# Cetol on Teak



## Shack (Sep 5, 2006)

Anyone out there have good/bad experiences unsing Cetol as a finish for teak? I just used some, and I think I like the look of it. Don't know how long it will last or how it will wear.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have used cetol extensively on two boats. I switched to the cetol light as the color was far less orange than the original. It will never match the beauty of real varnish but the maintenance is simple. You need to apply at least 3-4 coats to get some abrasion resistance as the finish is rather soft. I do a light sanding annually with a coarse scotch pad and a single coat applicaton. If any spots wear through from impact or abrasion I just spot apply a couple coats sanding in between to fair it in. Hope this helps.


----------



## jmencel (Sep 24, 2006)

I'm also a Cetol fan. I use the light colour as well. After 3 or 4 coats, I finish the job with a coat or 2 of cetol gloss. Touch ups are easy. My cabintop grabrails were done this way 2 seasons ago and they still look like they were just done. For best results, strip the teak and wipe with acetone (to get the surface oil out which is a natural part of teak) before applying. I don't bother sanding between coats.


----------



## sailandoar (Mar 20, 2006)

*Armada*

I'm not a fan of Cetol but I have never heard anything bad about it except not liking the way it looks. Longevity seems very good.

I am using Armada and like it.


----------



## EagleSailtwo (Jul 28, 2006)

I have gone back to teak oil (I put several coats on) for toe rails, bow pulpit, and cabin trunk moldings, the cockpit coaming and companionway hatch and doors, will be varnished. 

While the Cetol seems to be somewhat less involving for maintenance, you still will need sand and re coat eventually.


----------



## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Same here, teak oil


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

To those that use teak oil - did you find that the oil eventually oxidized and blackened the exposed to weather teak? 

After a complete stripping, our teak has been protected with Cetol Light for two years now and I'm satisfied to have made to right decision. Varnishing would have involved 10-12 initial coats plus two-three additional coats each year. Four intial coats of Cetol and one annual maintenance coat (after a light Scotch-Brite rub), was all that was needed. 

On the other hand, after just one summer & two coats, the Swedish formula ($$$) teak oil I applied to the aft deck folding table, has blackened and is ugly! As easy as it is to apply, I'm considering other options for next year.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'm surprised that Surfesq hasn't commented on Cetol. He doesn't like Cetol at all.


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Cetol Advantages:
1. Lasts longer than varnish
2. Easy to touch up with no sanding required
Cetol Disadvantages:
1. Doesn't look quite as good as varnish initially
2. Really gets ugly looking over time with multiple coats.

Solution:
Sand teak w/ 200 grit to bare wood as prep.
Do 2 coats of Cetol
Do 2 coats of Cetol gloss...looks wonderful!
Touch up as needed over time with gloss.
Do full gloss re-coat as finish dulls in 6m. - 1yr.
Looks close to varnish and never darkens.


----------



## mikeronie (Jul 6, 2004)

Something to think about. Sand all finish off, apply 2 or 3 coats of varnish then cover with 2 to 3 coats of Cetol gloss. I have seen 2 boats done this way it looks great. What you have is the best of both worlds. I am going to do it this winter.
Mike


----------



## Shack (Sep 5, 2006)

I think I'll try the Cetol light on some other portions of the boat - my boss (she) wasn't digging the color right away either, but it didn't look too bad though. So we used it on the trim to our Coape Dory.

From the people on this forum- it sounds pretty durable with some touch up here and there over time.


----------



## jgeltz (May 11, 2006)

Was slipped next to a gentleman this summer who was refinishing his teak. He was using Cetol for the first time and was extremely upset over how the color turned out. I was there specifically to finish my teak and was using Epifanes clear varnish. The difference between our two finishes was striking. In my humble opinion, if you are going to make the time to sand, tape and prep your exterior wood, why not use varnish and make your boat look like a million bucks rather than a tangerine color?


