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Reinstalling Console Doors

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 11:41 am
by skistler
I am getting ready to reinstall the console doors on my 1981 Montauk. The previous owner had replaced them with doors made from Starboard, but thankfully for me, he saved all of the original wood.

What--if anything--should I use as a sealant? Silicon? A flexible polysufide like Life-Caulk? I am thinking that a silicon product would be easiest to deal with whenever it's time to refinish down the road.

If it makes a difference, I finished the wood with Deks Olje, including 6 coats of the D2 gloss product.

Thanks in advance for any guidance,

--Steve in VA

Re: Reinstalling Console Doors

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 1:42 pm
by Phil T
My boat, a 1987, had no sealant. Just screws and a few bolts. Sealant is not necessary.

While Deks Olje is a great product, consider straight teak oil going forward.

Re: Reinstalling Console Doors

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 3:13 pm
by skistler
Thanks - on they go then!

FWIW, I love oiled teak on any cabin parts (or the Danish modern furniture in my home, for that matter), but what I like about Deks for this application is the availability of the gloss finish, which I find harder wearing on external surfaces. I first tried it on the ash gunwales on my canoe and was impressed with the way it wore over just oil. Then I did the RPS backrest on the whaler last summer, and it looks good and wears hard as well, although it's not nearly as good looking as a good varnish finish.

in fact, I thought about varnish for the Whaler, but I have a wooden sailboat with acres of varnished mahogany, red cedar, and fir (I think), and the one place that I cannot keep the varnish from failing is the teak mast partner (and admittedly high-friction zone). Plus, when varnish fails, it usually means wooding the piece and starting over, whereas the Deks finish can be more easily repaired. I do keep all of my boats covered, which helps no matter what the finish.

Like most things, I find every wood finish to be a compromise. For what it's worth, I did wince just a little when I set out to apply the D2 over the smooth-as-a-baby's-bottom teak oiled with just the D1.