finishing white oak for a marine environment
Ethan
panel for my boat. As this is my first real woodworking project I was
looking for some advice on finishing it. While the boat is pretty dry when
running, it does get soaked during the wash down after every outing. I would
like to finish this piece in a darker finish while preserving the appearance
of the grain if possible. I would also like to make sure the final piece can
with stand getting washed down. Highly water resistant might suffice. Any
help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hoff Stuart
Just my 2 cents,
Hoff Stuart
Mitch
that much moisture, no matter the finish - it moves too much creating
hairline cracks which allow water (and mold) to get in, aggravating the
problem.
Mitch
Steve Dillon
"Ethan" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote:
> I have finally completed the cutting, routing, and sanding of an
instrument
> panel for my boat. As this is my first real woodworking project I was
> looking for some advice on finishing it. While the boat is pretty dry
when
> running, it does get soaked during the wash down after every outing. I
would
> like to finish this piece in a darker finish while preserving the
appearance
> of the grain if possible. I would also like to make sure the final
piece can
> with stand getting washed down. Highly water resistant might suffice.
Any
> help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
>
My typical prep for boat wood is a couple of coats of epoxy (has a very
slight yellowish color, you can get a special harder that is clearer).
The epoxy builds up very quickly and gives a great gloss. For boating
you must apply 3+ coats of spar varnish to protect the epoxy from UV.
I usually am working on teak, which I don't stain. With stain make a
test piece and see how the epoxy and stain interact.
Re. Oak vs Teak, Mahogany.. I haven't used oak on a boat, but a quick
search on Deja News powersearching rec.boats.building I found this:
An excerpt from "Wood: a manual for its use as a shipbuilding material"
The white oaks differ from the red oaks in that their heartwood is more
decay resistant;the heartwood pores, except in chestnut Oak,
(Q.prinus), are plugged with tyloses, which are much less numerous in
most red oaks. This tylose growth accounts for the greater tightness of
the white oaks grain against water and other liquids. White oak is much
preferred for most shipbuilding purposes but if pressure-preservative
treatment is practacable,red oak is suitable.
end quote.
So get a good seal on it with the epoxy and keep it out of UV when at
the dock.
--
Steve Dillon s/v Eureka
steved <at> mad <dot> scientist <dot> com
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Chris Palmer
gloss is much like spar varnish, Cetol satin is better for decks where a
glossy surface would be hazardous.
Like spar varnish you must renew the finish every year, but you don't
need to sand and the Cetol stands up much better to the elements. Cetol
is loaded with UV inhibitors and is sort of a golden brown colour.
White oak was not the best choice for a control panel, because oak turns
black wherever moisture gets through. And eventually, it will. You will
have to be especially careful to keep the finish in good condition. Oak
is mostly used for frames, keel, bows to support the deck, that is to
say, interior, painted, uses where strength is needed.
Hope this is of some help. You might also try rec.boats.building.
Marc Ries
Marc Ries
"Hoff Stuart" <hhst...@ma.ultranet.com> wrote in message
news:389F8FBA...@ma.ultranet.com...
> It sounds like spar varnish would work for this.
>
> Just my 2 cents,
>
> Hoff Stuart
>
C1b...@webtv.net
for finishing it and then use a marine varnish to protect ti from uv.
Measured it twice, cut it off 3 times,, and it was still too short
Bob
Walt Akers
I use Valspar Marine Spar Varnish for all bright work
above the waterline. It's sufficiently flexible to prevent most
cracks from occurring. Put it on generously - and recoat every
few years.
If you roll the boat in the surf - well, just don't leave it
down too long...
Walt
Ethan wrote:
>
> I have finally completed the cutting, routing, and sanding of an instrument
> panel for my boat. As this is my first real woodworking project I was
> looking for some advice on finishing it. While the boat is pretty dry when
> running, it does get soaked during the wash down after every outing. I would
> like to finish this piece in a darker finish while preserving the appearance
> of the grain if possible. I would also like to make sure the final piece can
> with stand getting washed down. Highly water resistant might suffice. Any
> help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
--
=============================================================
Walt Akers Voice: (757)269-7669 E-Mail: ak...@jlab.org
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
12000 Jefferson Avenue, MS 16A
Newport News, Va 23606
=============================================================
Paul T. Radovanic
> I use Valspar Marine Spar Varnish for all bright work
>above the waterline. It's sufficiently flexible to prevent most
>cracks from occurring. Put it on generously - and recoat every
>few years.