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I use Cetol for my toe-rail cap. I use it instead of rebedding the cap. Varnish will not stay on for more than a month because of moisture intrusion from underneath. But Cetol works. I like the looks of varnish better, but not enough to remove and rebed the cap. 
If the finish is in good shape, a good wash down with a detergent is all the prep you need for the annual maintainence coat. If not, a scrub with a coarse scotch pad will suffice.
Follow the can directions and get a good base. Then annual maintanence coats are easy and the job will last a LONG time.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

You guys are crazy. Cetol blows. It doesn't last and it has the George Hamilton in mid-winter orange thing going. 
Varnish is superior. Yes, it is more difficult to apply and it takes 7 coats. But it looks much better and is easier to maintain over time. You just sand lightly and re-coat.


----------



## Gene T (May 23, 2006)

I see little difference between original Cetol and brown/orange paint, except that paint last better. When the Cetol goes bad it is horrible to remove. I know some say the new Cetol light looks better but I have not used it or seen it. I have used poly, spar, epoxy underneath and a product called sunshield. I have ended up using spar varnish. Use what you want, you will get a chance to do it over again anyway, and again, and again........


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

For us the decision to use cetol was simply a matter of time. we've done both on various boats. There was no way I had the time, after sanding and scraping all the exterior teak on our Tartan 30, to put 7 to 10 coats of epifanes on it. There is no question that varnish looks better, if you have the time do it. however cetol looks ok and it's done. We'd rather be sailing. Jim L


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

You anti-cetol guys are either nuts or not familiar with how the job done right can turn out. Again...no question that varnish looks SLIGHTLY better while being a major pain (been there!) but here's how mine turned out with 2 coats of regular Cetol and then gloss Cetol on bare wood. The trick is not to use any more regular Cetol...just touch up with gloss to maintain the look. I've done my toe rail, hand rails and eyebrow this way and all surfaces have held up well, though the rounded hand rails seem to need more frequent attention.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Camaraderie: You are a stud, your wife is cute, nice boat. But your teak is orange!


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Surf,
What is it they say about people who live in glass houses?

http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/watermark.php?file=692&size=1

Your varnish work looks way more orange than my Cetol . . . pretty ugly too, considering all the labor you put into it.










This picture was taken after two seasons with just three coats of Cetol light. My plan is to apply one coat of Cetol Clear (gloss) as a maintenance coat each season - just after a light Scotch-Brite rubbing.

Don't listen to all those varnish junkies - they're just trying to justify being masochistic.


----------



## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

TrueBlue said:


> To those that use teak oil - did you find that the oil eventually oxidized and blackened the exposed to weather teak?


No, not at all and I used Watco Marine teak oil, however, my wife though never really liked the look of hand rubbed finish, ( didn't hate it either ) she really likes the High gloss, so guess what ?? I gotta try & find a Gloss finish that will last awhile and is compatible with teak oil or I start from fresh scratch


----------



## Parley (Jul 13, 2006)

Camradarie, that is one beautiful boat. I've been admiring her for a while now.  I financed an Irwin 43 for a guy who lost his previous yawl to Hurricane Dennis in '04. Looks like I'll be on her for the Pineapple Cup this coming February. I can't wait. I'll get to sail the Irwin and get my first "real" offshore racing experience.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Camaradarie, that is a pretty boat indeed.  It's too bad none of us have the self esteem to go with the healthiest and lowest maintenence teak finish: nothing! I just can't do'it captain!


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

True Blue: You crack me up! Look, here is the difference. It is a simulation, you can't see the wood grain because it is stained that George Hamilton color. I am not saying it looks bad, but you have so much teak. Imagine how beautiful it would look if you could see all of that beautiful grain! But if you are not committed enough to your boat to put in the extra time and care...that is fine. It's a personal choice.

Besides...that picture you posted of my boat is only after two or three coats!! But maybe you are right...Cetol does look like an incomplete varnish job... I am surprised you did not show this picture of a section with 7 coats!

http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/showphoto.php/photo/691/cat/526


----------



## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

Its not the teak oil itself that blackens, its the dirt that it catches that causes darkening. 

