should i go for satin or gloss for the interior of my boat

[sjclewes]

HI I'm just about to varnish the inside of my Southerly and can't make up my mind about gloss verses satin, any ideas? I thought I was indecisive but I'm not really sure now !!

 

[alan17]

I also have a Southerly and intend to do some varnishing.

I think that the gloss is too shiny and the satin too matt. My plan is to use a 50/50 mix gloss/satin.

 

[simonfraser]

40/60 mix /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

seriously, not gloss way too hard to keep spotless and unmarked.

 

[yoty]

Satin - much better!

 

[Flossdog]

I too have a Southerly and the previous owner did some inside varnishing in gloss and it looks horrible! Go for satin.

 

[JimMcMillan]

Depends on state of wood and your prowess with brush and sandpaper, if you are going for a quick finish then matt. If you have the time and patience to apply a minimum of 5 coats of good quality varnish on a well prepared surface then gloss. Remember it's not what you put on for a good finish but what you take off.

 

[ebbtide]

Certainly not gloss - impossible to avoid marking it with use and then every chip shows.
I'm a convert to Sikkens Natural, ostensibly a satin finish but actually quite shiny. Apart from looking good the real bonus is that it's easy to touch in damaged areas without starting again. It's excellent outside as well, on teak, mahogany or iroko. And you can apply it in grotty weather too!
No contest.

 

[lenseman]

If you use gloss, it will look like a Victorian toilet. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Twister_Ken]

What you can do, for fun and aesthetics, is varnish the bulk of surfaces in matt or satin, but use gloss to highlight certain trim features, like door frames, grab rails, drip rails, etc. Try and make sure gloss features are unlikely to be subjected to heavy use or damage.

 

[Graham_Wright]

[ QUOTE ]
Certainly not gloss - impossible to avoid marking it with use and then every chip shows.
I'm a convert to Sikkens Natural, ostensibly a satin finish but actually quite shiny. Apart from looking good the real bonus is that it's easy to touch in damaged areas without starting again. It's excellent outside as well, on teak, mahogany or iroko. And you can apply it in grotty weather too!
No contest.

[/ QUOTE ]

But see my recent post on Sikkens problems.
They did not reply to my email but by 'phone recommended that the bare wood is wiped over with meths, allowed to dry and then heated with an air gun to drive out resins and moisture which otherwise would cause bubbles.

I wish they'd advised it on the tin.

 

[MYStargazer]

How about (bees') waxing?

 

[jhughes]

You could always use gloss and then dull it down to the finish you require with ultra fine scotch pads or wire wool.

 

[chrishelen]

A nice off white satin will look good and do wonders for your sanity if you do a longish trip.

 

[LadyInBed]

Neither - Use Clear Decking Stain.
But no good if wood was previously varnished.

 

[lesweeks]

Using an abrasive pad makes it difficult to obtain a consistent surface finish. Also there is NO PLACE for wire wool (steel wool) on a boat. You'll be forever finding little rust spots appearing everywhere; Only use brass wool - if you can find a supplier.
Satin!

 

[jhughes]

I agree about the wire wool but I use to make furniture that was varnished with gloss and then dulled down with ultra fine scotch pads to the customers requirements with no complaints, one of our customers were Relyon, the bed and furniture company.

 

[Heckler]

Have been looking for another boat for months and nothing is more off putting than to see where the previous owner has TRIED to varnish the interior with gloss and no matter how they do it it ends up looking like a brush marked pile of poo!! it looks like a thumble thumbs job and inevitably puts people off.
All modern boats are SPRAYED with laquer so why brush varnish? Do like i did when I did some repairs to an interior bulkhead in my Bene and and go to Halfords and buy clear laquer that is used to finish metallic car paints off with. It gives a slightly satin finish, just like the original factory finish and it doesnt end up looking like an amateur has run amock!!
Stu

 

[doug748]

Matt or satin. Agree with the others, you can always matt off a shiny varnish with abrasive; and I sometimes freshen it up with Danish oil applied to the pad.
ONE Exception, for a dark timber floor.. If you like a varnished cabin sole use high gloss, anything else will look sad and grubbly.

PS. I rather like the word grubbly, purists can insert grubby.

 

[sheppard]

When we bought our boat the owner told us proudly that he had put 7 coats of gloss varnish on the interior surfaces - and there is a lot of wood in the boat. It meant that there was this hard shiny layer on top of some beautiful wood.

We spent a fortune on Nitromors and removed it all and it wasn't a job that I would like to do again.

We then oiled the wood using Endeavor oil. Several coats and rubbing well with 1000 grade wet and dry in between.

Now we have wood with a beautiful mellow sheen in the wood and not on it. I would definitely recommend this instead of varnish. To freshen it up if it ever needs it you just add another coat with the wet and dry and the wood feels like satin.

 

[absit_omen]

[ QUOTE ]
If you use gloss, it will look like a Victorian toilet. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on the boat. You need patina. I have mirror like varnish and high gloss white paint. By the light of oil lamps and candles she looks more like a French whore's boudoir - which I quite like.

If I had a Southerly I think I would try Epiphanes Rubbed Effect varnish.