Cetol should be banned

[RichCarter]

Here I am. Two full days of scraping off the cetol with a heat-gun and scraper. I’ve absolutely had it! There must be something that is easier to use than this garbage. I subscribe to Practical Sailor and I keep hearing that cetol is at the head of the pack, but I wonder if they do any testing that is longer than two years? It forms a dark coating after a few years and begins to peel in splotches. Then you have to remove it, clean the teak, and start over. Oh, the stuff goes on clear so if you spill a drop on your gelcoat, you can’t see it until it ambers. Once that happens, you can never get it off. The only place this stuff should be used is below-deck.
I’m trying semco natural. I tried a small area a couple of years ago and so far have had good luck. While it isn’t as durable as cetol, it doesn’t build-up and doesn’t stain. Application is pretty easy if you use a bristle-brush instead of the stupid instructions to use a foam-brush. I mix some up and pour it into a shallow pan for application instead of constantly mixing the stuff. I hear that two coats are required in the spring and one in the fall. I can deal with that. It never builds up so stripping is never needed. I’m refinishing all my brightwork this way and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
If this doesn’t work, I’ll paint the wood brown and be done with it.

Rich

[Revery]

I’m with you Rich. Revery’s bright work was all done in Cetol and it’s horrible. The toe rails will pretty much be it for teak on her…we already removed the coaming teak and the eyebrows are next. I’m dreading stripping that crap off 85+ feet of wood.
Thanks for letting us know what you’re trying, since I have no clue what I want to use. 🙁

Evan
Revery #219

[RichCarter]

I have toe-rail, eybrows, grab-rails, combing, rub-rail, swim-platform, and cockpit table. Also a small teak-deck over the main cabin companionway doghouse. I’ve changed the combing, doghouse deck, and eyebrows over to semco previously and so-far, so-good. I’ve spent 16 hours stripping the rest. Now it needs to be cleaned and sanded in before I can coat it. I figure another week’s work at 4 hrs/day. Boat splashes next Tuesday. I hope to be ready and lookin’ good.

Rich

[typhoontye]

I’m wondering about a product from Awlcraft called Awlwood. They say its the cats meow and last many years. A buddy of mine saw it on a boat and said it looked great. Don’t know how long it had been on. I hate the Cetol as well. Took forever to get it off. I now have Epiphanes natural varnish, which looks great. But if I go longer than about seven months before scuff and varnish I can see it is deteriorating in the NW Florida sun. Stuff like Awlwood scares me as I don’t know how hard it would be to remove once it inevitably goes bad. Varnish comes off pretty easily with a heat gun.

David
Blue Moon

[Author]

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