Dysonology
New Member
Hello Scuttlebutt,
My late father (Pugwash) was a big fan of this forum and hugely enjoyed reading through it. His boat has been out of the water over winter, and I need to go and spruce up the varnish on Sovrana so that we can make her look all pretty for a future owner.
Only thing is, I've not done yacht varnish for blooming ages and he's not around to ask, so I'd really appreciate any tips you might have. I can wield a brush, I'm good on the importance of avoiding dust and stuff and the varnish is largely in pretty good nick so I don't think I need to strip it back to the woodwork. Key thing I really need to know - apart from just checking I'm not forgetting anything fundamental - is how many coats!
Anyway - my plan is to get down there and give it all a wash, inside and out. Look for thin bits and bubbles.
Sand back the top coat - fine paper. Hoover the dust up and wash it down again.
Then (do I need a special varnish brush or will a normal paint brush do?) - get to work with the varnish.
One coat per day (any particular products you recommend? can I get away with more than one coat in a day?)
Apply it a little at a time - to one area at a time. Two or three coats?
Same procedure both inside and outside.
Problem spots: if I do find a bit where it's starting to flake, does that bit then just need more coats or should it be stripped and primed? If I do take it back (I imagine I'll use a heat gun rather than chemicals), do I need to do the whole panel or just a small area around it? Is there a sort of rule of thumb for judging quality/depth of existing varnish?
Any and all advice on tools, techniques, or even just a playlist greatly appreciated - wish me luck!
My late father (Pugwash) was a big fan of this forum and hugely enjoyed reading through it. His boat has been out of the water over winter, and I need to go and spruce up the varnish on Sovrana so that we can make her look all pretty for a future owner.
Only thing is, I've not done yacht varnish for blooming ages and he's not around to ask, so I'd really appreciate any tips you might have. I can wield a brush, I'm good on the importance of avoiding dust and stuff and the varnish is largely in pretty good nick so I don't think I need to strip it back to the woodwork. Key thing I really need to know - apart from just checking I'm not forgetting anything fundamental - is how many coats!
Anyway - my plan is to get down there and give it all a wash, inside and out. Look for thin bits and bubbles.
Sand back the top coat - fine paper. Hoover the dust up and wash it down again.
Then (do I need a special varnish brush or will a normal paint brush do?) - get to work with the varnish.
One coat per day (any particular products you recommend? can I get away with more than one coat in a day?)
Apply it a little at a time - to one area at a time. Two or three coats?
Same procedure both inside and outside.
Problem spots: if I do find a bit where it's starting to flake, does that bit then just need more coats or should it be stripped and primed? If I do take it back (I imagine I'll use a heat gun rather than chemicals), do I need to do the whole panel or just a small area around it? Is there a sort of rule of thumb for judging quality/depth of existing varnish?
Any and all advice on tools, techniques, or even just a playlist greatly appreciated - wish me luck!