PBO type varnishing question

[gravygraham]

I've got four of these removable teak coaming(?) toppings and they could use a birthday. They sand down well but I'd appreciate some advice on the type and quantity of varnish with which to re-coat them. They are a sort of cherry colour (matching the boat's interior) and I'd like to keep them that colour/shade if poss. The boat's a Jeanneau Prestige.

Any advice and comments most welcome.

Sanded down rail on left, original finish on right.

 

[tcm]

You may have difficulty exactly matching the interior colour - the UV will affect the colour more outside. I don't know the colour brand from just looking, sorry.

Otherwise, make sandpaper your best friend. Sand and sand till the wood is unbelievably smooth - then wipe with a damp cloth to "turn the grain" and when that dries .. the wood wood will be rougher, so sand it again, wipe down with damp cloth again, sand again. Once you start varnishing, you've fixed the grain, so don't rush to that first coat.

With the actual varnishing, nice fat brush, thin fast coats, applied indoors if at all possible, decant what varnish you plan to use into a separate container and shut the varnish tin asap, and apply as the day warms up (before noon). A day or so to dry hard, then sanding again with sandpaper that you'd be ok about sandpapering your face with - some call this "flourpaper" - anyway, pretty fine stuff equiv 800 grade or finer - but not wetndry. The "gloopy" look which you don't want arises with too-thick coats and the unevenness is visible around edges/corners. THIN coats. You can always varnish again but it's much harder to sand off too-thckly applied varnish. You might start getting pleased with the results after five coats.

 

[epervier]

I used this, http://www.force4.co.uk/7464/Epifanes-Wood-Finish-Gloss---1-Litre.html

technically it's not a varnish,and ain't cheap, but it sticks on oily wood, and teak in particular very well indeed, my spray rail which is always being soaked in saltwater stands up very well after 18 months plus.

 

[gravygraham]

Many thanks.

 

[nigelmercier]

Best varnish I have found (by a long way) is Screwfix No Nonsense Yacht Varnish.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-yacht-varnish-750ml/23164


Goes on well, no brush marks, neutral colour, deep gloss.

 

[pampas]

Not as good as used to be, but is one of the hardest wearing varnish that I have come across.

 

[vas]

and apply as the day warms up (before noon).

tcm,

not disputing what you're saying (hate varnishing and not experienced enough) but would you care to elaborate?
I've heard that painting/sealing wood is best done when temps are dropping so that the micropores in the timber are cooling/shrinking hence the coating tends to be ever so slightly sucked in the pores making a better bind (and no bubles!)

cheers

V.

 

[A_8]

I did the same on my Prestige 34 in 2009, decided on a traditional soft type varnish with many layers. The wood is solid and in my case covered by the canopies when the boat is not used or the weather is bad. I used Epifanes high gloss, first and second layer was diluted and then another 5 with a light sanding in between the first and last 2 layers. It looks super nice and now 5 yrs on it still looks as new, it has had a few things hitting it but the varnish has been flexible enough not to crack. I lost the original colour though, it was tinted a bit orange and first I was concerned not being able to get the original colourtone but once I let that go I concluded the new and more natural look was much better.
Pics if you want to have a look, I had one part that looks like yours and it was a bit lighter in colour than what you see in the pics.