Questions for the experts?

[ppat324]

I know all of you guys have been following along with the work on the sub. Now that it is starting to look good I want to keep her looking good.
SOOOOO, how do I keep heavy traffic areas bright and shiny? I am talking varnished thresh holds and companionway woodwork?
Also, I have never tried to keep wood clean except furniture out of a store. How do I keep my wood clean and looking like new between varnishing? For furniture I use Murphy oil soap and liquid gold but I am worried they may be to harsh for the teak.

Experts Please.......ppat

[dwaynec]

I use Murphys on the wood in our salon and berths all the time, and they still look good (well at least where I have refinished them). But, none of the wood in the cabins has been varnished. The only finish on them is Danish Oil. About once a year I give them a real light oil coat with the Danish and it just keeps looking good.

I will say that the galley is more work than the rest, but still gets the same treatment, just more often.

[34Hatt]

The best way but not always the easiest is NO SHOES Allowed

[solidwaste]

No shoes or bare feet. Sounds ridiculous but it is what it is.

[badhattitude]

No kids or dogs either.

[ppat324]

The dogs are not an OPTION!!! Well, kids I can give up LOL. They are all adults any way. We dont really have a lot of people on the Hatt Trick...we go out on the Roamer instead. I just dont want my varnish job to get destroyed. With 2 dogs and Bill and myself and a few others it wouldn't take long for it to look bad.
So, Murphy soap is in to keep it clean...what about keeping the shine? ppat

[dwaynec]

As long as it is kept reasonably clean, I don't think the shine should suffer. But then, I am NOT an expert in this area. The only thing I can go by is the floor at the house which we had refinished. We just keep it clean, and it still shines like new. We don't wax as that seems to attract and hold the dirt making it look dull.

[Top Hatt and Tails]

Pat,
the admiral uses a light coat of liquid gold to keep the shine on the interior. She applies a coat at the beginning and end of the season (May and October). Shines great. Wipe on, wipe off.

[banned]

Your stuff is all high gloss varnish right? If so then keeping it clean is a snap just a mild hard surface cleaner. Windex is tough on one part varnish so you might want to avoid that. Ground in dirt is more of a problem for oiled wood varnish is easy.

Take your shoes off no freaking way unless your only guests are females from the college gymnastic team. I'd rather refinish than have some 80 year old guy that hasn't washed his feet since WWII take his shoes off and spread some kind of biological weapons grade fungus all over the boat.


Brian

[ppat324]

Thanks, guys.....its good to know I can use the same stuff I know and trust. Murphys and Liquid Gold it shall be.
I have to say I agree with Brian about bare feet....yew!!! I don't want anyone running around in bare feet anywhere around me except on the beach. (Hopefully the sun and water kill the germs)
I will probably start using the Murphy's pretty soon as I am just about wrapping it up in the upper salon and helm area. Maybe another week if all goes well. Then I can tackle the sofa we moved into the lower salon. Sand, Bix remover, acid wash, sand again and then start varnishing!!!! Then I move into the galley and same process behind the frig.
Does it ever end??? After that I can say I have varnished at least 95% of the wood on the sub....
Oops...I forgot...then I get to move outside and do the outside of the wing doors, the rails and , and on and on!!!
At least I know Bill will keep me around since somebody has to keep up with the wood!!!! ppat