Alternatives to varnish

[Amulet]

As an old fashioned varnisher I'm taken with the new enthusiasm for woodskin and various oils as coatings. I've never used them. My instinct is that you can't choose the coating without considering the timber. For a highly durable wood like teak or iroko, you can coat with almost anything (or nothing) without danger. For a durable, say oak, some kind of coating will help, but it can be of a soak in type. Mahogany, or at least the things they sell today as mahoganay.. mmm? Bit more demanding. Ash - springy for tillers and spreaders but thoroughly perishable - total seal against moisture essential.

I'm therefore anxious about adopting any if the recommended favorites without more information about their properties. In particular, I can't see how you can how you can build up a decent sealing coat thickness using traditional alkyd varnish without lots of coats no matter what your religion. Lay it on thick and you'll get solvent entrapment and it won't dry. Can the soak it type of coatings actually seal the wood? If not I doubt their ability to keep perishable timber looking good. Two part can be laid on thick in some systems, but it is brittle and doesn't age gracefully like traditional varnish. Woodskin says it lets your timber breathe - which for me with (say) ash means rot!

I use traditional and two-part and depending on time and patience. Am I missing out on a new wave of coatings for perishable wood? Currently it's all a compromise of some sort for me.

 

[rotrax]

As an old fashioned varnisher I'm taken with the new enthusiasm for woodskin and various oils as coatings. I've never used them. My instinct is that you can't choose the coating without considering the timber. For a highly durable wood like teak or iroko, you can coat with almost anything (or nothing) without danger. For a durable, say oak, some kind of coating will help, but it can be of a soak in type. Mahogany, or at least the things they sell today as mahoganay.. mmm? Bit more demanding. Ash - springy for tillers and spreaders but thoroughly perishable - total seal against moisture essential.

I'm therefore anxious about adopting any if the recommended favorites without more information about their properties. In particular, I can't see how you can how you can build up a decent sealing coat thickness using traditional alkyd varnish without lots of coats no matter what your religion. Lay it on thick and you'll get solvent entrapment and it won't dry. Can the soak it type of coatings actually seal the wood? If not I doubt their ability to keep perishable timber looking good. Two part can be laid on thick in some systems, but it is brittle and doesn't age gracefully like traditional varnish. Woodskin says it lets your timber breathe - which for me with (say) ash means rot!

I use traditional and two-part and depending on time and patience. Am I missing out on a new wave of coatings for perishable wood? Currently it's all a compromise of some sort for me.

The new type finishes dont have-probably cant have-the high gloss of a traditional high quality marine varnish.
What they do have is a pleasing finish-which I am fully aware is subjective-and the ability to take re-coating with far less effort.
Woodskin works for me!

 

[FWB]

Will woodskin be ok for my spruce bowsprit?
If so how many coats will I need starting from bare wood?

 

[rotrax]

Will woodskin be ok for my spruce bowsprit?
If so how many coats will I need staring from bare wood?

I get best results with five thin coats-after the first two it starts coming together.

 

[FWB]

Thanks,rotrax

 

[Tranona]

As an old fashioned varnisher I'm taken with the new enthusiasm for woodskin and various oils as coatings. I've never used them. My instinct is that you can't choose the coating without considering the timber. For a highly durable wood like teak or iroko, you can coat with almost anything (or nothing) without danger. For a durable, say oak, some kind of coating will help, but it can be of a soak in type. Mahogany, or at least the things they sell today as mahoganay.. mmm? Bit more demanding. Ash - springy for tillers and spreaders but thoroughly perishable - total seal against moisture essential.

I'm therefore anxious about adopting any if the recommended favorites without more information about their properties. In particular, I can't see how you can how you can build up a decent sealing coat thickness using traditional alkyd varnish without lots of coats no matter what your religion. Lay it on thick and you'll get solvent entrapment and it won't dry. Can the soak it type of coatings actually seal the wood? If not I doubt their ability to keep perishable timber looking good. Two part can be laid on thick in some systems, but it is brittle and doesn't age gracefully like traditional varnish. Woodskin says it lets your timber breathe - which for me with (say) ash means rot!

I use traditional and two-part and depending on time and patience. Am I missing out on a new wave of coatings for perishable wood? Currently it's all a compromise of some sort for me.

Not sure there is much ash used on boats these days. Porous woodstains have been in use for many years on external woodwork on houses. The resistance for boat work has been mostly because of the lack of gloss, but the newer finishes such as Woodskin are better. I have used Sikkens for 15 years or more on Mahogany, Iroko, Teak as well as Douglas Fir masts which stay up all year round and typically go 5 years between recoating. The mainmast has not been back to bare wood in 15 years. These finishes are not to be confused with the oil type that claim to soak into the wood.

 

[theguerns]

Hi We have a Colvic Watson 32 which doesn't have a lot of wood but the little it does have I try to keep looking good. As you I have tried all the normal Marine coatings and they all entail lots of hard work and you have to keep doing it. For the past 8 years I have been using the product below and am very pleased with the look and the lack of care it needs. A light sand brush off and apply 3 coats that's it. We use the cedar stain colour as we like the slight red of it with the boats green hull. We have had many a nice comment on the finish.
http://www.blackfriar.co.uk/wood-preservative

 

[simonfraser]

Sikkens cetol marine wood-oil varnish, excellent stuff, Mattish finish, can do patches and it all merges into one.

 

[Spi D]

The more I use this stuff the more impressed I become:

http://www.deksolje.com/index.php?langue=en&page=products-deks-olje-d1

then if you really want it shiny:

http://www.deksolje.com/index.php?langue=en&page=products-deks-olje-d2

Only experience with any Owatrol product was my previous boat, treated with Owatrol GRP-something all over. Turned yeollow'ish all over

Getting it off was a true nightmare. Tried all, ended up sanding and rebuilding the whole surface to an acceptable gloss.

Wood: Anybody tried Jorun Benar which is an oil - not varnish?

 

[robmcg]

Another one for the mix - we have used Osmo Oil on the cockpit sole boards. This is a high traffic area and has lasted well all season. You can buy it tinted to your taste if you want. Not really a shiny finish though.

http://www.osmouk.com/