PabloPicasso
Well-known member
Well that's it in the title How can you reduce the burden of all that re-varnishing?
How do you reduce the varnishing
- Thread starter PabloPicasso
- Start date
TQA
New member
- Joined
- 20 Feb 2005
- Messages
- 6,815
- Location
- Carribbean currently Grenada
Learn to love silvery weathered teak.
Woodlouse
New member
Paint it.
Or pay someone else to do it.
Or pay someone else to do it.
Flynnbarr
Well-known member
Covers.
Tranona
Well-known member
Unless you can cover it, then stop using varnish and use a porous woodstain such as International Woodskin
Romeo
Well-known member
Save the varnish for vertical surfaces. Use some other finish for horizontal surfaces.
Romeo
Well-known member
Another way of course is to try to view it as an art and a privilege, rather than a burden. A bit tricky to do if you have perfect varnishing conditions, because everyone else will be out sailing with their sun hats on.
PhillM
Well-known member
Varnish early and often. Saves having to scrape it all back and start again. Ask be how I know!
But I agree varnishing is a pleasure that needs the right mind set to achieve successfully. The varnishing really is a real pleasure, it's the preperation is the work that really tests ones patience and perseveration.
But I agree varnishing is a pleasure that needs the right mind set to achieve successfully. The varnishing really is a real pleasure, it's the preperation is the work that really tests ones patience and perseveration.
Wooden Boat Fittings
New member
Boat soup.
pyrojames
Well-known member
Covers.
Varnish even if you think it doesn't need it. I varnished twice a year in Oz, and it kept very very well. Let it go, and then you have problems.
Covers!
Varnish even if you think it doesn't need it. I varnished twice a year in Oz, and it kept very very well. Let it go, and then you have problems.
Covers!
Romeo
Well-known member
Have just spent the morning with a scraper and some sandpaper. I have decided my solution is going to have to be to lower my standards even further.
pyrojames
Well-known member
Hmm, I've spent the last three weekends with a scraper, 3 different sanders and several grades of sandpaper, and I hope to get to actually putting varnish on tomorrow!
Vanilla
New member
Crikey i admire you lot...I find GRP a bit too much effort............
PetiteFleur
Well-known member
Definitely covers - I now have covers for my handrails and this year made them for the companionway and hatches after several coats of varnish over winter. Hopefully just touchups over the next few years.
chinita
Well-known member
Covers; if you are not in a hurry that is.......
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...UICCgC&biw=1024&bih=653#imgrc=ZOZKlvNCJ3P7QM:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...UICCgC&biw=1024&bih=653#imgrc=ZOZKlvNCJ3P7QM:
Uricanejack
Well-known member
Some one already said you have to enjoy it.
Took pride in it for a couple of decades. Then replaced with a modern coating which looked good from a distance but never just quite right in close up. Kept much better though. Unfortunately I can't recall the name.
With Varnish, Do it well the first time, Then never let it deteriorate, A good sand, Clean with spirit and a couple of coats before every season.
First Year. Took most of the boat back to bare wood. All the exterior. A big job.
Boat under cover in a shed.
We used stainless steel scrapers, Kept them Sharp. (No sanding, chap varnishing his boat next door wouldn't appreciate)
We scrapped the bare wood to remove all the staining. Long slow process. The Stainless scrappers are heavier stay sharper and have a bit more spring. With care you won't gouge the wood.
After scrapping we sanded by hand. then cleaned with spirit.
When Varnishing.
First coat, was 4 to 1 spirit. so it would soak right in. If less than 24 hrs and still a little tacky.
again 4 to 1
Next a couple of coats 3 to 1,
If we left it more than overnight we would sand and clean again with spirit.
A couple of coats of 2 to 1
Before we finally finished with a couple of coats of varnish.
lasted over a decade before changed to a modern coating.
Got sanded cleaned and a thinned coat of 2 to 1 prior to a couple of finish coats every winter.
A varnished boat is beautiful if kept up. eventually we started to sea discoloration in some of the wood again after about 10 years or so. Doing just a small area and touch up never looked right. not with the adjacent having a dozen plus coats.
It was my uncles boat his pride and joy. I believe he enjoyed the winter in the yard more than the season cruising.
