Association Forum - Cetol needs refreshing

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Cetol needs refreshing

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 2

ddlyle
Captain

Member Avatar

302 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/09/2003 : 08:39:10

Two or three years ago the P.O. put Cetol on their (my) brightwork.
It looks nice and is beginning to get thin in a few places.
So I thought I might lightly sand and re-apply.
Is that what one does with Cetol?

I don't know what "color" Cetol they used.
I wonder how it would react if I chose a different color than what they originally applied.

Cap'n Dave
Sailing The Blues
1986 C25 sr/sk #5413

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2003 : 12:09:33

Dave,
With the amount of time it takes to mask the surrounding gelcoat I apply two coats every-other-year (as oppposed to 1 coat once a year as Cetol prescribes.) I go over the previous coats lightly with 220. As for light spots you might apply one or two coats to those first, then a final coat to all.
You might check with Sikkens regarding compatability of different colors . . .
Good luck.

Edited by - on

seads
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 11:42:20

I have de-oiled, washed, sanded, and re-deoiled and re-washed one of my teak handrails. I'mm going to apply cetol. The guy at my local West Marine suggested a foam brush. Any experience with which sort of brush gives nicest appearance?

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/TR #3408
Charleston Harbor, SC

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 11:49:24

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
The guy at my local West Marine suggested a foam brush. Any experience with which sort of brush gives nicest appearance?<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Hi Stewart,

Although I didn't use Cetol (I used Bristol Finish), I did use foam brushes. Unfortunately, I did not get or use enough. The problem being that the brush breaks down quickly and you are left with little bits of foam embedded in the finish. I discovered that a soft, fine hair paint brush worked better, as long as the finish dried slowly enough for it to naturally self-level. In the future, I will either use less catalyst, to facilitate self-leveling, or I will use soft, fine hair brushes throughout.

J.B. Manley
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d609b3127cce8d2e212441c60000002010" border=0>
Antares '85 FK/SR #4849
36°29'58" -94°59'59"

Edited by - on

cch
Navigator

Members Avatar

202 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 15:29:51

Hi Dave,

I have been using Cetol for several years now. We are in Florida and our nearly tropical weather is really hard on teak.

I also favor 2 or 3 coats every other year versus a coat a year. It is probably because I have a hard time finding time to get to it. I have started a program where my teak is split up into 4 different sections meaning that I take one section and lightly sand and apply 2 or 3 coats. That way I work on one section every six months or so and it never takes that long.

A fine bristle brush is far better than foam. I am a firm believer in using a top quality brush and carefully cleaning the brush after each use. Thinner is cheap when you consider the better job achieved.

Cetol is a great product, holds up well and has made it possible for me to keep my teak in reasonably decent shape. I would never be able to keep up with varnishing. I tried and gave up.

Chris Hunsicker
Panama City FL
Moonglade
80 C25 #2126 sr/sk
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d636b3127cce8c9d4c83e7890000002010" border=0>

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 16:10:35

Hey Dave... Light sanding and touching up is all it takes--an overcoat after the touch-ups is also a good practice. Cetol is totally forgiving--you can just about do anything with it.

If you have a visibly orange color, you have standard Cetol. If the finish looks blonde, you have Cetol Light. Putting Light over regular won't work for you--the reverse should be fine. I prefer the regular for a nice medium-teak color that dresses up the boat. There's also a gloss version (standard is satin) that can be used for a final overcoat if you like that look--I like the satin.

Cetol didn't deteriorate foam brushes for me the way the 2-part varnish did for JB--it seemed to flow nicely from the foam. That allowed me to throw the brush away after each application--a handy thing when working on the boat. I did all but the cockpit bulkhead "wings" off the boat, but will be recoating and touching up on the boat from now on.

You just can't go very wrong...

