# new cetol



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Does anyone out there have any experience with the new color of Cetol, "Natural Teak" that was released this year. I dislike the color of the orignal and have been able to live with the "light." I'm hoping the "natural" is closer to the color of oiled teak. Just thought I would check before spending $35 on a can. Thanks!


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Yes...it is better. I helped a friend put it on. Take teak down bare and but a couple of coats on...then cover with a couple of coats of cetol gloss for a better look and easier maintenance with no further color build up year to year. 
Color is more "woody" and less orange tint.


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## lbdavis (Apr 23, 2007)

*I second that*

I agree with Cam. I just redid my washboards, retainers, and other random pieces of teak from around the cockpit with this stuff. The color is very natural and the grain shows through wonderfully. I'm planning on doing my toerail and handrails later this summer with Cetol natural teak.

I know, I know, there's nothing like real varnish. Real varnish rules the world. Everything else is a cheap, inferior, imitation. Only losers would use something other than varnish. Varnish, varnish, varnish.  Well, this looks pretty friggin' good to me and it took about 15% of the time of varnish. Personally, I like to spend my free time sailing.

I used two coats of the Cetol Teak and three coats of the Cetol gloss, LIGHTLY sanding in between coats. I am very pleased with the product,   , I just wish I could not get bubbles in my gloss!  

Time will tell how it will hold up, but I'm hoping for a light sanding and additional gloss coat once a year. (I have very little teak to maintain.)

I'll post some pictures after I get back to the boat.

Cheers!


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald (Apr 3, 2005)

Yeah, used it on a customer's boat. I think Cetol finally got it right.

IB said:


> I know, I know, there's nothing like real varnish. Real varnish rules the world. Everything else is a cheap, inferior, imitation. Only losers would use something other than varnish. Varnish, varnish, varnish.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I tend to agree that varnish looks better - and is more work. However, the varnish snobs might change their minds once their boats get a little older. When the bedding under your teak starts to give up - but before it leaks down below and must be rebedded - the teak just won't hold the varnish. It starts to lift along the edges sometimes in just a few weeks. Cetol won't do that - unless you use the gloss over it. Then it will act much like varnish. This is particularly true of toe-rails where water lays there because for some inexplicable reason the deck scupper is not at the lowest part of the deck. It will also happen on the 'eyebrows' on the raised deckhouse of a sailboat. Again, for some inexplicable reason, the manufacturers make them so that water just lays there.

In either case, a small bead of caulk can help it last for awhile longer. After you finish your varnish, tape it out at the deck/teak seam leaving about 3/16" showing (more or less - just stay consistent) and run a bead of caulk (the sikaflex 295 (UV) works pretty well - pick your favorite - stay away from silicon). Form it with your finger (wet finger helps - gloves and sap help, too) and pull the tape as soon as you've got the caulk formed. Otherwise it will come up with the tape. Clean up any errant globules immediately. Easier now than later.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Please *NO*, don't let this thread wander to the great debate again over varnish vs. cetol or whatever!!!!

I am just refinishing all my exterior teak with the Cetol "Natural" and am very pleased so far, although I don't find it to much lighter than the Cetol "light", but then most of my teak is 25+ years old 

I sanded everything down to bare teak, applied 3 coats of "Natural" and two coats of "Gloss". She looks great IMO. I wouldn't even think of using any of the others again, even the light.

From now on I am a Cetol Natural & Gloss man all the way, or no teak at all.


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## djodenda (Mar 4, 2006)

God, I hate the orange color of Cetol.

I was at Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC a couple of weekends ago and the teak benches in the gardens were all finished with thick coats of the stuff.. Gaack!!!

Time to scrape the Cetol applied by the P.O. and try the new stuff. 

If I don't like it, it's ALL YOUR FAULT!

If I do like it, you will have my eternal thanks and rep points!