I absolutely love that product. It is one of the easiest varnishes to
apply, and it holds up and looks good. I use if for all varnish
applications except indoor tabletops.
>If you roll the boat in the surf - well, just don't leave it
>down too long...
Depends on your insurance policy, no? ;o)
Paul Rad
Joe Blow
>I have finally completed the cutting, routing, and sanding of an instrument
>panel for my boat. As this is my first real woodworking project I was
>looking for some advice on finishing it. While the boat is pretty dry when
>running, it does get soaked during the wash down after every outing. I would
>like to finish this piece in a darker finish while preserving the appearance
>of the grain if possible. I would also like to make sure the final piece can
>with stand getting washed down. Highly water resistant might suffice. Any
>help would be appreciated.
>
>Thanks
>
>
If you had not already cut, routed and sanded I would give you the
same advice as another poster here--use teak or mahogany as the
movement of the oak will cause hairline cracks which will allow
moisture to enter. When that happens whatever coatings you have put
on the piece will fail. Failure means that water will reach the bare
wood. When water (especially salt water) reaches oak it turns it a
nasty black color. White oak is considered an excellent choice for
boat building, particularly in framing but it is not the right choice
for exposed "brightwork."
There have been suggestions that you use Cetol. This is an excellent
product that I have used extensively for teak decks but, to my mind,
it is not the right choice for something like an instrument panel
which is considered, in yachting terms, "brightwork." Cetol, to
anyone who knows what brightwork is supposed to look like, will never
stand up to varnish. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not deprecating
Cetol. It is a relatively new product and is absolutely wonderful,
but it does not look like varnish to anyone who knows.
Others have suggested using West System epoxy as an undercoat to be
followed by two or three coats of spar varnish to provide the U.V.
protection. Epoxy, if not overcoated, will not stand up to UV. It
will fail and fail fairly quickly. Epoxy undercoating will be fine if
you never allow the piece to degrade to the point where stripping and
refinishing will be required because you will then have to get the
expoy, itself, off. You will only remove epoxy by scraping or
sanding. There are no known chemical removers for epoxy. Stripping
epoxy off brightwork is no easy job.
So, what should you do? My advice would be to remake the piece,
using teak (1st choice) or mahogany (2nd). If you are unwilling to do
this I would suggest you use Epifanes varnish which is available from
West Marine or Boats U.S. (both have retail stores around the country
as well as mail order through 800 numbers). Apply the Epifanes as per
the directions on the can.
Joe
Gregg Germain
must be used in the marine envirenment and so
the checking and movement has to be dealt with.
For example, the sheer strake on my Herreshoff S-boat must be oak as
it's an important structural member.
Therefore, to handle the checking etc, it is liberally bathed in
linseed oil every year. This gets into those cracks and helps preserve
it. It is also varnished.
--- Gregg
"Eschew surplusage."
gr...@head-cfa.harvard.edu
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Mark Twain
Phone: (617) 496-7237
Rob Weaver
> <snip>
> For example, the sheer strake on my Herreshoff S-boat must be oak as
> it's an important structural member.
V-e-r-y nice AND stealthy drive by gloat, Sir ;^>
Oh yeah, and nobody noticed that Smithsonian Astrophysics whatever tag
line either, you betcha.
A lesser person would say that you suck.
Fair winds,
Rob Weaver
Gregg Germain
: Gregg Germain slithered in with:
:> <snip>
:
:> For example, the sheer strake on my Herreshoff S-boat must be oak as
:> it's an important structural member.
: V-e-r-y nice AND stealthy drive by gloat, Sir ;^>
years and years of newsreader practice ;^)
: Oh yeah, and nobody noticed that Smithsonian Astrophysics whatever tag
: line either, you betcha.
I love giving my business card out to women ;^)
: A lesser person would say that you suck.
Must be LOTS of "lesser" people around ;^)
: Fair winds,
Same to you Rob
: Rob Weaver
--
Joseph Palazzolo
http://www.systemthree.com/
and get their sample package which will include their how-to book.