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Author Topic:   Mahogany Restoration

lecobia posted 07-18-2003 07:59 PM ET (US)
I have a 13' Supersport, I love the boat but have let the mahogany go to pot.
Can anyone please guide this cityslicker (step-by-step, pretend like you are talking to a child!) on what I need to do to give this boat back the dignity it deserves?
Thank you all,

Robert
Plotman posted 07-18-2003 11:16 PM ET (US)
If the wood was varnished, take a piece to a paint store - a real paint store, not Home Depot - and ask them what to use to strip it.
This will be a multiple step process and involve scraping - do not use a steel brush - brass if you do use a metal brush - green 3M pads are better.
Then use a bleaching agent ( West Marine). Neutralize. Sand. Sand some more, Sand more. Do it by hand wiith a block.
Then use a good marine varnish - 5 coats.
flyguy posted 07-19-2003 08:28 AM ET (US)
get yourself...
1- an orbital sander with a hook and loop base, not adhesive.
2 - 60, 100, 200 grit sanding pads and sheets of paper.
3 - Varnish with nice brushes
4 - get to work! it's not hard ;)
Peter posted 07-19-2003 08:38 AM ET (US)
(1) Remove all wood from boat.
(2) Use a liquid paint and varnish remover (preferrably one without methylene chloride). Follow directions.
(3) Sand with orbital sander until the reddish color reappears uniformly in the wood. Use as fine a paper as you can but not more than 60 grit. Once the color is back, sand with finer paper as mentioned.
(4) If you want a deep red mahagony color, apply mahagony stain. I have used Z-spar's stain available at West Marine, for example.
(5) Apply good quality varnish thinned according to directions using a good quality foam brush. You need about 8 coats before it really starts to look good.
(6) Reinstall wood.

Peter posted 07-19-2003 08:39 AM ET (US)
Forgot to mention one other thing. Don't rush.
Big_S posted 08-04-2003 01:07 PM ET (US)
I tackled my wood over the weekend. I recently bought my boat and the previous owner left it outside uncovered on Galvgeston Island so my wood was in horrible shape.
Rather then remove all the wood and try to sand it I removed and used a high pressure washer and blasted it. Then I sanded it smooth from there. The high pressure washer saved me a ton of time.
First coat of varnish went on last night.
ShrimpBurrito posted 08-04-2003 04:29 PM ET (US)
When I redid the wood on my 15' SuperSport, I took it all out and dropped it off at a place that refinished wood. I paid the guy $100 to dip-strip it all. It was the best $100 I ever spent.
After that, I sanded it down a bit (power sander first, then a sanding block), and brushed on 2 coats of 2-part epoxy sealer (I used Restor-It). Let it dry completely, until it no longer smells like an orange (at least 24 hrs). Unlike varnish, the epoxy penetrates the wood and will protect the wood from rot.
Once the epoxy is dry, I personally think the small-celled white foam rollers (at Home Depot, Lowes) is the best way to apply varnish. They're ~3-5 inches wide, and about 1-1.5" in dia. Immediately after rolling, LIGHTLY go over the varnish with a foam brush to pop the bubbles. I think the rollers are much faster, cleaner, and I think it looks better than a brush job. I used Debtco's Crystal varnish, which supposedly has the highest content of UV inhibitors. You'll probably have to order it online, and it's not very cheap. For the first 2 coats or so, I thinned the varnish with Debtco's thinner to allow the varnish to sink into the grain as much as possible.

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Author	Topic: Mahogany Restoration
lecobia	posted 07-18-2003 07:59 PM ET (US) I have a 13' Supersport, I love the boat but have let the mahogany go to pot. Can anyone please guide this cityslicker (step-by-step, pretend like you are talking to a child!) on what I need to do to give this boat back the dignity it deserves? Thank you all, Robert
Plotman	posted 07-18-2003 11:16 PM ET (US) If the wood was varnished, take a piece to a paint store - a real paint store, not Home Depot - and ask them what to use to strip it. This will be a multiple step process and involve scraping - do not use a steel brush - brass if you do use a metal brush - green 3M pads are better. Then use a bleaching agent ( West Marine). Neutralize. Sand. Sand some more, Sand more. Do it by hand wiith a block. Then use a good marine varnish - 5 coats.
flyguy	posted 07-19-2003 08:28 AM ET (US) get yourself... 1- an orbital sander with a hook and loop base, not adhesive. 2 - 60, 100, 200 grit sanding pads and sheets of paper. 3 - Varnish with nice brushes 4 - get to work! it's not hard ;)
Peter	posted 07-19-2003 08:38 AM ET (US) (1) Remove all wood from boat. (2) Use a liquid paint and varnish remover (preferrably one without methylene chloride). Follow directions. (3) Sand with orbital sander until the reddish color reappears uniformly in the wood. Use as fine a paper as you can but not more than 60 grit. Once the color is back, sand with finer paper as mentioned. (4) If you want a deep red mahagony color, apply mahagony stain. I have used Z-spar's stain available at West Marine, for example. (5) Apply good quality varnish thinned according to directions using a good quality foam brush. You need about 8 coats before it really starts to look good. (6) Reinstall wood.
Peter	posted 07-19-2003 08:39 AM ET (US) Forgot to mention one other thing. Don't rush.
Big_S	posted 08-04-2003 01:07 PM ET (US) I tackled my wood over the weekend. I recently bought my boat and the previous owner left it outside uncovered on Galvgeston Island so my wood was in horrible shape. Rather then remove all the wood and try to sand it I removed and used a high pressure washer and blasted it. Then I sanded it smooth from there. The high pressure washer saved me a ton of time. First coat of varnish went on last night.
ShrimpBurrito	posted 08-04-2003 04:29 PM ET (US) When I redid the wood on my 15' SuperSport, I took it all out and dropped it off at a place that refinished wood. I paid the guy $100 to dip-strip it all. It was the best $100 I ever spent. After that, I sanded it down a bit (power sander first, then a sanding block), and brushed on 2 coats of 2-part epoxy sealer (I used Restor-It). Let it dry completely, until it no longer smells like an orange (at least 24 hrs). Unlike varnish, the epoxy penetrates the wood and will protect the wood from rot. Once the epoxy is dry, I personally think the small-celled white foam rollers (at Home Depot, Lowes) is the best way to apply varnish. They're ~3-5 inches wide, and about 1-1.5" in dia. Immediately after rolling, LIGHTLY go over the varnish with a foam brush to pop the bubbles. I think the rollers are much faster, cleaner, and I think it looks better than a brush job. I used Debtco's Crystal varnish, which supposedly has the highest content of UV inhibitors. You'll probably have to order it online, and it's not very cheap. For the first 2 coats or so, I thinned the varnish with Debtco's thinner to allow the varnish to sink into the grain as much as possible.