I attack it with some scouring powder with bleach, and a nylon floor brush & water. After it dries, the Cuban and the Boy reapply teak oil. Done once, maybe twice a year.


----------



## Shack (Sep 5, 2006)

*Cetol*

The more I read here, the more I think I like the Cetol.


----------



## capn_dave (Feb 17, 2000)

*Cetol?*

Ahoy Mates,

My experiance with Cetol here if Florida is, it dosent hold up for more than 6 months, hard to remove, and that orange color is no better than an orange paint. The clear is much better but that dosent hold up any better. That being said I have tried varnish and it realy dosent hold up much better, and alot more work, but looks alot better. I have used Armada another finnish, The color is better than Cetol, holds up better and easier to repair. When I say holds up better it might of been a few more months before recoating. 
I am now doing some testing with a product called Honey Teak, it looks promsing. It has been on 6 months with no signs of wear or chipping. It seems more durable than any product I have used before, It will take a hit and not chip or really scratch that easily. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
One last product that has had some good comments form our customers is a product called Bristol Finnish. I have not tried it but ordered some to do a test with also. 
I feel if any product holds up in the sun here, it will work anywhere.
For now I will say, unless your a glutten for work with alot of time on your hands, use what you like, as for me I am starting to like grey, and stainless more and more.

Fair Winds

Cap'n Dave


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Thanks for your contribution Cap'n. As with all open forum discussions, no two opinions will be alike and undisputed testimony will authenticate true responses. 

I would ask for photo documentation to support your claims, but judging by that obviously phoney paste-up job you did on your profile picture, who would believe it?


----------



## ehmanta (Sep 12, 2006)

*cetol*

I have had good success with the residential Sikkens Cetol. Sikkens produces many different colors through their residential lines that are not available as a marine product. I usually get multiple seasons out of two or three coats. It is easy to sand and re-apply. The main reason of going to the residential grade besides better color choices is the price: +/_ $30/gal as opposed to $30/qt for marine grade.


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

The 2 part Bristol finish looks great and last a long time BUT it lifts at the edges and starts to peel and then is a major chore. The folks I know who have tried it loved it initially but wouldn't use it again.
The residential Cetol doesn't have the UV inhibitors and it not a good choice for long life in the tropics unless you put something on top of it.


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

TrueBlue-
"To those that use teak oil - did you find that the oil eventually oxidized and blackened " AFAIK real teak oil does NOT do this. Unboiled linseed oil is notorious for doing this, as are several other kinds. But plain mineral oil is another alternative that won't decay and blacken. So is "lemon oil" which is often a synthetic these days as well. And I'm told that BOILED linseed oil won't blacken the way the natural version does--but I don't want to find out.

If you use too much of any oil and it accumulates dirt, it may seem to blacken. With teak of any kind, natural weathering exposes the soft pores in the wood so yes, it can also accumulate a bit of dirt, but those pores/ridges are also why it it naturally non-skid. A little mild soap (not detergent) and water with a soft brush can help keep the pores clean, but they're just going to fill again anyway.

I like teak oil, even though there are a lot of products sold under that name. (How many really are squeezed from teak trees?<G>) I think the trick is to apply it judiciously so it all soaks in, and if you can use a terrycloth rag because that also catches more of the surface dirt in the cloth.

If I wanted to spend time putting hard "coatings" over wood...I'd just replace the wood with plastic and be done with it. Unless I could afford a full-time varnish carpenter aboard, to keep things looking all proper Bristol and Yachtie.<G>


----------



## WilWait (May 4, 2009)

*Residential Sikkens Cetol instead of Marine Cetol*

Would Residential type Cetol hold up as well as Marine in a salt free lake environment?

After a little research I came up with the combination of Cetol 1 (Natural Light) with "Cetol 23 Plus" as a protective coat. I have the feeling that Cetol Marine Gloss might have a higher gloss though.

Anyone have good results with residential Cetol?

