mixed with the carpenters glue. It worked great and I put 5 coats of Cetol on it after. It was much easier to work with than the epoxy. I did this two years ago and it is still in great shape. Epoxy is good for fixing fibreglass but you can get water proof gorilla glue that works better especially if you are going to use Cetol.

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PZell
Admiral

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USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 04/03/2008 : 14:13:14

Recently filled crack with natural putty mixed with teak sanding dust. It worked fine but never did get near a match to the rest of the wood. I think if I had used a dark red oak putty the repair would be less noticeable.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.