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Handrail refinish technique
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So the rails are finally sanded down and ready to refinish. I purchased a quart of west marine 5 star varnish which is the epicanes high gloss but labeled WM.
First I plan to varnish the inside portion (back) of the rail first. This is to get a feel for using the epifanes product and any mistakes won't be seen...also when I have to do the outer side I won't risk ruining the finish f I then needed to do the back. I am also in the process of filling the standoff tubes with thickened epoxy. I did one tube and it went well. Once the rails are done, I reach a decision point...do I take the stand off tubes and bed them onto the rails first? If I do it this way the only beddeing I need to do in the spring are the ends of the standoff tubes that lie against the cabin top. Alternatively perhaps I could bed the tubes to the cabin top first? Then fit the rail after the fact?? Interested in your opinions? Thx Rick ...91days to launch..... |
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¿ªÔÆÌåÓýRick, I just finished my hand rails for the 6th time.?
Once they are clean and sanded I hand rub three or four coats of tongue oil into
the wood letting each coat dry for 24 hours or so.? Next I sand again and
put the first coat of varnish on the entire rail.? Long 1/4 inch bolts in
the first and third mounting holes make good handles.? I start at one end
and do the top and bottom at the same time.? Let dry for at least a day,
sand with 120 grit and do it again.? This time I have 4 coats of tongue oil
and 6 coats of varnish sanding between each coat.? It will last about 3
years with one touch up the second year.? I have tired it all and the
Epifanes gloss seems to be the best I have used.? It flows very well and
looks fantastic, I do try to do it in a cold garage which makes it thicker and
flow flatter.? I filled the stand off tubes with teak plugs?cut with a
hole saw and epoxied in the tube.? I could do all of them at once that way
and they should last for ever now the broom handles have rotted?away.?
I have been using 5200 to bed them but think I will just use silicone this time,
the 5200 is a PIA to get off the deck each time I varnish.
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Mark
Nashville?
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Hi Rick & Mark,
Agreed, Epifanes is very good material. This fall I used several gallons on an architectural restoration. Their recommendation to thin the first coats and work up to full strength is exactly what I wanted in a finish. I tried several others as well. I'll be doing my handrails with it as soon as it's warm enough. Bob |
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Has anyone tried Bristol Finish? It is a two-part product, and I have heard that it is extremely durable. The PO of my boat used Epifanes on my handrails back in 2006, and they are now peeling/flaking badly. However, I don't know how he prepped the teak prior to coating the rails. I suspect that prep is the key to durability, regardless of the finishing material.
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My marina opens April 1. :) Dave S. s/v Clio 1987 S2 27, hull #80 -----Original Message-----
From: "Bob Taylor" [woodwork@...] Date: 02/02/2010 09:59 PM To: s227classassociation@... Subject: Re: [s227classassociation] Handrail refinish technique Hi Rick & Mark, Agreed, Epifanes is very good material. This fall I used several gallons on an architectural restoration. Their recommendation to thin the first coats and work up to full strength is exactly what I wanted in a finish. I tried several others as well. I'll be doing my handrails with it as soon as it's warm enough. Bob
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My friend used bristol on his coronado 25 weatherboards - they look beautiful - it was a rich red color and mirror gloss. But the stuff costs 2X epifanes...or in my case West Marine 5 star high gloss.
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I feel the teak woodstock makes a difference too. Perhaps Bob has a perspective being in the woodworking business (I think). My rails are made of less than perfect stock - of course that may be due to PO neglect.... Dave - where do you live given that the Marina opens 4/1? Here in connecticut nobody is really in the drink until 5/1 at the earliest. Sent on the Sprint? Now Network from my BlackBerry? From: "Dave S." <uswa174@...>
Date: Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:43:12 -0500 To: <s227classassociation@...> Subject: Re: [s227classassociation] Handrail refinish technique Has anyone tried Bristol Finish? It is a two-part product, and I have heard that it is extremely durable. The PO of my boat used Epifanes on my handrails back in 2006, and they are now peeling/flaking badly. However, I don't know how he prepped the teak prior to coating the rails. I suspect that prep is the key to durability, regardless of the finishing material. -----Original Message-----
From: "Bob Taylor" [woodwork@taylorsmi Date: 02/02/2010 09:59 PM To: s227classassociatio Subject: Re: [s227classassociati Hi Rick & Mark, Agreed, Epifanes is very good material. This fall I used several gallons on an architectural restoration. Their recommendation to thin the first coats and work up to full strength is exactly what I wanted in a finish. I tried several others as well. I'll be doing my handrails with it as soon as it's warm enough. Bob
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I like the Epifanes finish system because it allows me to thin the first coat to 50% to get a very deep penetration. If the subsequent coats go on promptly and are thinned progressively less, I feel the finished product will be pretty tenacious. It is great to work with on a brush too. Flows nice. I have only just begun using it in the past 6 months though, so I'll be watching for it's longevity. The project was a church restoration outside of Philadelphia. One pair of doors faces due south and will be punishing. I applied 6 coats altogether.
