Cabin Sole Refinishing

[commanderpete]

I've decided to refinish the cabin sole on my boat. The teak veneer is a bit worn, but there seems to be enough left to work with. There are numerous drips and stains on the sole of undetermined origin.

After a good scrubbing, I'm going to use some paint remover on it to get off some stains. First using a paint scraper and then some steel wool with mineral spirits. After another cleaning, I'll try a heat gun on stubborn spots. After that I'll give it a (hopefully) light sanding.

I've been debating what product to use for the refinishing. I've considered everything from varnish to gym floor finish. I'm looking for something durable but not too slippery when wet.

I've pretty much decided on a satin polyurethane like those used on outdoor decks.

I don't think any product can solve the slippery when wet problem. I might mix some non-skid powder into the last coat.

The best non-skid would be to leave it bare teak, but I can never leave well enough alone.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

[Mike Goodwin]

I have used Gym Seal by McClosky (sp) on lots of boats , and it does not slip when wet .It also gives a great gloss . Some where there is a thread where I laminated a cabinsole in the forepeak of #45 , it is finished with Gym Seal .

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?s=&threadid=166

[commanderpete]

Nice work on that project, Mike.

I spoke to a tech guy at a manufacturer of industrial gym floor finish.  He tried to discourage me from using the stuff. He said it doesn't have UV protection and would probably "amber up" over time.

I don't think the cabin sole gets much sun, and maybe McClosky's has UV protection. I might give it a try.

Google search had only a few hits. Is this stuff readily available?

http://www.mannbrothers.com/products/woodfinishes/mccloskey.htm

[Mike Goodwin]

Pete,

I have applied it on 1/2 million dollar Hinkleys , 15 years ago and no yellow has ever been reported . Buzzy has been using it longer than that and still uses it . Now it is for interior use only , but think about it , gyms have windows too .

Mike

[Scott Galloway]

My cabin sole was a paint-splattered mess, and somewhat worn and chipped also. I sanded it, and applied two coats of teak oil in the fall of 2001. It looks great, isn't slippery, and has a rich appearance that hides the remaining dings better than would a hard glossy finish. It was cheap, quick, and after the smell dissipated, I decided that I liked it. Then again, after stripping and repainting the complete interior, I was paint splattered, worn and chipped also. Compared to me, the cabin sole looked pretty good. Still does.

[commanderpete]

This is how my cabin sole looked after a good scrubbing.

Ugh

[commanderpete]

I started with a chemical onslaught of teak cleaner and Goof-Off. Then multiple applications of paint/varnish stripper scrubbed off with steel wool and mineral spirits.

What remained were some die-hard elements consisting of epoxy drips, a melted plastic bag, and who knows what else.

[commanderpete]

I went after the spots with a real sharp pull scraper and sanding blocks. Finished with a two part teak cleaner and brightener. Gave it a final sanding and declared victory.

[commanderpete]

The teak veneer has grooves molded into it, to give the appearance of laid teak planks. I wanted to accentuate that look, and also cover some goop that was lodged in the grooves and is too hard to clean out.

I took a brown Sharpie magic marker and ran it down each of the grooves.

[commanderpete]

I'm starting to finish it now with McCloskey's Gymseal, as Mike suggested. Pictures to follow.

[commanderpete]

I never did post a followup shot.

The Gymseal works well. Good traction wet or dry.

I've also heard of another product called "Ultimate Sole"

[ebb]

In a word:
Absolutely gorgeous!

[skylark]

It's actually a Valspar product.  Here's the url to find dealers.

http://www.valspar.com/val/resident/gymseal.jsp

Fred

[Howard]

Thanks for the link. I am into the sanding part on the floor and saw this thread. PO had some carpet down throughout. Great tip about the Sharpie marker too, that looks nice.

[Al Lorman]

Ultimate Sole (//www.ultimatesole.com) seems to be the latest favored cabin sole finish.  I've used it with considerable success and I'm not very good at varnishing.  Those parts of my cabin sole which I removed and refinished at home are stunning.  For some reason, the results were not as good when done in situ.  If you decide to go the Ultimate Sole route, here are two tips:  the "waterless cleaner" is naptha and a lot cheaper when purchased as such, and the sealer is the regular finish diluted 50 percent.  If you have problems and call the company, you'll probably talk to the guy who invented it.

Al