Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by chris towles on May 22, 2011 at 8:24pm

just my .02.

 

for the outside, oil under paint is fine. the oil will penetrate the wood and protect it. however, if you oil first, i would advise a full sanding to roughen up the surface prior to priming to get a good bond. use oil based primer and paint products, porch and deck enamel or all surface enamel, satin finish if possible,  gloss will show all flaws. epoxy under paint is generally better than oil, but on your boats given the circumstances, you won't want to bother with the added time and expense. however, since it sounds like you guys are on both time and budget constraints, you could easily skip the oil under the paint on the outside of the hull altogether and just prime and paint.

 

alternatively, you could also just get a gallon of epoxy garage floor paint at sunrise or ace here in town about $35 a gallon and use that, no primer required...just paint 2 coats and go...however, if you use epoxy products, do not oil under it. epoxy paint will not adhere to an oiled wood surface, epoxy and oil do not play well together. 

 

for the interior, it sounds like oil is the way you want to go. your finish options for the interior are basically limited to 3: oil, paint, varnish. of the three, i would go with the oil. its old fashioned and very traditional, it looks and smells great, and it shows off the natural beauty of the wood. oil finish does wear the fastest and generally requires reoiling every season. however, refinishing oil is a breeze cause there is no sanding..just paint it on, let it sit, mop up the excess and polish smooth with a rag. given the look of your boats in the pictures, i would just start slapping that stuff on the interior and get a few coats building, just make sure to wipe any excess after it has sat for 15-20 min.

 

if you paint the interior, give it the same treatment as the exterior as to prep. paint is the most durable surface of the 3 options, has the longest longevity, and generally does a good job of protecting the wood from water and sun. it is also avaialable in a full pallette of colors which can make for some nice styling if done right. however, the paint does cover that beautiful wood that your boat is made of and if you don't show a little off you lose some of the mystique of a "wood" boat. i like using paint on select high traffic areas like floors, cabinet tops, running board tops...makes a nice accent to the wood finish interior. on the flip side, paint can also make a durable worry free interior...mabye not the worst idea. i just hate the idea of a fully painted boat. all that said, varnish is something i would not mess with for your boats. varnish does look the nicest, and shows off the naturaul beauty of the wood, but it is affected by uv and requires refinishing every few years. this can be a nasty time cosuming process with a ton of sanding that you'll be happy to avoid. its also looks worse over time and refinishing vs oil which arguably looks better as it ages.

 

go oil or paint on the inside, but i think the oil interior is the nicer looking and easier solution. on the exterior, paint is the right ticket and it sounds like you are already on the right track there.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on May 22, 2011 at 10:16pm

Dusty, oil would be one of the easier finishes to put on the inside. Using the search function on the site you will find many mentions of oiling a boat and how to mix up the oil. It is sometimes called boat soup. Good luck on getting your boat done.

 

Rick Newman

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Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on May 23, 2011 at 2:16am

Dusty:  I agree totally with Chris and Rick.  When you mix up the deck oil don't forget the Japan Drier.  After a good soaking wipe up all the excess drips.  Several coats would be good but if you are pressed for time one will do and then you can give it more after the Memorial Day Show.  Now remember these boats need names and they need to be christened.  Adults usually use wine but you can use grape juice.

Good Luck- get some pictures fo all of us. 

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Permalink Reply by Seamus Walsh on May 23, 2011 at 6:46am

I am not sure exactly what your "oil" is.  I have heard it called "TLV"  this would be a mixture of turps, oil (linseed or tung) and varnish.  I often use odorless mineral spirits instead of turps.  I also prefer the tung oil.  I mix 1 part of each and add a little Japan dryer in a metal container, a 16 oz bean can works well.  The next part is a little dangerous, put the can on an ELECTRIC warming plate and slowly warm it up.  I repeat ELECTRIC no open flames!!!  Apply this mixture generously and remove excess.  I usually remove excess with paper towels and burn them (outside) when finished.  Be careful about the oily rags, they can start fires.  This is a great finish on everything from boat interiors to furniture.  It will not create a "film" finish like varnish, it penetrates nicely and is easily renewed.   Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on May 23, 2011 at 9:28am

Good advice Seamus.  I enjoy making the soup and use it in many places on our boats, especially inside bottoms and as a soak for oar blade tips.  The advice about oily rags is especially appriciated since this is a real danger.  A good friend of mine who is an exceptional craftsman told me the story of how he burned down his dad's shop when he was young.  Didn't know about the danger of spotainious combustion and threw his oily rags into the trash can.  The rest of the story was not happy.

 

 

The oil that the kids are using is Daly's Sea-Finn Teak Wood Oil.  We talked about making boat soup but the turp odor hangs on clothing for a long time.  Going from the boat shop to history class was going to be a problem with a stinky soup.  The Daly's leaves very little ligering odor.  Plus it is really good, but more expensive, stuff.  They are trying to get 3 coats inside and out before the show.  Prepared this way they can splash them into the pond with not ill effects.  A couple may be painted and ready to go but we want all to make the show, ready for water or not.

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