Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.
This week's teak restore project was my companionway ladder. It was a real mess and sorta typical of much of my poor, neglected teak.
Here it is before....stained, discolored, the step pads dry rotted and peeling up.
After 3 1/2 hours of sanding, hands numb and tingly from my B&D Mouse:
And finally, the finished ladder. Instead of cheap pads or stick on sandpaper tape, I got some nice raw teak, 3/8 thick, and trimmed the pieces to fit the steps where the old pads were. I'll leave them raw (maybe oil once in a while) for good grip and let them weather naturally. I can easily unscrew them for refinish or replacement. Better choice than dealing with ruinous adhesive goo.
This was, in a way, harder than the cabinets. I didn't want to drill out any bungs and take the ladder apart, so I had to manhandle it while sanding and tough to get to places were a bear.
Scott
When we left, we had just enough fuel to make it to San Juan. And now... we are out of fuel!
Little brass wood screws with finishing collars. I got a box of 100 for $10 so when they start to discolor or corrode I can just back out the old one and put in a shiney new one. They look really elegant with the finished teak. They're inside and a fresh water environment so I should get decent time out of them.
The pads have really good grip now being unfinished. Down the line, if they start to dry out and look like they'll crack, I'd oil them.....but....just a really light coat that soaks in to moisturize the wood....not enough to make them slick or track oil around. As long as they should last, actually I may never need to do that. I could also just replace them. Once I had them cut to fit and the edges rounded, it only took like 15 minutes to install them...
They look like they stick up a bit? When it's warm enough here, we're usually barefoot on the boat, have you tried going up and down the ladder in bare feet? I don't mean to throw cold water on your project, it still looks fabulous, but I'd worry about how kind the screws and collars would be on bare feet.
Joe - You got to be kidding me ! I looked at the before and after shot of the steps and it is hard to believe you restored those steps ! I think you went out and bought a new upgrade of the original steps ! It just looks too good !! Fantastic project !!
I think everyone that comes onboard is to remove their shoes/sneakers before they enter onto those steps !!
Thanks again guys...you should see it on the boat! With the refinished galley cabinets, the ladder really shines. Tonight I brought home the pin rail galley shelf, teak plate under ladder, port and starboard pin rail and the bulkhead between the galley and port side settee. I'll get some before/after pics.
The screws are tapered phillips, flat top, for countersink installs. They sit down flush in the finishing collars, which provide a very smooth surround for them. No issues whatsoever in bare feet
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. 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.