This progressive system is more akin to the way traditional varnishes are applied, and I hope it avoids the 'peeling plastic' look we see on some failing finishes out there. The door frames were finished onsite by a subcontractor with McCloskey's (which doesn't allow thinning), so I'll have a side by side test going for the next few years. Last spring I put the Sikkens clear coat product on my companionway boards. It looks nice going in to the second season, but to get their longest life they spec the tinted undercoat. I've used that system on white oak and douglas fir windows & mahogany doors and I don't care for the look. What's best? There's a lot of variables. I'll use Epifanes on my handrails this spring and keep watching. Bob |
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>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: rperret@... >>>[snip] >>>Dave - where do you live given that the Marina opens 4/1? Here in connecticut nobody is really in the drink until 5/1 at the earliest. Southern Lake Michigan...I sail out of Washington Park Marina in Michigan City, Indiana. Although April 1 is the opening date for the marina, the earliest I have launched is April 8, back before I owned my 27. We have lots of powerboats who launch right away on April 1, though, since the Coho and Chinook salmon get active about that time, and many of those folks are hardcore fishermen. For those who don't know, Lake Michigan is a tremendous salmon fishery...salmon were first introduced into Lake Michigan in the late 1950s and early '60s to control the alewife population, which came into the Great Lakes when the St Lawrence Seaway was opened (sea lampreys came in also, which killed off the walleyes). We'll see how early I launch this year....they don't turn on the water to the docks until about April 15, though, due to the prospect of a late freeze. Cheers! Dave S. s/v Clio 1987 S2 27, hull #80
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That must be a nice cruising area - do you go up to Chicago or St Joe, MI or further?
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Went to school at IU Bloomington, a friend was from South Bend so went up there a few times. Rick --- In s227classassociation@..., "Dave S." <uswa174@...> wrote:
Southern Lake Michigan...I sail out of Washington Park Marina in Michigan City, Indiana. Although April 1 is the opening date for the marina, the earliest I have launched is April 8, back before I owned my 27. We have lots of powerboats who launch right away on April 1, though, since the Coho and Chinook salmon get active about that time, and many of those folks are hardcore fishermen. For those who don't know, Lake Michigan is a tremendous salmon fishery...salmon were first introduced into Lake Michigan in the late 1950s and early '60s to control the alewife population, which came into the Great Lakes when the St Lawrence Seaway was opened (sea lampreys came in also, which killed off the walleyes).-----Original Message----- |
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--- In s227classassociation@..., "s227classassociation" <rperret@...> wrote:
[snip]Once the rails are done, I reach a decision point...do I take the stand off tubes and bed them onto the rails first? If I do it this way the only beddeing I need to do in the spring are the ends of the standoff tubes that lie against the cabin top. Alternatively perhaps I could bed the tubes to the cabin top first? Then fit the rail after the fact?? [snip] Rick, before I owned my 27, I had an S2 7.3 on which I reinstalled handrails after refinishing them. I did NOT try to re-bed the SS standoff tubes first, then attach the handrails, or the other way around. Rather, I installed the handrails and the tubes at the same time, in part because on the 7.3 one end of the standoff tube was not cut square at a 90 degree angle. So, the tube needed to be located in exactly the correct position, and rotated so that the bevel of the tube fit the angle of the coachroof. Starting at the forward end, I test fitted each bolt with the rail and standoff tube as I went. I then gooped up each of the three holes (on the rail, standoff, masked off coachroof) with 3M 4200, then threaded the bolt though the handrail, then through the standoff tube, then though the coachroof. My helper down below installed the washer and spun on the nut snug while I held the rail in place. I did them one at a time, test fitting each as I went along. The 7.3 handrails were not cut to fit the curve of the coachroof, so they had to be bent down in place, and held there while all this was happening. The procedure took two people: me topsides, my helper down below (three people would have been better, with the third person to help me topsides with the bedding compound, which can get real messy--I really needed three hands!) A day later, I snugged down the nuts tight from inside the cabin, while my helper up topsides kept the bolt from turning with a screwdriver--I didn't want to break the bedding compound seal. Anyway, I hope this gives you some insight about what worked for me. Cheers, and good luck. Dave S. 1987 S2 27 Hull #80 |
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--- In s227classassociation@..., "s227classassociation" <rperret@...> wrote:
Went to school at IU Bloomington, a friend was from South Bend so went up there a few times.Small world! When were you at IU? I spent many a weekend out at the IU Sailing Club on Lake Lemon sailing those beat up FJs...I was in school there from '76-'80. I remember one MCSA regatta party in particular...well, sort of... |
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Dave
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I attended grad school '86-88 @ IU. (yes the year they one the national championship!) You brought back some memories of Lake Lemon. I joined the sailing club there too. At the time they had a bunch of Sunfishs, and a few Y-flyers. The Sunfish's were a lot of fun - took them out in some decent breezes, I remember the hulls would vibrate like mad when you started planing. A buddy of mine would take the y-flyer out once in a while. good times at IU - especially Nick's - $2.75 pitchers - and the english pub who's name escapes me - they hard the yard and 1/2 yard glasses. --- In s227classassociation@..., "uswa174" <uswa174@...> wrote:
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