Dash off little jobs with dispatch
Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017
When I’m desperate to get a relatively small teak finish job done in a hurry I . . .
- Sand — 80-grit, then 120-grit — with a power oscillating tool. (This tool is a must-have for any handyman. It’s very fast and I can maneuver the sanding edge around hardware. With its vast array of available blades and adaptors, it’s also versatile, and makes easy work of tough jobs.)
- Hand sand a little under handrails and other hard-to-reach spots.
- Blow off the work area with a powerful electric leaf blower (compressed shop air contains too much water and oil).
- Wipe the surface with a tack cloth.
- Pour a little teak oil into an old 6-cupcake pan. (It’s very stable at rest, easy to grasp, and great for holding small parts and small amounts of liquids.)
- Apply the teak oil with a 3⁄4-inch-wide artist’s brush. (A brush with tight bristles and a squared-off tip allows very good control and I can cut such a fine line with it that I can skip masking. It’s good for lots of other touch-up painting jobs too.)
- Repeat with more coats as needed.
- Clean brush and pan.
- Admire the result.
Allen Penticoff, a Good Old Boat contributing editor, is a freelance writer, sailor, and longtime aviator. He has trailer-sailed on every Great Lake and on many inland waters and has had keelboat adventures on fresh and salt water. He owns an American 14.5, a MacGregor 26D, and a 1955 Beister 42-foot steel cutter that he stores as a “someday project.”
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
