Mahogany Stain Suggestion?

[Seanfromseattle]

So I'm restoring the rubbing strakes on my 67' Glasspar Seafair Sedan. (The long pieces of wood just above the water line on the port/starboard side of the hull). My original ones are not in good shape so I'm using the donors from another boat. They are honduran mahogany. Problem is that they have been pretty severely sun-bleached over the preceeding 5 decades. I'm going to layer on 20 or so coats of varnish. The varnish I'm using is true clear, not amber hued like many varnishes. So I'm wondering if anyone has any experience on a good stain color that they've used on your sun damaged wood, to restore some color to them?.....

PS: Photo is not from my boat...

[Steve_Kiesel]

Try sanding them down lightly. That should bring back the original color of the wood. Try it on the under side first to make sure it's giving you what you want. Then varnish.

I did that to some of the Mahogany on my Seafair, turned out great. Sounds like yours may be more weathered, but worth a try. Good luck getting those off.

[Tim_Mattson]

Sean ,
I did mine with some Daly`s stain which brought out the deep red grain of the Mahogeny.I bleached them until sterilized ,then sanded until powdery wood stopped coming off.
I wished I had Varnished but never took them off like you intend.
I did find my Seafair had 4`` long Silicone Bronze screws which are pricey new and came off easy after some T-nut soaking with penetrant.
20 coats should work great.
TimM

[Seanfromseattle]

I went with Dalys Aquaspar on the rubbing strakes. No stain, just the varnish. They are shining up real nice. Had to do a little surgery to repair some damage, and I'm up to 5 coats of varnish. Aquaspar goes on pretty easy with a brush, and I think I might be able to bump it up to 10 thin coats a day... Now I have to clean off the old varnish on the aluminum 1/2 round, and figure out a good attachment for them. The original aluminum ring shank nails Glasspar used hold well, but they are not reversible, and I want to be able to layer on more varnish every year easily. The Silicon Bronze bolts were in pretty good shape, but the lock nuts shine up like little gold jewels, so I'll hit those with the buffer and turn them into a feature. Any suggestions for a clear coat finish over bronze that will help them keep their shine? I'm thinking lacquer?...

[Tim_Mattson]

Sean ,
I do polish jobs on alum Boats and use "Sharkhyde" lacquer clearcoat applied with a rag.You could dab it on or buy it way cheaper in a rattle can at hardware store.
Might have a leftover partial can you could have with just enough.....smells like model airplane glue ,needs two coats and 24-36 hours in between to stick right.
Glad the strakes are going well ,I used 3/4``tapered SS screws so re-moving trim was easier.....they oxidized so Alum may be worth an investment.
TM

[TheBronze]

The fittings on most of the glasspar stuff I have seen are brass screws electroplated with alumimum. Try your local Coast Do It Best for an OK selection of screws to re-attach.