Wood Sealer for Teak

[Mark Giegel]

I will be varninshing Teak and I am wondering if wood sealer such as Pettit "Old Salem" or other types give any benefit to adhesion of varnish on Teak. I usually cut the first coat quite a bit with thinner anyway and just question what benefit that using the sealer provides over thinning the first coat. Thanks
Mark

[Lew Barrett]

You'll be fine with a thinned coat of varnish.

[Bob Cleek]

And you'd be better off yet with CPES. (Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer.) CPES contains solvents that will drive the sealer into the oily teak better than thinned varnish. If varnish is applied within a couple of days, the epoxy sealer will form a molecular bond with the varnish. Then build up your varnish from there. CPES will substantially exend the life of a varnish job. One thing it does very well is prevent moisture from getting under the varnish and lifting it off the wood. Search the forum entries for CPES and you'll learn all about it. Some love it, some hate it. It's pretty much become SOB most places now.

[Mrleft8]

Why are you varnishing Teak? If you want high maintenance varnished brightwork use Mahogany. The beauty of Teak is that it looks great naturally weathered, and doesn't suffer from exposure to sea, sun, or slush. It's a lot easier to grab ahold of or walk on too.

[Lew Barrett]

Lefty, who's to say he's just varnishing decks? House sides of teak boats like varnish; get's nasty without! Same for rails and little bits. The best thing about teak is that if you do let it go, it can spring back.
Decks, unvarnished, king plank or margins varnished. Fantastric look!

[Mark Giegel]

The Teak I am varnishing is the rudder cheeks, bulwarks and taffrail.
The option is to paint which will probably give better service but I like to varnish and prefer the look of a bright finish. I'll check out the CPES as I have heard it mentioned often in this forum. Probably also go with a traditional varnish like Pettit Flagship or Epiphanes.
Mark

[Barefoot.bosun.]

Stick with three coats S1 sealer and Epiphanes for Teak, thinned penetrol/thinner flagship for mahogany and don't leave teak bare, it's too damned expensive not to protect, self maintaining or not.