Thanks.

Wil


----------



## WilWait (May 4, 2009)

*ehmanta -- are you happy using residential Cetol*

Hi ehmanta:

In 2009, are you still satisfied with residential Cetol instead of Marine Cetol?

Thanks

Wil


----------



## DwayneSpeer (Oct 12, 2003)

*Practical Sailor*

Practical Sailor just published their results from a 6 month test of lots of oils and varnishes on deck. Surprisingly, one of the best was Ace Hardware Gloss Spar Varnish and, of course, it's a lot less expensive that stuff you get at a marine store. AND a great advantage for many of us is that multiple coats can be applied over a weekend as the recoat time is only 4 hours.


----------



## Quickstep192 (Jan 6, 2001)

I've used Cetol for the past ten years or so and I think I'm ready for a change. Although it does tend to last fairly long, when it starts to go bad, it goes bad in a hurry and there's no fix but to sand and scrape back to bare wood. If I'm going to do that again, I'm going to go with something that doesn't require sanding when the finish fails. For one thing, I'm running out of wood. My coamings which were probably 13/16" thick when I got the boat are now just 5/8". 

I read that the black crud that gets on oiled teak is airborne pollutants getting stuck onto the oil. The same book advocated Semco or Teak Wonder since they're silicone, not oil based and don't attract the crud like oil does. This is a somewhat heavy decision, because silicone can cause major adhesion problems for varnish. Before using Cetol, I used the Semco; it had to be done every year, but it was easier than the work required to strip and re-apply Cetol. 

Ultimately, I'd like to get a boat lift and rig up a canopy of sorts to keep the sun off of everything.


----------



## mgmhead (Jan 14, 2007)

I'll look forward to this conversation coming up again in ... oh, 2012 I guess. I've just finished stripping, sanding, applying three coats of Cetol Light and two coats of Cetol Gloss to my toerails, eyebrows, coamings, companionway and hand rails. In two or three years I'll be able to tell if I made a mistake or not. Hoping the annual maintenance routine will provide a loooong lasting finish. And, with even three coats of Cetol Ligh on the teak I can still see the grain. So there.

Fair Winds to all...MGM


----------



## fendertweed (Apr 4, 2003)

fishboyneil said:


> I have used cetol extensively on two boats. I switched to the cetol light as the color was far less orange than the original. It will never match the beauty of real varnish but the maintenance is simple. You need to apply at least 3-4 coats to get some abrasion resistance as the finish is rather soft. I do a light sanding annually with a coarse scotch pad and a single coat applicaton. If any spots wear through from impact or abrasion I just spot apply a couple coats sanding in between to fair it in. Hope this helps.


this is my experience, too, I recommend it...


----------



## mgiguere (May 22, 2004)

We just stripped 5 years worth of Cetol off our wood and went back to Watco teak oil. It looks great and doesn't stain the wood and cover the grain like cetol does. 
\
Moe


----------



## drfreddie (Jan 15, 2008)

I just put the first coat of Natural Teak on today of the grab and toe rails. Then a nice big thunder storm hit. I have few water spots yet I'm quite please with first coat look.

I plan to do another coat and then clear high gloss coats until I get sick of doing it. LOL

Prep is so important tape really good. You'll be glad as you start putting it on.


----------



## WilWait (May 4, 2009)

*"last-n-last" Ultra Gold Spar Varnish"*

Thanks Dwayne.

Would this be the product you're thinking about?

"LAST-N-LAST" ULTRA GOLD SPAR VARNISH"

ABSOLUTE COATINGS 94001 "LAST-N-LAST" ULTRA GOLD SPAR VARNISH 1GALLON - GLOSS

I just want to make sure...

By the way, I tried to find the published results by Practical Sailor and couldn't even find their web site. Can anybody help with both these questions?

Thanks.

