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Well guys, I found a needle in the haystack. Just 4 miles from my house a guy sold me a restored Nauset Console, front seat and a new Nauset Bench seat (made by Cedar Lake).

The console was 90% rebuild with a few pieces from the old Nauset console by a professional boat yard in CT that does lots of wood restoration.

What I have left to do:

1. Pick all your brains on Varnishing all this Mahogany. I am at a loss as to whether to stain it first then Varnish, or just varnish over the raw wood.

2. Find a good solid hull to put the console/seats in. I don't want anything with too much work

3. Find a decent engine. While I like the idea of a Bearcat 55hp, I will probably go with something like a Yamaha 70hp or 90hp 3 cyl. engine. (used of course)

4. Start the process of getting all the other parts. (i.e. lights, steering, etc. etc..)

Anyway, I wanted to come here and say hello and I look forward to interacting with you all.

Thanks,

John / Madison, CT

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1967 16'7" Whaler Project on YachtWorld - Deep River,CT

This is right in your back yard....B)

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Are you refereing to the one that is partially restored? Yeah, I know about that, and its simply too much work for me. The inside still has all the grazed gelcoat and it needs to be removed.

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John,
Thats just a matter of some sanding.....:)

Check Yacht world and boat trader often ... they come up every now and again....B)

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John,
As a cabinetmaker, I would not recommend staining. The varnish alone will make that mahogany just "pop" with the natural beauty of the wood. Over time the varnish will attain the darker patina when exposed to the UV's....
Stain will speed up the process, but it's a bear to fix when you scratch or ding it with your tackle box, anchor, beer cooler, etc....
"Accidents" are easily fixed with just varnish...just varnish again!
Good luck!

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Wow, thanks for the quick response on the Varnish/Stain issue.

Can you recommend a varnish? Are there any new high-tech coatings that work better?

Thanks,

John

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Call me a curmudgeon...(my wife does), but I've a real problem with all these newer, bigger, better ,faster products available in droves today....
All of them were derived from varnish....good old spar varnish.
For hundreds of years boat builders/sailors have been applying a fresh coat every year to protect the brightwork of their vessels from the ravages of the sun....
Despite all the claims, I feel nothing is more UV resistant than a coat of varnish...or 6....
Interlux,Pettit,Z-Spar or Epiphanes all make the basic product. It comes in clear, or amber shades for a deeper color. It's a slow process...but the results can't be beat!

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Thanks guys. This is a great help. I'm inclined not to stain it as I prefer a slightly lighter look rather than darker.

Anyway, the front seat has not yet been restored. It looks fairly easy to do as the cuts and boards look simple.

Tell me, is this Honduran Mahogany or Philippine?

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THAT! ...is an excellent question!
Of which I do not know the answer....
Having bought Phillipine mahogany TODAY for another project...I do know that Phillipine is half the cost of the Honduran...
The Honduran is tighter grained, thus a stronger, denser,more water resistant, thus more desirable than the Phillipine. It was more available to the American market up until WWII...now it's a rainforest concern...thus more expensive...
It would be interesting to contact BW and ask which species they used...until they stopped using it....
The stuff your console is currently made of is probably Phillipine....
Looks great with varnish!