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Removing Teak Deck Bedding Compound

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  • June 04, 2018 4:31 AM
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    Reply # 6284332 on 6270999
    Anonymous member

    doug.   tools tend to go by different local names.  i live in australia, so i was unsure what you might call it "up over."  oscillating tool was a good description.

    after removing the plugs from the caprail and then digging the epoxy out of the screw heads, i was able to remove almost all of the screws with a carpenters brace fitted with a screwdriver bitt.  i would use my entire weight on the head of the brace and then tightenen the screw just the tiniest amount before backing it off.  where this was unsuccessful, i drilled out the screw head,  leaving the shank in the teak.  after removing the teak i was able too use a vice-grip on the stump to remove the rest of the screw.

    while the caprail was off, i marked the positions of each hull/deck bolt, on the hull the same distance down the hull as the screw was in from the edge of the hull. hopefully, if i need to attach some hardware to the caprail later, i won't drill down on the top of one of the invisible bolts.. 

    there was a small gap between the edge of the deck moulding and the top of the hull moulding.  this was about 5/16" deep and varied form about 3/8" to zero in width.  i cleaned this out with a thin wire wheel and various scraping tools. i did not want to use toluene here, because it may have degraded the remaining sealant between the deck and the hull surfaces.  i fit a thin round foam backer rod in the groove wherever i could and then resealed it with sikaflex 291. . 

    rather than using machine screws to refasten the caprail, i used pan head self-tappers.  i ground three grooves lengthwise in a couple of these to make them work like taps.  after drilling an appropriate sized hole, i ran one of these screw-taps into the hole and back, thus cutting a thread in the fiberglass rather than crushing it.  

    you might need another gallon of that elbow grease.

    so far so good.   james
  • June 11, 2018 7:08 AM
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    Reply # 6303578 on 6270999
    Deleted user

    James, after spending several hours removing bedding residue from about 40 square feet of deck, I can sorely report on how it went!  Any facetious soreness came from hours of kneeling while using a nylon wire wheel in a drill.

    OK, I tried several methods to remove the bedding residue: (1) toluol (toluene) alone applied via a brush to let sit on the residue; (2) using toluol with the nylon wire wheel; (3) running a scratch awl through the anti-skid valleys after a toluol wash followed with a nylon wire wheel; and (4) using just the nylon wire wheel.  I tracked the amount of time each method took for similar 1 square foot area.

    Given that I have about 150 square feet of deck space to cleanse, I really wanted to minimize the time I needed to spend knotted into a pretzel!  Here is what I found.

    The use of toluol did not contribute to any removal of the bedding compound and did not noticeably soften the residue.  I found that using xylene and the Boat Life solvent had the same non-impact.  The bedding material is obviously not impacted by the solvents.  The cost of the solvents was not wasted, however, as I will certainly used them (safely) to cleanse and degrease the deck prior to any fiberglass repair, fairing, and painting.

    What I did find extremely useful was just using the nylon wire wheel.  In the particularly thick areas, it is helpful to run the scratch awl through the anti-skid valleys to loosen the material.  However, the nylon wire wheel can do the job by itself if one leaves the wheel on the area long enough.

    After cleaning about 40 square feet of deck, I have reduced the removal time to about 10 - 15 minutes per square foot.   The decrease in time is primarily the result of learning how to wheel more effectively.

    The nylon wire wheel I used, was a 4 inch 80 grit wheel marketed under the name "Nyalox", which I purchased on Amazon.  After using this wheel for about 40 square feet, I still have enough of the wheel left to do more.  I have ordered more, but I expect to only need 2 for the entire deck.  The 80 grit nylon strands have not gouged the surface, but it does abrade the gel coat some.  This is not bad, since I have to sand it all prior to painting.

    Hopefully, my experience will help someone else who may unfortunately need to remove their teak deck on either a WS32 or a WS42/43.  I have noticed numerous spiders cracks in the deck under the teak and most of it is not around the screw holes.  I have also noticed chipping in the deck gel coat in the not anti-skid sections of the deck.

    James, thanks so much for your advice.  While this task is not for the feint of heart, it is relatively simple but tedious!  Ah, only 110+ square feet left!

    Doug
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