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

jheard
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
49 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 18:59:01

I recommend using an expensive horse hair or boar hair brush, otherwise, you will be picking bristles out of your work all day long. I have never used a foam brush. I recently reapplied my Cetol. I lightly sanded the finish before applying. There were some bare spots that required extra sanding and a pre-coat touch up with Cetol. Remember to *not* sand between Cetol coats.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 19:28:44

I'm with Dave on this one! (Gee, Dave - that's twice in one day!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>)I always use foam brushes with Cetol - they are dirt cheap, throw away (no clean-up!) and do a very good job.
Derek

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3dc30b3127cce942c608d6f1e0000001010" border=0>
TRFK#2262"This Side Up"

Edited by - on

Bruce Ebling
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
155 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 20:42:13

As long as the thread is on applying Cetol, I do not have a cetol finish now (my teak is finished with a teak oil)and would like to refinish with Cetol next season. What is the best way to prepare the teak for the new finish?
Bruce Ebling
89 WK
"Selah"

Edited by - on

cch
Navigator

Members Avatar

202 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 21:48:54

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
As long as the thread is on applying Cetol, I do not have a cetol finish now (my teak is finished with a teak oil)and would like to refinish with Cetol next season. What is the best way to prepare the teak for the new finish?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Hi Bruce,

My teak was finished with teak oil before switching to Cetol. Teak oil worked fine in Colorado (with plenty of time out of the water) but did not work at all in Florida. I let the teak "weather" for about a year then sanded with 80 grit, followed by 120 grit then followed the directions on the can. Lasted nearly 3 years with no more work. Now just requires a little work to keep up. Great product!

Chris Hunsicker
Panama City FL
Moonglade
80 C25 #2126 sr/sk
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d636b3127cce8c9d4c83e7890000002010" border=0>

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 21:58:25

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
What is the best way to prepare the teak for the new finish?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
The can has pretty detailed instructions... Since you don't have any coating, you only need to sand if you have weathering that will make a rough finish. Otherwise, the instructions say to remove the oil at the surface with acetone. With 18-year-old teak, I decided that was overkill and just sanded the PO's peeling Armada off and put four coats of Cetol on. It's been solid.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

skipn809
Navigator

Members Avatar

111 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2003 : 22:34:01

Dave does it the same way I do. I have done boats with bare teak (years of weathering), to covered with old multiple coats of varnish or Cetol, to Cetol that just needs freshened.

I use the regular satin Cetol, and even use it on the inside teak-- it gives a fresh oiled look with 2 coats. I steel wool between coats. I convinced a powerboater to try it, and he did 3 coats inside, with really nice results.

I live in the midwest, and put on a coat every year after starting with 3 or 4 coats. You can do more or do fewer-- what ever trips your trigger.

By the way,I prefer a foam brush since it has good results, easy clean up (trash can), and I have even used them the next day if I place them in a sandwich baggie between uses when I forget the extra brush on the boat, or get rained out before I get finished. It is forgiving.

Caution-- I made the mistake of sanding old Cetol off hand rails a couple of weeks ago, and not blowing the dust off before I applied a fresh coat. I left the dust lay rather than messing up the finish, thinking I would clean it the next morning. I failed to get back to the boat for a couple of days and found the dew had mixed with the dust and STAINED the cabin top. Tried several cleaners starting with Soft Scrub and ending with acetone and mineral spirits, but it will not come off. Seems to be fading with all the rain, but I may be looking at some wet/dry sanding if I continue to be picky about it.

Nah, it looks like more rain coming. Did I mention I'm a cruiser, not a racer?

PS- My son, (the good one, not the evil one) took photos of the bimini fit under the tall rig today, and is setting up a link for me, if anyone should be interested in seeing how things worked out. Looks like saving those throw away foam brushes, and helping him thru college (he is a grafic designer) may be paying off.

Skip 1985 C-25 T/R #5121 "Corporal Punishment" N.E. Mo.

Edited by - on

seads
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2003 : 00:41:22

OK I applied first coat and used foam brush...seems to have worked great and looks really good. Tried a high quality bristle brush at first, but didn't seem to go on nearly as smoothly or evenly as with foam.

I had teak oil before this. I hate it. It fades very quickly in the blazing South Carolina sun and tended to come out of the wood with rain and stains the deck.

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/TR #3408
Charleston Harbor, SC

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2003 : 10:13:46

I usually touch up my teak by dipping some synthetic steel wool in Cetol and rubbing it on. It burnishes the old finish and applies new Cetol at the same time. Then knock the finish down with a foam brush if desired.

Tip... Diesel makes an excellent brush cleaner/preservative.
Learned this long ago.. a guy on TV was varnishing ultra-high quality boat restorations. He had a 'pet' $100 brush made from Peruvian Badger hair or some such... and kept it suspended in Diesel.

