Varnish and cold weather

LONG_KEELER

LONG_KEELER

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Time is marching on.

Down below I have scraped off the old varnish, rubbed down and ready to go.

I'm using International Goldspar interior varnish with oil based solvent.

No real way of adding heat though.

Have googled a bit and it appears that it's not so much low temperature that is the problem but lacking a change of air - hence why that damn bilge paint takes so long to dry in lockers compared to using it on deck.

One theory is to use a fan (cold) to change the air. In summer the warmer air rises
and changes more often.

I have been in every yoga position trying to scrape the varnish off in my wee boat
this winter and it's a risk I suppose.

Should I go for it anyway ?
 
According to the product data sheet the minimum temperatures applicable for the use of Goldspar are:

  • Product .... 15C
  • Ambient .... 5C
  • Surface ...... 5C


You also need to ensure that the surface temperature is a few degrees above the dewpoint to avoid condensation

Not sure what you mean by oil based solvent .. the first coat on bare wood should be thinned with 10 to 15% Thinner no 1.

This is not a good time of year for varnishing

You realise I hope that Goldspar is a satin finish. Compass is the equivalent gloss varnish
 
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Both you gents know more about varnish than I ever will, so here comes a silly question...

...I've been making 9mm ply floors for the Osprey. Not as pretty as I'd hoped, just okay...lots of epoxy has gone on, but I understand that the epoxy needs protection from UV, and varnish is ideal, in order to shield the epoxy without concealing the wood.

About 15 years ago in London, I bought a dinghy which I never ended up sailing...and when my mate sold it for me, he retained sackloads of stuff I'd bought with a view to refitting. I used the paint on the Osprey's decks two years back, and it was great stuff...

...but my mate lately found at the back of his shed, my old unopened can of International "Universal Clear Primer", for wood...

...so I'm wondering if I could paint that over my epoxied ply panels, as UV protection, instead of shelling out for varnish. Good idea?

Plus...is fifteen-year-old varnish likely to have deteriorated in the can?
 
UCP was a great product (now illegal due to the volatile organics it gives off) but it's a base coat not a top coat and I would wager has no UV filtering properties... you need varnish

For the OP, Goldspar satin is a very "sag" prone product (even compared to the gloss version) and low temps won't help that. Take good care to brush out well
 
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LONG_KEELER said:
Time is marching on.

Down below I have scraped off the old varnish, rubbed down and ready to go.

I'm using International Goldspar interior varnish with oil based solvent.

No real way of adding heat though.

Have googled a bit and it appears that it's not so much low temperature that is the problem but lacking a change of air - hence why that damn bilge paint takes so long to dry in lockers compared to using it on deck.

One theory is to use a fan (cold) to change the air. In summer the warmer air rises
and changes more often.

I have been in every yoga position trying to scrape the varnish off in my wee boat
this winter and it's a risk I suppose.

Should I go for it anyway ?
Click to expand...
If you have the option to plug in a fan, surely you could use a convector heater instead, or am I missing something?
 
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