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## KindOfBlue (Nov 22, 2005)

Now you tell me about Natural. I just did 1 coat of the starboard toe rail with Light and haven't had the weather/time to do the 2nd and 3rd coats. Hmm.. I guess 1 coat may sand off easier than the build up I scraped off with a carbide scraper.

It's been like 3 weeks sinse I put that first coat on. If I do decide to stay with the Light, will I be ok? I assume so.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thank you all for your opinions. I've got a couple scraps of teak laying around. Over the weekend I'll try the light on half of one and the natural on the other. With any luck I can post the results next week.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

You might want to talk to TrueBlue... he's a big fan of Cetol IIRC.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

*Maybe you need glasses?*



KindOfBlue said:


> Now you tell me about Natural.


Its usually right next to the light & original in the store    LOL


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

KindOfBlue said:


> It's been like 3 weeks sinse I put that first coat on. If I do decide to stay with the Light, will I be ok? I assume so.


I don't know, but the directions say to get all the coats on with in two weeks if I remember correctly?

BTW...I think the gloss is what really has made the difference in the look of cetol, and using it as the maintenance coat should keep it from ever getting that ugly orange look again. They should just stop making the original IMO

Heres a good link on Cetol http://www.yachtpaint.com/USA/hotlinks/sikkens_guide.pdf


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## phallo153 (May 4, 2007)

Hard to really see it well, but here is two coats of Cetol Natural Teak and two coats of Cetol Gloss, applied after stripping off old Cetol Marine (click for larger pic):


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## T37SOLARE (Feb 1, 2008)

I stripped 24 years worth of the original Cetol from my cockpit seats over the winter and refinished them with the Natural Teak Cetol. The last two weeks have been dedicated to the toe rail, I'm finally done stripping, sanding and 3 coats of the base ans 2 cots of the gloss. I'll be refinishing the rest of my teak once I'm in the water. 

So far I'm very pleased with the look, at 8+ feet you really cant tell the difference between Epifanes and the natural Cetol. But at a closer look, you just don't get the "fill" that varnish gives you. But for toe rails, dorade boxes, hand rails, etc, it looks pretty much the same as varnish with a lot less effort. My cockpit table, companion way trim & washboards are all being redone with Epifanes varnish, as they get a much closer viewing.

Here's a photo I shot of my test sample, original Cetol vs. Cetol Natural:


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## lbdavis (Apr 23, 2007)

Here is another example of Cetol Natural:










The before pic:


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

> It starts to lift along the edges sometimes in just a few weeks. Cetol won't do that - unless you use the gloss over it.


Larry - Are you saying that the Cetol gloss will/could lift? I was about to put a coat of gloss over my Cetol. I'll hold off and just apply another coat of light cetol (one coat yearly). The sole reason that I use Cetol is because it WON'T lift. I'd hate to negate this.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

sailingdog said:


> You might want to talk to TrueBlue... *he's a big fan of Cetol* IIRC.


Should correct that to _WAS_ a big fan of Cetol. Since I sold my homage to the earth's depletion of life-providing rain forests (kidding . . . really).

In reality, I also prefer the look of the new Natural Teak Cetol formulation. What I used was Cetol Light, which has a lighter color tint than cetol marine (the original), but still had a semi-opaque, grain masking effect. The Light was also still orange in color - just a lighter orange. Top coated three coats with the Clear Gloss, but didn't re-coat the next season, just touched it up in areas which were worn.

I've been with the new owner on True Blue (he's changing the name) a couple times _after_ the sale and we've become friends - will even go sailing some more with him on the Bay throughout the summer, at his insistence. He did say he loves the finish and will continue with what I started.

The next boat however, will definitely have a VERY minimal amount of exterior teak, if any. As much as I like the look, after years of teak maintenance, I've come to the decision that it looks MUCH better on someone else's boat.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

TB-

Good to see you've finally seen the light... I prefer sailing to varnishing...