Wil

[/SIZE][/FONT]



DwayneSpeer said:


> Practical Sailor just published their results from a 6 month test of lots of oils and varnishes on deck. Surprisingly, one of the best was Ace Hardware Gloss Spar Varnish and, of course, it's a lot less expensive that stuff you get at a marine store. AND a great advantage for many of us is that multiple coats can be applied over a weekend as the recoat time is only 4 hours.


----------



## WilWait (May 4, 2009)

*Absolute Coatings "last-n-last" Marine And Door Spar Varnish*

This is more like it.

Absolute Coatings "last-n-last" Marine And Door Spar Varnish

Or is it?

Here's the description:

ABSOLUTE COATINGS 50704 "LAST-N-LAST" MARINE AND DOOR SPAR VARNISH 1Qt. - HIGH GLOSS


----------



## WilWait (May 4, 2009)

*Practical Sailor, Ace Hardware Gloss Spar Varnish and Last N Last 5074 ?*

Thanks again Dwayne. Would you be kind enough to provide me with the URL for Practical Sailor please?

And meanwhile, if one of you has read the results of their 6 month tests on oils and varnishes ...

would it be possible to confirm that their recommendation of 
"Ace Hardware Gloss Spar Varnish " is the same as this product from Ace Hardware?

LAST N LAST MARINE & DOOR SPAR VARNISH 
ABSOLUTE 50704 -- HIGH GLOSS

Thanks again Dwayne.

Wil



DwayneSpeer said:


> Practical Sailor just published their results from a 6 month test of lots of oils and varnishes on deck. Surprisingly, one of the best was Ace Hardware Gloss Spar Varnish and, of course, it's a lot less expensive that stuff you get at a marine store. AND a great advantage for many of us is that multiple coats can be applied over a weekend as the recoat time is only 4 hours.


----------



## SundancerKid (Dec 21, 2008)

I do quite a bit of volunteer work on a couple of heritage ships for a heritage fleet here in Sydney (see shf.org.au )

They use Cetol gloss extensively (most of the timber work on their square rigger, for instance). Earlier this year we stripped and recoated the handrails on the steam tug. Removing the Cetol was easy - a hot air gun and a triangular scraper gets it off in no time (the Cetol goes soft when heated and is easy to scrape back to bare timber). Just got to be careful not to leave the air gun in one spot so long that you char the timber! I've been told that a quick recoat is something they try to do annually. A complete strip back is pretty rare and is usually caused more by damage than anything else.

After that, I decided to do the rub and handrails on my boat. Six coats later, they look great. They've been through one Australian summer now and still look a treat.


----------



## Quickstep192 (Jan 6, 2001)

SundancerKid said:


> I do quite a bit of volunteer work on a couple of heritage ships for a heritage fleet here in Sydney (see shf.org.au )
> 
> Removing the Cetol was easy - a hot air gun and a triangular scraper gets it off in no time (the Cetol goes soft when heated and is easy to scrape back to bare timber). Just got to be careful not to leave the air gun in one spot so long that you char the timber! .


Terrific tip. Do you have any experience using the heat gun on teak that's near an Awlgrip paint job? I wonder if it would damage the paint....


----------



## DwayneSpeer (Oct 12, 2003)

*Practical Sailor*

You can't get all the info for free but you can buy back articles from them for $10.00 at Practical Sailor. Yes the varnish mentioned is the same that you can buy at ACE Hardware. Specifically they used the small can which is marked "Ace Spar Varnish Gloss, item 16373". The quart can and gallon can carry a different item number.

I bought some of the varnish from ACE and intend to use it this Spring after the rains quit for a while.


----------



## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

SundancerKid said:


> I do quite a bit of volunteer work on a couple of heritage ships for a heritage fleet here in Sydney (see shf.org.au )
> 
> They use Cetol gloss extensively (most of the timber work on their square rigger, for instance).


