Marine Forum

Stripping and revarnishing a GP14 Mahogany ply decking.

spionkop

06 March 2007 15:55:17

Joined: 06 March 2007 15:28:42 | Posts: 1

My daughter & partner have just bought their first boat,a wooden GP14. It has been stored for the last 18 years in a garage with a leaky roof. The general condition is exeptionally good but where water has dripped on the side decking and subsequently lay in the hull at the base of the mast, the varnish has lifted and softening of the timber has occured. We believe that we can replace the rotten parts or reinforce with fibreglass but how do we remove all of the present varnish (without sanding through the veneer) and what are the best modern advances in revarnishing products?

---

Bryn Jones

Re: Stripping and revarnishing a GP14 Mahogany ply decking.

Anonymous user

29 September 2008 11:18:26

Joined: Unknown | Posts: Unknown

I've used an electric hot-air gun, the sort you buy from B&Q for paint stripping. Gentle application of heat and careful use of a steel scrapper resulted in nice clean mahogany bits on my GP14 'project'. You may find the soft bits dry-out hard but stained. Try sanding in the first instance but if it looks like it won't go without removing a lot of wood try oiling the area. I've alos used several coats of a very-light mahogany stain and if I need a darker tone I jsut apply another coat to the affected area. It is not as perfect as I'd like but OK. Remeber, if its damaged already you can't break it but with wood you can always make another bit!