OAK - - stain?

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BoatCrazy

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If there is one thing I love doing on my boats its the wood work. I have a new to me boat that I am restoring slowly.

Boat is a 1972 Glastron, and it seems like the helm is OAK. Its definitely not teak. Was wondering what the best way to clean it and stain it is. I like a NICE wet looking wood, but not varnished...

Pic is attached, its not the greatest picture but it gives you a slight clue as to what I am dealing with.

Thanks in advance!
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I'd leave the wood refinishing until much later in the project. It looks as if you have plenty of other work to do that may damage the new finish during the process. Consider an alternative to astroturf in the interior and the use of galvanized nails as fasteners. Did you do the prior improvements?
 
Absolutely did some work..I ripped up the floor and replaced that already. Though I havent taken after pics of the floor, heres the ripped up pic.
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I didnt replace the stringers, they were in GREAT shape, completely dry and VERY solid. The floor was JUST starting to get soft thats why I ripped it up.

All I have to do is paint around the dash and then do the dash staining. once thats all done, Ill put carpet in the boat and Ill be good to go. Oh wait, I have to mount the motor and all that good stuff..

Not looking to do the wood work tomorrow, just looking to plan a little bit.
 
I believe the wood to be mahogany not oak, but it could be oak.
I belive that that is a natural stain prior to a varnish finish.
There is not real good was to get a wet look other than oiling the wood. Mahagony has tight pours, so oil is going to be required very often, I personelly would not go that route.
If it was me, I would remove the pcs, as there are not allot of insterments on it. Sand it with a belt sander, then finish with a block sander. Then varnish it. If you like the deep red finish fo mahogany you can always stain it before varnishing.
 
"Was wondering what the best way to clean it and stain it"

Oak is an "odd" wood choice ( imho ), nevertheless, let's play with the toys available...

First, the best way to start is to dismount the wood. In this case it looks like you have to remove only three items, so the task should be manageable.

Clean up the wood, via sanding. You might consider rounding or fairing those edges a bit, though anything beyond "getting down to bare wood" should be considered decorative, rather than required. Sand, using moderately coarse ( 100 grit or so ) down through finer and finer grades till about 320 grit. BE SURE TO CLEAN FULLY between grades, by using a vacuum and/or tack cloth. You must remove all residual grit from the coarser grade prior to using a finer grade ( else you get scratches ).

Now you are ready ( after a final vac/wipe down ) for finishing. I personally dislike any stains, and usually avoid them, preferring to let the wood age naturally, but may others like to stain. Any standard stain will do. Apply as directed by the label.

After the stain process is complete, then here is what I would recommend ( I'm donning my Nomex flame resistant suit as I type! ):

Apply one coat of clear epoxy resin ( NOT vinyl ester ). This will act as a barrier coat, making the wood "water resistant". Let the epoxy cure till hard. If in doubt, wait another day...

Wipe the hardened epoxy with acetone ( to de-wax/clean ) and sand lightly with 320 grit to slightly roughen up the finish. Do not sand through!

Now apply your favorite marine grade varnish w/ UV inhibitors. ( epoxy is not resistant to UV )

Let cure/dry till finish is -completely hardened- then re-install.

This will provide you with a good looking piece of wood, that is resistant to splashing and resistant to sun exposure. When the topcoat fails ( it likely will, eventually ) you can lightly sand the topcoat, without removing the epoxy layer and re-finish w/ shellac/varnish.

-edit-

Yes, it could be sun-bleached mahogany. All of my above comments stand, regardless.
 
I do a lot of wood work.

Remove the piece.

Use a good stripper like Jasco Premium Paint and Epoxy Remover.

Sand with 80 grit, then 120.

Stain with an oil-based filler stain if you want color. If you want a "natural" color use neutral filler stain.

Seal the wood over the stain. I wouldn't mess with epoxy for this, it's fussy, expensive and the process often disturbs your rubbed stain. Remember that epoxy contains no UV inhibitors and makes for a bad wood finish by itself. Pettit Clear Sealer is a great choice if you want to topcoat with varnish.

Topcoat with a minimum of eight to twelve coats of sanded premium quality marine varnish. You can try other hard, clear finishes like Cetol, Epifanes, etc., etc. which may get you a little more time between re-coats but varnish will look best. There are lots of choices but if the wood is out of the elements including sun for most of time, I'd use varnish.

Oak will varnish fine but is more prone to lifting than open pored wood like mahogany or any of the Philippine mahogany varieties.
 
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