It cost a small fortune, even doing most of the work ourselves. In the end he had her professionally redone with a modern system. which didn't require the annual work. It saw him out. He offered to give me the boat but I didn't have the time or money to keep her.
She was sold for peanuts to someone who cared. Last I heard she is still being looked after by a new family. I miss the boat, The camaraderie. and my Uncle.
I own a AWB. which I sail rather than maintain. just not quite the same.
Took pride in it for a couple of decades. Then replaced with a modern coating which looked good from a distance but never just quite right in close up. Kept much better though. Unfortunately I can't recall the name.
With Varnish, Do it well the first time, Then never let it deteriorate, A good sand, Clean with spirit and a couple of coats before every season.
First Year. Took most of the boat back to bare wood. All the exterior. A big job.
Boat under cover in a shed.
We used stainless steel scrapers, Kept them Sharp. (No sanding, chap varnishing his boat next door wouldn't appreciate)
We scrapped the bare wood to remove all the staining. Long slow process. The Stainless scrappers are heavier stay sharper and have a bit more spring. With care you won't gouge the wood.
After scrapping we sanded by hand. then cleaned with spirit.
When Varnishing.
First coat, was 4 to 1 spirit. so it would soak right in. If less than 24 hrs and still a little tacky.
again 4 to 1
Next a couple of coats 3 to 1,
If we left it more than overnight we would sand and clean again with spirit.
A couple of coats of 2 to 1
Before we finally finished with a couple of coats of varnish.
lasted over a decade before changed to a modern coating.
Got sanded cleaned and a thinned coat of 2 to 1 prior to a couple of finish coats every winter.
A varnished boat is beautiful if kept up. eventually we started to sea discoloration in some of the wood again after about 10 years or so. Doing just a small area and touch up never looked right. not with the adjacent having a dozen plus coats.
It was my uncles boat his pride and joy. I believe he enjoyed the winter in the yard more than the season cruising.
It cost a small fortune, even doing most of the work ourselves. In the end he had her professionally redone with a modern system. which didn't require the annual work. It saw him out. He offered to give me the boat but I didn't have the time or money to keep her.
She was sold for peanuts to someone who cared. Last I heard she is still being looked after by a new family. I miss the boat, The camaraderie. and my Uncle.
I own a AWB. which I sail rather than maintain. just not quite the same.
tidclacy
Active member
http://s1315.photobucket.com/user/harryclacy/media/Suky/P1060993_zps639tkq2d.jpg.html?o=0
The end product is well worth the effort.
The end product is well worth the effort.
NOHOH
Member
Use Coelan, it costs the same as varnishing for about seven years and it lasts for about seven years but you only do the work once. When its ready to come off just score it with a Stanley knife and it peels off in sheets.... Don`t sand , just re-apply. Simples.
German....and it really does work if you follow the instructions to the letter.
German....and it really does work if you follow the instructions to the letter.
pmagowan
Well-known member
I have wondered about this alot!!
I see it as two posibilities
1) traditional
2)novel
in the traditional style I think the only things are to do it well first time (8 coats+) and to keep it topped up. Repair any damage immediately and try to cover the varnish if possible. It looks brilliant. Alternatively you can accept a gradual deterioration followed by a complete sand back to wood every 5 years.
Novel ways of tackling the problem include all these new fangled non-varnish lookalikes. The problem is they don't really lookalike! I have considered whether it might be a good idea to remove wood fixtures, completely coat them in glass fibre and epoxy for a stable base layer and then varnish them over the top for UV resistance. This is done a lot in canoes and seems to hold up better than varnish on its own. I intend to do some experiments on this.
I see it as two posibilities
1) traditional
2)novel
in the traditional style I think the only things are to do it well first time (8 coats+) and to keep it topped up. Repair any damage immediately and try to cover the varnish if possible. It looks brilliant. Alternatively you can accept a gradual deterioration followed by a complete sand back to wood every 5 years.
Novel ways of tackling the problem include all these new fangled non-varnish lookalikes. The problem is they don't really lookalike! I have considered whether it might be a good idea to remove wood fixtures, completely coat them in glass fibre and epoxy for a stable base layer and then varnish them over the top for UV resistance. This is done a lot in canoes and seems to hold up better than varnish on its own. I intend to do some experiments on this.