# Teak Varnish Removal?



## frjeff (Jun 13, 2011)

All of the teak (toe rails, hatch guides, handholds) on my "new" Montgomery 15 is varnished, but in need of work.
I could sand and refinish with many ore coats of varnish, but I believe
I would like to strip it all and treat with Cetol.
Is sanding off the varnish my only or best option?
Paint strippers/remover I suspect would not be good for the deck glass, correct?

Thanks for sharing your expertise.


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## nickel25788 (Jan 18, 2012)

*removing varnish*

Use a heat gun and a plastic razor comes off like butter.


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## frjeff (Jun 13, 2011)

Do you mean a plastic disposable razor like I shave with?
Would I be scraping with the blade or just the plastic edge of the razor?


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Pretty sure he means a plastic scraper. Reduces the chance of gouging the wood.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

Be very very careful with a heat gun. remove what you can remove and work on it away from the boat.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Use citrus gel and some good furniture scrapers and then sand


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## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

Pappy's got it right...furniture scrapers are best for this. Make sure you get one with rounded corners for getting into tight places, curves and crannies.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

I used 3m Safest Stripper, varnish came right off. You can mask off the deck if you are worried about damaging the gelcoat.


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## H and E (Sep 11, 2011)

I did my me the hard way. I removed all the teak and sanded. Re-installed with new bedding. I used teak oil and keep a can in the boat to touch up occasionally. Hopefully that will eliminate the need to re-finish again.


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## CorvetteGuy (Jun 4, 2011)

Small broken peices of glass works very well. Held on the proper angle it peels off the old with no chance of gouging the teak. I used it on the combing and toe rails on a shark, took no time at all with little effort. Just don't cut your hands.


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## frjeff (Jun 13, 2011)

Went to work today and got the toe rails stripped, per all of the good advice here. Followed with 80, 100 and 220 grit sanding. Will clean/lighten next and then refinish in Cetol/Sikkens ( I believe).
Still have companionway hatch slides and hand holds to do. Will leave hatch boards and hatch board slide rails bright worked.

Here's a before and after:


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## sailprudence (Jul 7, 2011)

I loved our M15. I've had a 12, 15 and 17 in our family over the years and they are all really cool looking and sailing boats. I really enjoy using a card (cabinet) scraper for removing varnish. It not only goes pretty quickly but you don't use harsh chemicals nor does it make any light dust that you'll be breathing. It's actually quite hypnotic once you get into the groove. I made a little video showing how I do it (



). It's cheap and easy to learn and in the end you'll have acquired a new skill. Enjoy the Monty.


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## PorFin (Sep 10, 2007)

Nice video, SP.

There are real benefits for using a card scraper. First, cleaning up afterwards is much easier. The shavings (that haven't yet blown away) are way easier to clean up than sawdust or stripper residue. Second, it's usually faster. 

But the major plus for me is that as long as you're careful, you are simultaneously removing finish and leveling your surface. A good sharp scraper acts as a very small smoothing plane. In fact, if you take the time to keep it sharp, you can often skip sanding altogether. 

The key is in using a sharp scraper. Take the time to learn how to true the face and turn a burr on the edge.


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