hogg@utcsri.UUCP (John Hogg) (04/01/85)
Sailing season's coming on fast - here in the Deep South the water
hasn't been hard for weeks, and it can't last much longer further
north. So, here's the prep work tip of the [varying time unit]:
I've found an easy way to transform grey teak into a state ready for
oiling. Basically, you wetsand it with a 3M Scotchbrite abrasive pad.
This device is sold for cleaning barbeques and other filthy things
such as boat bottoms. It is a plastic mesh pad with a substantial
handle, lasts for a long time and is fairly inexpensive; about $3 at
the local bulk-food store.
The secret is to get the teak not just wet, but saturated. When the
wood has been wetted for at least ten minutes ( three hours of rainstorm
is much better) it becomes soft and the dirty grey scrapes off
easily. You could use wet-and-dry paper, but it would clog easily (or
be so coarse as to leave large scratches) while the abrasive pad
doesn't clog and leaves a smooth enough finish that no further sanding
is necessary.
The other route is of course a two-part cleaner. Keep it off the
winches or any other anodized fittings, or you will have shiny metal.
And try not to be too disgusted when you notice just as much wood
being taken off as that sanding and scrubbing you were trying to avoid
for fear of wearing the wood away to nothing.
Or, you can try and convince yourself that grey teak turning black is
esthetically appealing. What the hell, it doesn't make the boat go
any slower, so why worry...
John Hogg
Computer Systems Research Institute, UofT
{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!hogg
--
John Hogg
Computer Systems Research Institute, UofT
{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!hogg