O34 Another Fall, Another Bulkhead

Since we refinished the forward bulkhead last spring, it's time to start on the last major (and readily visible) teak-face bulkhead. This is the Aft one, facing into the main cabin. It has old screw holes which need to be teak-plugged, and is dirty. Old stains from who-knows-when here and there.....

Last weekend we used the Te-Ka Cleaner and Brightener. Both are needed, as the B neutralizes the A. Being inside the boat, we cannot just hose it off, and so use up a lot paper towels dipped in water for the final cleanup. This gets rid of the old factory oil, red-ish stain, and decades of dirt. The surface is a little rough when dry, but next step is to sand it with 150, 220, and 400.

Last will come the layers of thinned varnish. I have been using Captains's, but there are lot of equivalent brands...

The galley range has been moved out and secured to the starb. settee for the winter. Any trim close to this has been taken home for refinishing. The cabin side teak veneer surface was done several years ago. Nice thing is, that one the initial prep work with the Te-Ka is done and the initial varnish is on, it's easy to sand and apply more varnish later.

The photos show the heavy darkening with the "A" applied, and then the blond look after the "B". We really like the Golden Teak appearance - and the way it lightens up the interior. Of course, opinions vary..........


More reports when there is some progress.
Nov. 2013: Added a "finished" picture of the port side bulkhead by the nav seat, from this spring.

Loren