re:fein teak blades

[Scott Hughey]

My first caulk project other than patching is in the cockpit.The seams are 4mm,so I purchased the Fein 4mm blade for the Multimaster.Other seams are 5,6,and 7mm in width.Do I need all those blades or can you cut up one side and down the other with the 4mm blade ...or is that too labor intensive? I have`nt got the blade to use it yet ,how fast can you move down the seam,how clean is the cut and how long do the blades last?
Scott

[Rob Schulte]

Scott: Having just recaukled my entire deck, I can offer you the following observations/advice: 1. The FM moves very quickly along the seams.
2. YOU should control the pace of the cut, not the FM.
3. It is better to have a narrow blade instead of a thicker one. The teak blades are very sharp and do not know the difference between Polysulfide and teak. If you are not careful, the blade will quickly chew into a teak plank. To avoid this, follow no. 2 above. Don't worry, you will cut into a few planks before you get hte hang of it. It's not the end of the world, just annoying. Leave anything other than the 4mm blade on the shelf.
4. The cut is very clean. Just be careful not to cut too low. If you have some wet spots under your teak (which I will assume that you do), that area will be soft and the FM will dig right into it and you will pull up a beautifully cut strip of teak with a frosting of Polysulfide. Again, not the end of the word, just annoying. Again, you will get the hang of it after experiencing this phenonmena a few times.
5. I used four (4) 4m blades for the entire deck. I would have used only two (2), except that I broke one and dropped another overboard. If you want more detail, I am happy to chat with you. Send me and e-mail and I will send to you my contact number or I can call you. Overall, it's not a bad job. The harder part is re-caulking. It's takes patience, a lot of preparation and favorable weather conditions. Regards,
Rob S.
S/V Endurance
84 HC 38 MII
rschulte@goeaston.net

[Scott Berken]

Hi Rob, I'm redoing the helm seat on my '82 HC33. I thought I'd start with a small project to see if I have the talent and patience to take on the decks. I'm wondering what you used for the caulk. I've been looking at West Marine multi caulk, 3M polysulfide marine sealant or Life-Calk deck seam sealant. Any info would appreciated. Thanks, Scott Berken berkenscott@hotmail.com

[Rob Schulte]

Scott: I used Teak Decking Systems "404 Compound." TDS' contact information is as follows: Phone: +1 941-756-0600 Fax: +1 941-756-0406 Email: <A HREF="mailto:info.usa@teakdecking.com">info.usa@teakdecking.com</A> I recaulked by entire deck using their product. I am VERY satisfied with same. Good luck. Regards,
Rob S.
rschulte@goeaston.net

[Scott Hughey]

I have used the West Marine stuff for patch work and Sika product, ould not recomend it unless you like black stripes on your butt,I`m gonna use the TDS product I hear good things about it.
Scott

[Ray Mayo]

Yes.....I agree emphatically DO NOT use the WEST product as it never really hardens and leaves "skid marks" on anything that rubs against it. Ray raymayo@prodigy.net

[Ken W.]

I used Life-Calk on my hatches but I wouldn't recommend it. It takes forever to dry. Two or three weeks. You can speed it up a little by spraying water on it, but I think it would be a nightmare on a deck. Ken kc8pql@arrl.net

[Scott Hughey]

Boat life and other similar products have a shelf life of approximately one year.Many stores have out dated product on thier shelves which they sell.I wonder if some of the poor performance we experience with these products is because of the use of outdated meterial.
Scott

[Scott Berken]

Thank you all for your info. I'm now waiting to hear back from the folks at Teak Decking Systems. Scott B. berkenscott@hotmail.com