posted 03-11-2009 11:23 AM ET (US)        

I made exact copies out of treated pine. Actually cut down a 2x6's to 2" so that I could use only the heart wood of the board. I had one that was cut from the center of the log based on growth rings.

I plan on trying to stain it as dark as possible tonight and then cover with a few coats of epiphanes I have left from refinishing the rest of the boat.

Has anyone else used treated wood (pine) for this application? Just wondering what kind of service life I can expect. Not really worried about appearance since the blocks barely show.

I don't have a convenient source for mahogany here. Considered using aluminum angle but couldn't figure out how to re-install the factory trim pieces on the outside of the console if I did.

posted 03-11-2009 04:44 PM ET (US)            

Unfortunately, I'm in a time and budget crunch for this project. I think by ripping down to the heartwood, I've got some pretty good material to work with. It's almost completely free of knots and what's there are very small. It's also been drying in my shop for about 6 months now.

May end up doing this again in a few years, we'll see. But, I've seen treated posts that have held up for years in the ground. As far as use on boats, I suspect that is due to concerns over CCA contamination. CCA is no longer used in the treatment process.

Since no one else seems to have done this, I guess we'll consider it an experiment!. I'll post some results in a few years (hopefully)

posted 03-11-2009 08:36 PM ET (US)            

If I were doing a console cleat replacement now (and I've owned a Montauk with cleats that let go) I would use King Starboard, not Mahogany or Teak (which would work well be be expensive).

Good comments here:

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/016250.html

posted 03-11-2009 10:33 PM ET (US)            

I've had the Montauk now for about 10 years. I bought it to replace an Outrage that was just too much for me to comfortably tow back and forth between here (Nashville) and the gulf coast.

Since buying the boat, I've removed and re-finished the wood 3 times prior to this effort. The first two times, I used only teak oil. The third I used Epiphanes for Teak. I sanded, re-sanded, added coat upon coat. Then, when I found a small run on the bottom of the anchor locker hatch, I sanded and added additional coats. The end result was a finish that was fit for a fine piece of furniture! Then, I took the boat to the water and found myself cringing each time my kid's sand covered flip flops touched the emaculate finish.

This time around, I'm taking a different approach. I'm tired of working so hard to make the boat perfect that it takes away from my enjoyment of actually using it.

I removed the wood once again and gave it a quick sand but not quite as detailed as what I've done in the past. I covered it with 5 coats of Epiphanes, but I didn't worry so much about the bubbles or the runs. Just got a good coat on to protect the wood. You know what I've found? Everyone that looks at it compliments me on how good the wood looks. I'm the only one that notices the few bubbles in the finish!

The decision to go with treated pine was a spur of the moment thing. The console was suspended from my shop winch above the boat and I was measuring and figuring what I needed when I glance over in the corner and saw the piece of treated wood laying in the corner and said to myself "Why Not?"

I put a heavy coat of stain on the pine tonight and it now closely approximates the color of mahogany. Once I add 4-5 coats of epiphanes, I think it will blend well- Especially given the fact that it will be in the shade underneath the center console and barely visible.

Structurally, I don't think there will be a difference. The original toe nail screws installed by the factory went through the trim piece, through the console and the mahogany and into the fiberglass and imbedded wood of the boat bottom. The new screws will do the same. I'm going up a size on the screws and taking the extra step of filling the old holes and re-drilling.

My point in this dissertation is not to seek approval, I know it's blasphemy, but - to point out an alternate approach to maintenance to those it might apply to. I think we can get so caught up in the "Keep it original and perfect" train of thought that it actually begins to take away from the enjoyment of our boats.

Again, just an experiment. I may come crawling back to the group with questions on how to correct my errors in the future. We'll see. Right now, I'm pretty proud of the fact that the boat looks great and I've only spent a week and 60 bucks on a can of epiphanes. I'm planning on using it hard this summer without having to worry about the hours and hours I put into the finish.

Next on the list.... I'm going to re-paint the bottom! I've been letting the paint the previous owner put on wear off little by little over the last ten years; helped along by an occasional pressure wash. My wife has convinced me it would actually be an improvement if I just repainted it. You know what - I think she may be right!

Ll.

posted 03-21-2009 05:10 PM ET (US)            

I wanted to raise my console and did what a number of other members have done; fabricated "risers" about 4"x4"x(length of console) out of 1" oak, laminated together. Coated with two coats of epoxy, neet and then sprayed the same color as the console. The risers were drilled, re-coating the drill holes, and bedded on a coating of 3M 5200 on the floor. The console was then mounted with wood screws to the risers.

What's important, again is sealing the wood by either varnish, epoxy or both to keep the water away.