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald (Apr 3, 2005)

Sabreman,


> Larry - Are you saying that the Cetol gloss will/could lift? I was about to put a coat of gloss over my Cetol. I'll hold off and just apply another coat of light cetol (one coat yearly). The sole reason that I use Cetol is because it WON'T lift. I'd hate to negate this. __________________


If the bedding is bad enough that the teak has visible water intrusion around edges, ends and scarf joints, the gloss will lift. I've seen it a number of times. It doesn't seem to be as bad as varnish - I think it is more 'flexible' whereas the varnish is more brittle and will crack more easily.

Try just three coats of cetol - your choice of color - though as I mentioned, I like the natural teak. If you apply the cetol in the same fashion as you would varnish, that is brusing back toward your 'wet edge' it has a nice look to it. Almost a satin finish. It lasts quite awhile looking like that - then starts flattening. Each year you can lightly sand and redo one coat. Try not to get too much buildup or it starts looking like paint - that is, you can't see the grain.

Or let it go gray, cover it with canvas when you're at the dock and everybody will think you're protecting fine varnish. Go sailing and only remove the covers when you're away from the dock. I won't tell.


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## ronbo1 (Feb 17, 2007)

I've heard that Light Cetol isn't like light beer, it actually has a white pigment to make it look lighter, but, as a result, it still obscures the grain. 

I plan to try the Cetol's Natural Teak next time.


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## nimble1 (Apr 29, 2002)

I am in the process of redoing the teak om my Nimble Nomad trawler(I know..its not a sailboat!!). I have owned the boat for over 12 years and have gone from regular Cetol to Cetol Light and now to the Natural. I really love the natural look so far. I thought the Light was great until I stripped it and recoated the peices with the natural. I am not coating it with the gloss topcoat as it is glossy enough for me as it is. Just hope it holds up.


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## Insails (Sep 6, 2006)

My question to TB is....What kind of boat are you going to buy????
We know it will be teakless....LOL


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Insails,
A boat that has an "auxiliary" engine . . .


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## Insails (Sep 6, 2006)

LOL a walker bay with sail kit and trolling motor...)???


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Watch it Insails. 

Just because I'm currently boatless and indecisive over which model(s) to get next, doesn't mean I've lowered my quality standards . . . or budget.

Besides, I'm not gonna get roped into highjacking a cetol thread to discuss my short list - (g).


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Nah, he's looking at an Arey's Pond built Cat boat.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

The natural teak cetol worked so well on my hatch boards, i have been refinishing the interior of my boat with it and am very pleased with the result, given how easy the job has been to do. In fact the last item to finish is the cabin table which happens to still bein the basement, so here is a picture. Cleaned teak with one coat of Natural Teak... excellent color, good finish.


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## T37SOLARE (Feb 1, 2008)

Just thought I'd share this photo of my cockpit. Seats are Cetol Natural (3 coats base & 2 coats gloss), the table is 12+ coats of Epifanes.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

That only looks like 11 coats of Epiphanes to me.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

And it looks like he skimped on the wetsanding between coats... you can see the bumps in the finish....


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Where's the coaster? That beer's gonna leave a ring.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

T37SOLARE said:


> Just thought I'd share this photo of my cockpit. Seats are Cetol Natural (3 coats base & 2 coats gloss), the table is 12+ coats of Epifanes.


Czech Pilsner's...um good stuff


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

TrueBlue said:


> Where's the coaster? That beer's gonna leave a ring.


Coaster...no way...you need one of these...


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

A beer bottle cozy... cool...


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

get it...cool


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## T37SOLARE (Feb 1, 2008)

> Where's the coaster? That beer's gonna leave a ring.


Trust me, that beer didn't have a chance, it was gone in an instant.


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## nk235 (Apr 8, 2007)

The boat I just bought has a decent amount of teak on it. Its all in great shape as has been done with Cetol although I do not know which color. I plan on doing a very light sanding and applying another coat as preventative maintenance so it keeps on shining. I can easily ask the previous owner what color it is but would I be able to use the new Natural Cetol for my new coat I am going to add on? I def do not want to strip it all and re-apply the natural cetol to bare wood as the cetol that is already on there is in great shape and I am only adding this extra coat as a once year maintenance thing. Should I just go with the same color thats on there or should I try the new stuff?