Currently maintaining two holes in the water...'77 Venture 23 and new to the family,
'78 Catalina 25

Edited by - on

RoofRoof
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
186 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2003 : 11:14:32

We refinished all of our teak 1 year ago. At first I used the Regular Cetol, but I didn't like the dark look. So, we started over and used LIGHT Cetol. I think we did 2 or 3 coats, then added 2 or 3 coats of GLOSS Cetol.

WOW!!!

Edited by - on

karentc
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
68 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 08:59:21

Help!
The PO of my boat had Cetol'ed all of the teak and it looked great. Last summer I wanted to touch it up and went into the local West Marine and explained the situation to the local guy, who promptly talked me out of Cetol and into some Epiphanes varnish which as I now know was a huge mistake. Long story short I roughed up the teak, taped it all off and voila! my teak is a sorry mess. I got a couple of coats of the varnish on and now my teak looks like a calico cat with scabies- peeling in some places, really bad. On top of all this, my Dad passed away and I didn't get back to the boat for a month or so to take off all of the blue tape and it bonded with the varnish and the cabin top and this summer was spent with 3M adhesive remover picking off all of the blue bonded tape junk. So next summer is the big redo of the teak finish and what do I do???
Should I take off the teak and take it home or should I refinish it in the spring on the boat? Is it hard to take off? Help!!!
Thanks!

Karen :)

Karen Christensen
Moondance, #5465 1986 C-25, SR, FK, Honda 8
Traverse City, Michigan

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 10:59:22

... voila! my teak is a sorry mess. I got a couple of coats of the varnish on and now my teak looks like a calico cat with scabies- peeling in some places, really bad. - Karen

Hi Karen,

'Sorry to hear about your dad's passing ... I can certainly understand how the boat got put on the back burner for a while.

Anyway, if I were in your shoes, I think I'd take the teak off and refinish it at home. Unfortunately, your sailing season is about over ... refinishing the teak will be a good winter project. Besides, when the sailing season hits again next spring, you won't want to be farting around with the teak ... you'll want to be out on the water!

Most of the exterior teak is easy to take off. The exception is the teak trim around the companionway ... I left that attached for fear I'd ruin the trim getting it off (mine seems to be glued in place with something really tough).

I would suggest you invest in a sander of some sort ... it'll really make the job MUCH easier, and you'll be doing sanding jobs for as long as you own the boat. I have several sanders ... the one I use the most is an orbital sander with round, replaceable discs. If you don't have a sander, ask Santa ... you can get a good one for $50 or $60.

If your teak isn't too pitted, you can start with 150 grit, then finish with 220 grit. Clean the dust off with mineral spirits, then apply Cetol. I use Cetol light, and I like the results. However, I'm tempted to try the gloss finish for the final coat since I've heard good things about it.

When applying the Cetol, remember two important things: 1) many light coats give better results than a couple of sloppy thick ones, and 2) let the Cetol dry completely between coats (at least 24 hours!). Personally, I think it is OK to use some artificial steel wool to sand lightly between coats, but be sure to clean off the dust with some mineral spirits before putting on another coat of Cetol.

BTW, while the teak is off the boat, be sure to stop up the holes for the mounting screws so rain doesn't get into your boat. I used some bathtub silicone that I had lying around the house since I knew it was just temporary ... it was easy to poke out with a screwdriver when it came time to remount the teak.

OK ... that's all I can think of for now ... 'hope that helps.

Good luck!

Buzz Maring
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df23b3127cce9306a9b3abad0000001010" border=0>
~~Freya~~
C-25 SK/SR #68

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 12:13:50

Ok I just have to ask. Why do all of you like Cetol? I used Deks Ole for years and was very happy with it. I boaught some teac wash and oil the other day from my local chandlery and I think it is starbright or something like that, it comes in tall shampoo looking bottles. Why is everyone down on oil? Is the shiney orange stuff I looked at on a boat at the club the other day Cetol? it was on several 25's and a couple other boats. Why would I want teac to look any color other than teac? Does anyone have any comparison pictures?

