Timber brightwork is a nautical term for exposed timber surfaces finished with a high gloss. Traditionally, this is achieved by applying varnish; however, marine polyurethanes are now more commonly used to reduce maintenance requirements.

Our visit aimed to demonstrate to the restorers how to prepare the timber for its new finish using Cooper’s products and processes, and to record a tutorial video in the process.

Due to constant exposure to the elements, the old finish had inevitably failed, and the timber surface became damaged. The area we chose to work on was a good representation of the overall wheelhouse condition: exposed areas had polyurethane that had peeled away, causing those parts to turn black with mold, while the areas nearer the top remained in good condition due to being more sheltered. The timber involved was a combination of New Zealand native timbers—Rimu and Kauri—in the form of tongue and groove cladding (TG&V).

Interestingly, the condition of the area we worked on was quite similar to what many people might find on their front or garage doors at home, with the restoration methods being the same.

In the tutorial video, you’ll see how Cooper’s Stripper dissolved the old polyurethane, making it easy to remove with a putty knife and detail brushes. After rinsing the surface clean with Cooper’s Flusher, the wet color revealed what the end result would look like with a new finish applied.

The higher, sheltered areas looked great, while the lower areas still showed about 50% of the water-damaged color. So, we decided to perform an additional step: Grain Enhancing.

Grain Enhancing involves applying dissolved oxalic acid to the entire surface with the purpose of restoring the weathered timber as much as possible to its natural appearance. In this case, a small amount of weathered grain remained; however, what was left looked completely in character for a heritage project.