Thanks,
Nick


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

> get it...cool


Got 6 of those Chef - both reg & tall neck . . . 2 each from Mexico, Key West and Bermuda.

We don't leave the dock w/o our bottle coozies. ( I'll take a few pics and post 'em later  )


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## T37SOLARE (Feb 1, 2008)

For a maintenance coat, you should just use the Cetol gloss. 

As for telling the Cetol colors apart it's kind of like this:
Original = Dark opaque brown
Light = Orangeish semi transparent
Natural = Golden transparent 

All the above will be a dull matte finish and will become "semi" glossy with the top coats of the clear gloss.

HTH


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

nk235 said:


> The boat I just bought has a decent amount of teak on it. Its all in great shape as has been done with Cetol although I do not know which color. I plan on doing a very light sanding and applying another coat as preventative maintenance so it keeps on shining. I can easily ask the previous owner what color it is but would I be able to use the new Natural Cetol for my new coat I am going to add on? I def do not want to strip it all and re-apply the natural cetol to bare wood as the cetol that is already on there is in great shape and I am only adding this extra coat as a once year maintenance thing. Should I just go with the same color thats on there or should I try the new stuff?
> 
> Thanks,
> Nick


Just use the gloss.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Looks very nice. I believe the beverage may be safe unless you're expecting rough seas in the parking lot.


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## tommyt (Sep 21, 2002)

OK, I ordered the Natural Cetol and Gloss after reading this thread through a couple of weeks ago. Then I see that Gloss can lift!

So, I am just doing companionway boards. They were originally done with Cetol light, NO gloss. They lasted 4 years and I was happy with the product. I have started the Cetol project with a first coat to one side, and am looking at a six day project to get three coats of Cetol on. I like the color so far.

Question? Other than the gloss look, what do I gain with the gloss? These three boards are in a pocket when not in use. They do rub together, but the old Cetol finish looked just fine for the four years. I am not a varnish snob obviously, so please give me a reason not to take the gloss back to the store if there is one.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

tommy,
In my experience using Cetol Light for three full years - and a Cetol Clear (gloss) for an overlap of two seasons - total of 2 clearcoats, never did I see any signs of it lifting. 

The Clear serves two purposes; being a bit harder than the minimum base of 3 coats of the heavy body, semi-translucent Cetol, it provides a protective clearcoat and prevents a gradual build-up of solid body paint. At least one maintenance coat is necessary each year - so after a few years regular Cetol will become less translucent and more opaque.

The Clear however, is softer than varnish, so if it ever gets scuffed - retouch the scared area immediately, first with Natural (Light, or Original), then another coat of Clear. Otherwise the teak will blacken.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Ditto that...no lifting in YEARS of full time cruising. Go with the gloss.


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## KeelHaulin (Mar 7, 2006)

The finish can start to lift at edges where water can get beneath the finish; so if you can paint the backside of the wood with a sealing coat or two to prevent water from getting beneath the finish. If it does start to lift you can sand it back and then put some touch up of the base coat; followed by clear. I don't think the lifting is specific to the clear coat; it's just the same as any other finish when it comes to delamination due to water working in.

I am switching over to the Natural Teak. My coaming, hatches, handrails, traveler are done with Light and will stay that way until I decide I want to go through the hard work of sanding them down and re-finishing them. For now they look great (well until the newly finished hatch boards and locker doors go in).

I'm wondering what can be done to prevent the finish from pulling away from the dark grain? Seems that even if wiped down with acetone the finish will not sit flat on the surface after it dries a bit. Any info on how to get the cetol to remain smooth?


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## roline (Apr 7, 2000)

The old Cetol utilizes iron oxide as a primary additive for enhanced UV protection. The other less opaque versions are good, but the original has the longest lasting protection. A mater of choice, bright work or the colour? What do you dislike the most?


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