<img src="http://members.cox.net/fhopper/Catalina25/sigbow.jpg" border=0>Frank and Martha in Wichita KS. Lake Cheney

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 12:18:58

Hi Karen...

That guy at WM should be strung up by his thumbs (I'm being polite).

I did about the same thing as Buzz, including dabbing some caulk in the holes to keep the rain out. I took everthing off except the "wings" at the top of the cockpit bulkhead, since they're screwed and pegged from the outside. Everything else comes off from the inside, including the companionway trim/sliders (which are a bit of a jigsaw puzzle). You may want to tie the sliding hatch down, since it won't be held by the sliding rails. Also, I made a single plywood hatchboard to substitute for the teak boards while I was working on them.

There's a lot of goop around some of the companionway trim--I used a putty knife and some spray-on goop disolver to get it off, and let the sander do the rest on the teak. The rest is easy--I put 4-5 coats on, I don't remember which, sanding very lightly between them. I rebedded everything with polysulfide--using lots under the companionway trim to prevent voids where water could collect and freeze. I now have a new boat!

You can do it--you may not need to do all the sanding I did--just enough to get that _____ _____ varnish off. Then Cetol the bare spots, and then overcoat the whole thing a few times.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 16:27:41

Frank - I had tried every product known to mariners (except pure varnish!) on my teak. The problem with any oil or petroleum based finish is that, in a hot and humid environment they mildew and turn black, and require refinishing every few months. Quite frankly, I'd rather be sailing!<img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>
The advantage of Cetol over several other similar products is that it can be touched up: you don't have to sand back to bare wood each time. If you put a couple of coats of gloss over either regular Cetol, or Cetol Light, it protects the color underneath and makes it look as good as varnish. When it needs touch up, sand lightly and reapply. A lady at the Texas coast, who details boats for a living, told me that Cetol will last at least 6 months longer than varnish in a saltwater environment. One word of warning - when Cetol does start to deteriorate it does so relatively quickly!
Derek

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3dc30b3127cce942c608d6f1e0000001010" border=0>
TRFK#2262"This Side Up"

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 17:02:58

I know you're all proponents of Cetol, but I highly recommend [url="http://www.bristolfinish.com/product_info.htm"]Bristol Finish[/url]. I applied eight coats in one and a half days with no sanding between coats. Also, you can vary the amount of catalyst to suit your particular heat, humidity and scheduling conditions. The finish is supposed to last longer than Cetol, and can be maintained just as easily. Finally, I personally like the finish better than Cetol; more natural.
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d909b3127cce8be210f526260000001610" border=0>

J.B. Manley
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d609b3127cce8d2e212441c60000008010" border=0>
Antares '85 FK/SR #4849
36°29'58" -94°59'59"

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 17:11:21

Gotta admit, it is purdy, JB! But mine is close... <img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 17:27:06

Maybe Cetol Light would be okay, never seen it. I just don't like the orange tone of Cetol, or the way it deteriorates like a peeling sunburn. On our lake, anyway, I've never seen a good Cetol job. Just another one of those many personal preference things, I guess.

J.B. Manley
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d609b3127cce8d2e212441c60000008010" border=0>
Antares '85 FK/SR #4849
36°29'58" -94°59'59"

Edited by - on

Jonathan Cuff
Navigator

Members Avatar

Cayman Island
173 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 18:02:09

It's a job I need to do too. Has anyone tried Interlux Schooner?

Edited by - on

SeabirdSkipper
Deckhand

Members Avatar

12 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 20:34:58

I'm on the "me too" bandwagon. Only I can't figure out WHAT the PO put on my teak -- it's kind of sh_t colored brown and alomst looks like a paint stain! Actually, I'm kind of glad it is peeling off! I'm looking for the closest to natural teak without all the work -- So far J.B's Antares is looking pretty good.

Kelly Gray - 1984 C25 "Seabird" - Gulfport, Fl

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2003 : 22:01:30

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
So far J.B's Antares is looking pretty good.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Well, of course, being that it's the only reference point posted. I mean, Rosie O'Donnell would win the Miss America Pagaent, if she were the only one to show up. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

J.B. Manley
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d609b3127cce8d2e212441c60000008010" border=0>
Antares '85 FK/SR #4849
36°29'58" -94°59'59"

Edited by - on

Page: of 2

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

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.