Best way to restore a teak swim platform

[3826smith]

My brother and I bought an '86 Pirata last spring and over the last year we have tried to oil the teak wood but it still looks dried out and worn. The last owner did not do a good job of up keeping it. Any ideas to bring it back to looking new? Any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated! Thanks

[Ptownkid]

You usually can't oil it without removing the outer layer by either sanding or using some kind of teak restorer product. Even with the restorer you have to scrub the hell out of it with a stiff bristled brush.

http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/diy/products/boatcare/premium-teak-restorer.aspx

[2500HD]

this thread may help
https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?14362-Cetol-Semco-Oil-Epihanes&highlight=teak

[awesomesteven]

This might not be the best way to do it, but certainly one of the quickest. I used a pressure-washer and it started to take away that worn out look. After that, I just used a couple of coats of teak oil.

[5akman]

I don't even sand unless its go dents/dings. Get the 3 part teak oil system and in an hour or so it will look like new!

[chris young]

So as this is the second time this has come up, I thought I'd do a bit of side research and, according to the authors of the Wikipedia page, it appears for us, that it should be finished with teak sealer. Some dummy (previous owner) varnished or stained or both, mine, so my plan is to take it down to bare wood, either with a belt sander, or if I get all medieval, I'll split her in two and run her through the thickness planer. Then try the sealer approach. I guess we'll see how that works out.

[CornRickey]

Never use a film forming product. They require stripping prior to reapplying. I wouldn't go with anything more aggressive than 100 grit with a random orbital. Belt sanders are too much.

[chris young]

You're probably right, I'm pulling mine next weekend to redo the brackets, (tank is out ready for the job) but I just want to make sure I'm down to bare wood. I'm a pretty good hand with most types of sanders so I'll hit it with the orbital first, and since teak doesn't actually need any finish to protect it, I may just leave it bare until I'm bored at the cottage and then do it nice.

[NorCalPR]

I just use Oxy Clean and a wire brush (to remove welding slag).

If it's too rough, a quick touchup with 400 grit, but I never sand mine. No point in sanding the wood, especially a wood like teak. The pores will clog up.

[Salty87]

i'm hoping he meant slag on his brackets?

can't wait to see the results of your test. even though it almost looks like barnacles on that teak, i'd start with the 3 part and hope for no sanding (if it were my real platform).

i'm in the only sand if totally necessary camp. teak has a high oil content which is why it's good for marine use. but, that also means the pores can clog when sanded...if not cleaned well. the debris left in the pores won't age as well as the intact teak. plus it will prevent oil from penetrating well.

ngavdba...love seeing those pics. looks like furniture quality. i'm envious of your garage storage. hell, even the garage floor looks great! obviously a first-rate teak job. what's your process for removing the dust after sanding? air compressor?

[Jetlink]

He's like the Chuck Norris of clean...dirt, debris and dust fear him so much they remove themselves from his garage before they hit the floor.