Deck Finish - decisions, decisions!!

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RichardB2
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Deck Finish - decisions, decisions!!

Post by RichardB2 »

I am restoring MR 908 and have stripped the decks back to bare wood albeit it have had to fill a number of the old copper nail holes with epoxy plus some larger holes too havehad to be filled in the same way. Now the intention is/was to just varnish the deck albeit this whilst being original will not be entirely aesthetically pleasing to one's eye. bearing in mind that the hull is varnished down to the water line, if............... and this is a very big if the only hope was to paint the deck what colour would be best suited to a wooden hull. I know this contravenes all ethics behind the principles of the CVRDA but being the indecisive sort on these issues need some tender guidance :?

Thanks

Richard Battey - MR 908 & OK 1946
roger
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Post by roger »

Hi Richard there seem to be two schools of thought on this. Some prefer to see a pristine boat looking like it has just been built and some, myself included, beleive that a forty year old boat will have some battle scars and should be proud of them.
I suppose in the end it boils down to how you want the boat to look and will you wish you had done it differently in 1 years time.
Thats not a very helpful answer im sure but there will be others who will give you their oppinions.
Good luck with the restoration and see you on the water.
Rupert
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Post by Rupert »

I too feel that varnish showing the scars of age looks best, but if you feel paint in the way to go, I would use a creamy colour, making sure the gunwales stay varnished. Might make it look a little "cottage kitchen" like, mind...
Rupert
RichardB2
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Post by RichardB2 »

Roger/Rupert,


Many thanks for your comments and I quite agree .... like the bit about it could look a bit "cottage kitchen" :lol:

Varnish it is!


Many thanks


Richard
Michael Brigg
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Post by Michael Brigg »

Another way is to try a stain. Darkening the wood may disguise some of the worst excesses.
Perhaps a little marquetry work might cover up the worst bits and if artfully applied will draw the attention away from what offends thine eye! I heard that one famous painter suggested that the best way to camaflage a parashute regiment was to dress them all as harlequins!
I have a carl duglas scull in which a past repair has been hidden by placeing a pale chevron shaped inlay into the deck as a decorative feature.
Going back to country cottage alternatives of course if your'e going for cream then a floral pattern like the evergreen "eternal beau" would be very eyecatching!
At least if you varnish to start with you can change your mind at a later date.
Michael Brigg
Pat
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Post by Pat »

Painted decks with varnished hull? No, definitely the battle scars please. At least try her varnished for a season or two then resort to paint if it's really awful.
(Half Cut and What a Lark Removals Ltd)
Nigel
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Post by Nigel »

Cottage Kitchen Hull? How about a tablecloth for a spinnaker. Where have I seen that before? :D
jonathan
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Post by jonathan »

Nigel, let us not forget the doilies and the antimacassas. And do remember to plump up the cushions before leaving port. One must keep up standards, you know.

Chin, chin
davidh
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Post by davidh »

Richard

When I was doing Unit 7 (aka the Sandtex scow) I faced the same dilema when I got to the decks. Their structure was sound enough but previous owners had sanded down through the top veneer, gouged and generally marked the decks so badly that painting seemed the only option.

I too asked the question (on this website) and got the answer to try 'blackfriars' stained varnish. Yes, I could have redecked but there just wasn't the time, nor did I have the cash. I went down the Blackfriars route and got what I thought was an acceptable result, for it hid a multitude of sins and protected the wood okay...and it's not hard to use.

That said, the decks are clearly stained and this did attract some comment, but on the whole I was pleased with the result

D
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Ed
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Post by Ed »

For my money battle-scars always look best.

I am not keen on dark stains. It always look to me like you just bring attention to the damage by putting up a veil in front, that you know everyone is looking through.

Painted decks pretty much always looks awful.

No-one has really mentioned the many advantages to using varnish on an old boat....like you can see what water ingress there is and what damage it has done.

Also not hiding the damage just keeps nagging you to fix it properly, which is of course what you really want to do .....isn't it!

cheers

eib
Ed Bremner
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Re: Deck Finish - decisions, decisions!!

Post by stu »

well i hope you don't mind me kinda highjacking this thread :oops:

I am tarting up my handicap bandit aka OK 1958. I have removed all the white paint on the foredeck - hoorah. I used a heat gun to remove the bulk and then nitromoors (sp?) really worked into the grain to remove the stubburn bits, which, i have to say has worked really quite well. :D

So... to the crux of the matter, how on earth do i make sure that i have cleaned and nutralised the nitromoors? I'm scared I'm gonna start varnishing and find it all starts pealing off.

Also.....The gunwhales are really rather stained, and without wanting to start another thread on how best to clean can someone remind me of the name of cleaner / acid to use.

I'm of the let the battle scars show school too, but mine are really rather black in places; not battle scars really, just a sh*t cover. :roll:
The only canoe sailor in MY village too !

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stu
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Re: Deck Finish - decisions, decisions!!

Post by stu »

OK, OK ,OK.

i have used the search facility on the forum and am suffiviently reminded about acids, folicals, alkalilies, head to toe conoms and the need to licence such items. :lol:

I'm off to the chemist on monday, I have a good relationship with my chemist, he supplies me with more than enough drugs !! Actually I'm gonna try some honey & lemon, or was that for something else?

Still need to know how to make sure the nitromoors is neutalised though !

stu
The only canoe sailor in MY village too !

8) OK K1958
8) Mirror 34459

http://www.stuandliz.co.uk

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neil
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Re: Deck Finish - decisions, decisions!!

Post by neil »

If you slaughter the boat in white spirit you'll kill off the Nitromoors. It's worked for me many times.
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Ed
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Re: Deck Finish - decisions, decisions!!

Post by Ed »

or meths.....or just wash it away with water and detergent.

To be honest I think it looses its power after a while anyway.

I always used to use meths, but recently I have become very aware how much difference just washing the wood with a detergent and a scrubbing brush makes. Sometimes alot of those marks we have problems moving are just dirt and come off easily with a good wash.

cheers

eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA


Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Michael Brigg
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Re: Deck Finish - decisions, decisions!!

Post by Michael Brigg »

What you wash with depends on wether you used a water soluoble stripper or the organic solvent type.
As I understand it the stripper works by chemical Hydrolysis of the polymerising link between the paint molecules and this means it is essentially going to be an Alkali of some sort which will need to be neutralised by an abundance of water, or the solvent type which mustt be neutralised with similar quantities of white spirit.
The stuff that alwys used to be advocated for bleaching out black wood is Oxalic acid. It is a poison and we all used to be taught that it is what makes Rhubarb leaves toxic.
I remember aquiring bottles of the powder from our local chemist after a permission slip had been signed by our parents and there may well be more rigourous controls on it's general sale today but I would imagine the chemist is the first port of call although perhaps an agricultural supplier might be cheaper.
You make up a strongish solution of it (it is a weak acid with a pH of about 3-4 as I recall) and either apply it just to the offending marks or if required to the whole area of bare wood. Keep it damp as it needs water to do its work and wash of with water after a few days. The dry powder residue is very irritant to the eyes and lungs so do not brush or sand of the residue. Use water.
It tends to give a rather washed out look to the wood surface which will benefit after treatment from a moderate dry sanding to bring out a fresh look to he wood in which previously black areas have gone grey and will if neccessary take a stain.
It's well worth doing a test area first to see if it does what you want it to. Having said that I used it to very pleasing effect on a old firefly that had been uncoverd and almost unvarnished in a boat park for two seasons although after a total strip and sand of the bare wood I thing the elbowgrease was the most effective treatment.
Michael Brigg
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