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Guys,
I've gone through the threads for a few days now and can't come up with a clear path. The console and seat in the Nauset are NOT in need of restoration as they are intact, undamaged, and unblemished. I've disassembled the console into individual components and it would appear that even though I have no cracking, checking, or discoloration, the gloss is diminished as is any level of protection from the elements. The woodwork is unaltered since 1968. My objective is to protect and renew, not strip down and start from scratch.

How do I prep and seal the original mahogany components?

I've been told to lightly sand without breaking through to bare wood, wipe down with mineral spirits, and seal with Interlux Interprime Wood Sealer and follow up with spar varnish. I can find no posts anywhere on the Net that indicate that wood sealers can or should be used over anything other than bare wood. I've also read that a quality varnish cut 50% with turpentine works well as a sealer coat but again, can I go with diluted varnish over existing varnish.. and do I want to? What about sealer on the end grain?

This is a boat that will be trailered, washed after every use and kept in a climate controlled garage, but when in use will be on salt water and in the Florida sun.

Thoughts?

Chris

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If you haven't sanded through to the wood you can't seal the wood. Are you sure the finish is varnish? If so, I would imagine the varnish has darkened so much over the past 45 years that you can't see much of the beautiful wood grain that mahogany is known for. Were it mine I would strip to bare wood, lightly sand and varnish, laying on at least 6 coats. Thin the first coat of the varnish so it soaks into the wood and then you don't need a sealer.

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You can't seal the wood if you don't get to it. wipe everything down with acetone to clean off the grime, then lightly sand with 220 grit. wipe it down again to remove dust and revarnish

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Your wood looks in great shape, so it's an easy job.

1) Wash it well to remove any grease or dirt that might impede adhesion
2) Scuff sand all the surfaces to be varnished - you are looking to give it some tooth for a good bond rather than to remove material. 150 or 220 grit will be fine, just go easy if you use 150.
3) Remove all dust - blow off first and then use a tack cloth
4) Mask off anything you don't want to get varnish on - varnish in the nonskid is a pain in the neck
5) Apply varnish per manufacturer's instructions. Scuff sand lightly between coats, with light touch.
6) Apply as many coats as you like - the more coats, the more durable and glassy it will look.

No need to use any sealer in this case, but if you do have to work with bare wood somewhere, an initial coat of thinned varnish will soak in well - I find that works as well or better than special sealing products.

Tim

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Your Nauset looks fabulous. You will find it to be a very reliable and versatile boat for Florida. All the advice on refinishing the mahogany bright work is on target. I sanded mine to bare wood when I refinished. It is a good opportunity to repair old screw holes, dings, and scratches, and it will result in a smooth and even finish all around. But, frankly if your woodwork looks as good as it appears in the pictures, I'm not sure why you would want to refinish.

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Great!

That's what I was looking for, Tim. The woodwork is out of the boat and disassembled and ready for prep.

Much appreciated!

Chris

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bcross, we're in agreement. I don't want to refinish. The gloss is gone and I'm sure that today's varnish has UV inhibitors that didn't exist 45 years ago. I just want to reestablish some gloss and seal the original wood with a good clear varnish with UV protection, then reassemble.

We'll see how it goes, and thanks,

Chris

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Chris - All previous information is good. I would apply about 6-8 coats of Z-Spar Flagship varnish if you really want to build up a nice finish. Also install a fender washer under all trim rings, as they will cut you new varnish skin, leaving you with black circles eventually. Let varnish cure about two weeks before re-assembling anything.

If Whaler's original urethane finish is still good, you can simply buff it back to high gloss using 3M Finesse-it II and wool pad on the buffer. Many are not aware of how beautful varnish can be buffed out with this product. You can also do it after your new varnish has cured for about a month. The results are amazing.

The engine looks really good. I never would have guessed it could be done so well. I thought you were crazy to do this (not putting on a classic Merc tower!), but it really came out nice.

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Larry,
That's the second time I've heard about buffing it out with Finesse It. I'll definitely try that after curing time.

I've got the interior out and disassembled. I'm ready to start scuff sanding. Do I wipe with mineral spirits before sanding? After? or both? I'll sand lightly between coats but then do I wipe with mineral spirits again or use a tac cloth? or both?

I appreciate your positive comments and honest opinion about the engine appearance, although I'll surmise it must have been painful for you!

Your input and experience is always appreciated.

Chris

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Between coats, sand lightly and remove the dust by whatever means necessary. I find a tack cloth (cheesecloth impregnated with wax) usually works well. If there's a lot of dust, I start with a rag lightly moistened with turpentine, and follow up with the tack cloth.

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Wipe with mineral spirits before sanding - it will help remove any remaining grease or wax, and keep it from clogging up your sandpaper among other things. Do NOT wipe with mineral spirits between coats - just scuff sand very lightly, and get the dust off with a tack cloth or just wipe off with a clean rag.

One other trick is to make sure you do the sanding and varnishing in different spots, as the fine dust from sanding gets everywhere. I sand outside, and use a leaf blower to get the dust off before returning the pieces to the basement for varnish.

Some people are incredibly fussy about varnishing - you need to decide how extreme you want to be. I try to be reasonably clean, but I don't go crazy and my boat looks pretty good. I second the recommendation for Flagship varnish. It builds fast, and comes out great, but it is very thick so you need to be careful of brush strokes.

Speaking of brushes, I use chip brushes for the undercoats and then a good varnish brush for the last one - saves a lot of time.

Just a correction to the previous post - tack cloths are cheesecloth impregnated with thinned varnish, not wax. You don't want to let wax near your project - it will seriously mess up the finish.

Tim

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You might try this product on a hidden area to see how it does for cleaning the old finish and preparing it for new varnish-

http://www.formbys.com/products/refinisher/

I haven't used it on my boat, but really liked it for restoring some old furniture. It seemed to get rid of any cloudiness or enmbedded dirt, without completely stripping the old finish.

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Thanks guys, Lots of good info here.

Chris