Question, I'm using Cetol Marine and Cetol Gloss on our boat and it looks great, I need to refinish all my spars ( spruce ) so I contacted Interlux and ask if Gloss could be used alone and I was told no, that it's formulated as a Gloss topcoat for the color base coats

So my question to you is, did you use the Cetol base coats or did you use the Clear all by itself


----------



## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

*Cetol Marine Natural Teak*

According to the propaganda from Interlux, they have a new product called "Cetol Marine Natural Teak." The brochure says:



> Cetol Marine Natural teak is the lightest color and also does not have the amber appearance when compared wit Cetol marine and Cetol marine Light.


It also said that it will bring out the grain and natural look of the wood. It does have the UV inhibitors and something they refer to as "Next Wave Technology.".

My boat has very little wood. It does not even have hand rails, and I may add some later, but for now I just have wood around the companion way and under the blocks that lead lines aft. The PO told me he used Cetol Marine and he gave me a leftover can that is God knows how old. The wood does have an orange color which I don't care for.

I was able to remove two of the pieces of wood to bring home. The Cetol was in horrible shape, with big chips and pealing from the edges. That may not be a reflection on the Cetol, as I don't know how many coats were applied or how long ago, or if the wood was properly prepped.

I used 40 grit sand paper and a sanding block and it all came right off easily. I then used 120 grit and will finish off with 200.

So now, I have to decide what to put on it. I hate that amber color, but I hate caring for wood as much. The new Cetol Marine Natural Teak sounds promising. Has anyone tried it? How does it look? I might give it a try along with the Cetol Gloss.


----------



## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Ah, I just found this thread...

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/53940-sikkens-cetol-marine-natural-teak-2.html

Seems like the color is okay...


----------



## SundancerKid (Dec 21, 2008)

poopdeckpappy said:


> So my question to you is, did you use the Cetol base coats or did you use the Clear all by itself


To be honest pappy, I just grab the can of Cetol and I've never really taken much notice! My guess is that it is the Cetol Marine but I'll be out there this weekend and so will try to remember to check it out.


----------



## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

Ditto all the thoughts on the new (somewhat new) "Natural Teak". Its a very nice apperance and easy (like all the Cetol) to work with.

This was shortly after the first coat was applied.
Second coat is now been applied and we will continue with a couple of more coats. I am not sure I want to use the gloss as others have. We will wait and decide later.


----------



## lancelot9898 (Dec 30, 2008)

For the past decade, I've used the regular Cetrol on my 37 ft Tayana and with regular yearly maintenance it has held up well. The negative was after several of years of buildup, it assumed a dark color. I'm not sure if the darkness was due to the buildup or the ageing of the covering with the sun UV. A friend used the Cetrol Light on his boat and it had an awful orange hue to it from day one. Last spring I decided to redo the teak and with a heat gun in hand and a scrapper, all the cetrol was removed. I then tried the new Cetrol Natural product and it looks great. Time will tell if the sun or yearly maintenance will change the color, but after one year and the yearly recoat, it's doing well. I did not apply the gloss over the coat since it looks good enough and I don't believe the gloss will hold up as well as the base coat. The other thing that I did was not to recoat the cockpit seats with Cetrol. I used Semco Natural oil instead since the Cetrol was somewhat slick when wet.


----------



## ronbo1 (Feb 17, 2007)

Lancelot,
The darkening/orange color you mention is a buildup of too many coats of Cetol Marine or Cetol Light. That's the idea behind Cetol Gloss, it's a clear coat you apply as a maintenance coat (yearly) over the Cetol base coats so the grain continues to show through year after year.
Ronbo


----------



## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Today I returned my can of Cetol Marine and picked up a can of Cetol Marine Natural Teak. I also got some thinner to wipe the wood down with.

After I sanded the wood, I noticed that it still seems to have an orange tinge to it. I don't know what kind of wood it is, although it may be teak but it is kind of soft.

Has anyone who sanded their wood after using Cetol noticed that it permiated the wood and made it orange even after a heavy sanding, or is it that my wood is actually a bit orange?


