Subject: Teak repairs
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003

I have teakwood gunwales on my 21 Pursit center console boat. There are some cracks in the teak that are in the order of 1/16 inch (plus /minus) wide. The boat is 1990 vintage, and I assume the teak is original. Do you have anything to use as a crack filler that would be cosmetically acceptable? My preference is for a filler that looks comparable to the teak itself.

Thanx for any info you might be able to provide,
Bob G.

Bob,

We have two fillers available that could be used to fill the cracks, the Fill-It™ Epoxy Filler, and the Layup & Laminating Resin™ mixed with sawdust. The Fill-It™ cures white, but we also have a brown epoxy coloring agent that can be used to "tone" the filler to any stage of brown. The Layup & Laminating Resin™ mixed with sawdust will cure to the color of the sawdust, meaning if you used teak sawdust you would end up with a fill that is teak-colored. You can go here to see how the coloring agent affects the fillers:

http://www.rotdoctor.com/products/accessories.html#color

As you can see, the Layup & Laminating Resin™ mixed with the sawdust we sell comes close to a teak color.

If you used either of these methods, be prepared to sand the repaired area afterwards to remove any filler residue. Wipe-up during application can be made with a rag dampened with lacquer thinner.

A standard wood filler would not last in this application. It would crack and pop out. An epoxy is required.

I hope this is some help, and feel free to come back if you have additional questions.

Doc