Keith’s teak swim platform

Hey Jbear and 88 nautique- 68 more days until my 30 but I'm not counting Cable repairman in Northern Illinois, IBT,Ameritech,SBC,AT&T, right now detailed to work on FTTN project to get video to houses on copper.Plan on retiring in '09 before next contract and running away with my lump sum. Best to you all,Gary

Eric, I completely disa$$embled my platform to refinish it as well. Mine had no nails in it, only screws. If the existing screws arent enough to hold the platform together, I would add more screws instead of replacing the nails. Make sure you predrill any new holes to prevent cracking.

The underside of my platform was soft when wet before I refinished- I could scrape the surface off with my fingernail. This was just mildew/mold that accumulates on the wood when it stays wet- the wood itself is not soft (teak doesnt rot). It could also partly be the remnants of an old finish (varnish, etc). You need to give it a good cleaning with some teak cleaner and a stiff bra$$ brush. If there is a lot of old varnish, there is some orange stuff you can get at Home Depot that does a good job of removing it. They sell small bra$$ brushes there too, or if you can find a larger bra$$ grill brush they work well too. Make sure you get all of the soft stuff off before sanding or refinishing.

Gary: Cable Mtc sure is fun up there in the north, huh? I just talked to my partner in the underground tonite. Friday is his last day. Worked 3 more years after I left. We had planned to go together as we had always worked and hung out together. But in '03 when I got my buy-out, I was #12 on the list and he was #13. You guessed it, they only took 12. Hated to go without him but had to. Took my lump and ran to Florida. LOVED the job but really have not missed it for a day. Lots of luck to you, make it to the end safely! There is life after the phone company.


john

Gary S & JBear,
I was bound to meet some bucketheads on this site. At least you're not knuckle-draggers (linemen).
If you see my early post time it's because I had to start early to cut some inter-office t1's to clear a t3 to free up some fiber for that fttn stuff. I'm sure everybody knows what the hell I just said.
There are a lot of people over here that want to leave before the next contract. Wish I could.

wakeboardin2k4, Forget the varnish. Do not varnish teak wood. Just use teak oil. Varnish will trap oils in the teak and could ruin your deck. Plus it will start coming off and look like hell.

TRBenj, I noticed the teak cleaner on the fender of your trailer.

Here is my platform after 3 coats of teak oil. Starting to look good. It's still soaking in the oil though.



Kurt

wakeboardin2k4,

Are you sure that they are nails? It isn't that I doubt you, I ask because the first and last time I did our platform it was the screw tips that were poking through the top of the platform and scratching our skis. If the platform is worn down or the previous owner put in different length screws that could be your problem.

To the rest, very nice lookin platforms. I wish I was concerned with the looks of ours, but I am not. It is a nice and weathered gray.

wakeboardin2k4,
I'm curious how your platform came out. Are you done yet? Post a pic if you can.
88

88, did you end up doing 5 coats of teaking oil? I am done with my 2nd coat and it has been soaking for over a day. 3rd coat is going on tomorrow after class. I am wondering how many coats people usually doo. I have learned that a little oil seems to go a long way.

I have been taking pictures as the process continues. I will load them up when I am finished with the project.

The first image is sanded and cleaned. Second image is after 2 coats and dried, third picture is of the 3rd coat, still wet. Just did the 4th coat earlier today so no pictures yet

Looks good Tim. Are you going to add more coats?
Have you posted your boat in the diaries section yet? If so, put a link in your signatures.
Kurt

Just got my removable brackets from Mid West CC and had a question. I see some people touched on this earlier, but what is the best method to reattach my brackets?   My lag bolts appeared to be tight, however, the other screws did look a little loose. Should I put epoxy in the hole and re drill before putting in the bolts/screws with sealant on them? Any more recommendations for what type of sealant to use?

Cheers!

BKH -

They were 260 shipped, and considering how tight my parking area is, worth it.

Not to mention being able to take it off when trailering long distances, keep it inside during the winter, ect.

They look pretty solid, just hoping that I can make the hole pattern match up. Will find out after work!

If you get your brackets from Alloy Marine they are $99.95 each.

Oh, I thought you paid $260 for two of the new style.

Here's a link to the alloy marine ones;


Alloy Marine

Hey fellow Teak refurbishers...

I've been using this "Bix" strip to get the poly off my platform, and it's not proving as a great solution for the job at hand. Maybe because there are so many years and applications the PO put on it.. Is there a real nasty stripping gel out there that can outperform the Bix product??

Just wondering because this is taking forever...

Thanks
Moj'