----------



## lancelot9898 (Dec 30, 2008)

ronbo1 said:


> Lancelot,
> The darkening/orange color you mention is a buildup of too many coats of Cetol Marine or Cetol Light. That's the idea behind Cetol Gloss, it's a clear coat you apply as a maintenance coat (yearly) over the Cetol base coats so the grain continues to show through year after year.
> Ronbo


My experience with the stuff is somewhat different. The original Cetrol product did not have the orange tint, but with time had a dark brown color. The Cetrol Light is the one with the orange tint from day one on my friend's boat. I too thought about sealing the stuff with the gloss coating plus using that for the yearly maintenance and maybe that would avoid the dark color build up, but another friend had been using just the gloss coating and his teak looked every bit as dark as mine without the gloss. The Cetrol naural is looking good after over a year with no color change, but that is not to say what will happen as time goes on. Plus the build up of coats should be minimal if they are applied at yearly intervals with the idea that the original thickness reduces over that year. That's the theory at least.


----------



## ronbo1 (Feb 17, 2007)

Lancelot,

Two additional points:

Cetol Light is 'light' because of a white pigment, so too many coats will also obscure the grain after a few years.

Cetol Gloss, being clear, has little UV protection and, as the can directions says, will soon peel if used over raw wood.

If you have some additional wood trim, as an experiment try the Gloss over your Natural Teak and see how it ages.

Ronbo


----------



## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Today I put the fourth coat of Cetol Marin natural Teak on some of my wood, and I am very pleased with the color. Its a nice golden brown, a little on the dark side but not too much. I'm not sure but I think the wood is teak. After I sanded it, there was a bit of an amber color to it when may have been from the prior Cetol, or may have been in the wood. Regardless, I like the color and am very happy with it.

Tomorrow I'll put the first coat of gloss on, then another a day or so later.


----------



## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

I am a big proponent of Cetol (Natural is my choice followed by Cetol Gloss) but like any good varnish or paint job the prep is key. I had always disliked the original Cetol color, especially after a few years of maintenance coats it would get that fugly orange look...when I removed the fugly orange last year I made sure I got the teak as clean as possible using teak cleaner and brightner...the result is a much lighter finish than what I see on allot of other boats and am very pleased with the look. 

I do not like how Cetol wears so easily from even the slightest chafe or in high traffic areas like the comnpanionway...I will use Epifanes for these areas next time as I just did for my teak wheel. 

Semco has been my choice for non slip areas that need treatment such as my cockpit seats. So far I like the look and the easy application but have found it will "yellow" if I leave the cushions on top of the teak.

FWIW


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

I dunno, Chef. I heard that Cetol is ecologically incorrect, because they harvest thousands of acres of ancient Cetol trees to make it, and there's no replanting of them, so it also accelerates global warming. Now, bare teak, at least bare teak is a renewable resource and is being actively farmed in many countries. Doesn't replace the old stock forests, but at least they're farming it instead of devastating all the Cetol forests.

<WEG>

Besides, once you coat wood, you might as well just skip the wood and use a better quality of solid plastic to begin with. They can print a wood-look right into it that totally fools you.


----------



## DwayneSpeer (Oct 12, 2003)

hellosailor said:


> <weg>Besides, once you coat wood, you might as well just skip the wood and use a better quality of solid plastic to begin with. They can print a wood-look right into it that totally fools you.


Man, what a negative attitude!

</weg>


----------



## eolon (Feb 5, 2008)

*Cetol*

I love Cetol. The color of Cetol is due to iron oxide pigment which is used for UV protection. The Cetol Light has less pigment, so I assume it will not last as long at original Marine Cetol.

The wonderfulness of Cetol is due in large part to its UV resistance - It will last years if properly applied and maintained. Varnish, which is a lot prettier, lasts months if you are lucky.

I keep a little shampoo bottle full of Cetol and fix any scrapes or rubs with a little brush when it occurs, so I don't have to do any heavy sanding of scraping when I re-coat in the Spring.

My recommendation? Cetol on the outside, varnish on the inside.

Best Regards,

e

.::.


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Negative? What's negative about voting FOR PLASTIC?


----------

