weaver_fish
Well-Known Member
Any recommendations based on experience for the best two pack (I presume) varnish to use to overcoat a west-system epoxied wooden tiller?
Cheers
Cheers
Varnish overcoating epoxy
- Thread starter weaver_fish
- Start date
planteater
Well-Known Member
I used Le Tonkinois to protect epoxy saturated wood. It's only had two seasons exposure but it looks as good as it did on day one.
Keith 66
Well-Known Member
Some years ago i built a coldmoulded Whitehall rowing boat, i finished her with SP systems Spacoat which is supposed to be more UV resistant than standard epoxy, it was then covered with two pack polyurethane varnish. Magnificent finish but it chipped easily as it was glass hard with no flexibility. It lasted 3 years and started to crack up, in the end i had to strip it of which was an absolute pig and start again with Epifanes oil based varnish. this outlasted the epoxy 2 pack by years and was far easier to maintain.
Standard West epoxy has virtually no UV resistance and will go gingery quite quickly even if covered with 2 pack.
I would not use 2 pack again if you paid me!
Standard West epoxy has virtually no UV resistance and will go gingery quite quickly even if covered with 2 pack.
I would not use 2 pack again if you paid me!
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
I would second Epifanes, or I have had a beautiful finish on sidedecks on a dingy with Schooner varnish which is (if I remember rightly) Blake's tun-oil varnish over epoxy.
Graham66
Well-Known Member
Schooner was /is an International product!
oldsaltoz
Well-Known Member
Just make sure you check the UV rating before you apply anything.
Avagoodweekend......
Avagoodweekend......
lw395
Well-Known Member
If its fully epoxy sealed I would consider Perfection 2 pack, otherwise any decent yacht varnish. Either way, if its a decent piece of work I'd make a canvas cover to keep the sun off it.
rob2
Well-Known Member
Funnily enough, I was reading a book on woodstrip canoe construction last night. The hulls are epoxy coated and then varnished. The writer recommended a spar varnish (tung oil based) with UV filtering properties to protect the epoxy. A two pack polyurethane with similar UV properties came second as it was more difficult to maintain. Single pack polyurethanes were on his banned list!
Tomkat17
Well-Known Member
Epoxy is brittle and would probably not be good for a tiller as the tiller will flex. I agree with the recommendations for Epifanes but I would also add that you take the tiller home and varnish in warm conditions and allow to cure for some time before you fit it to the boat. I find that this gives a tougher and longer lasting finish.
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
There you are then. I didn't remember correctly /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
A lovely finish and very easy to apply. Just takes about 2/3 weeks to harden properly.
Epoxy should be fine as a coating. It's only when you introduce a glass mat that it gets touchy about movement, but a coating soaks into the wood and leaves a hard surface (which is a bugger to flat down) and the varnish sticks to it like......well, you know.
Only problem I found with traditional varnish is that it sinks as it hardens, so ideally flat between coats. On the other hand it needs less coats over epoxy than on plain wood. (UV considerations apart)
A lovely finish and very easy to apply. Just takes about 2/3 weeks to harden properly.
Epoxy should be fine as a coating. It's only when you introduce a glass mat that it gets touchy about movement, but a coating soaks into the wood and leaves a hard surface (which is a bugger to flat down) and the varnish sticks to it like......well, you know.
Only problem I found with traditional varnish is that it sinks as it hardens, so ideally flat between coats. On the other hand it needs less coats over epoxy than on plain wood. (UV considerations apart)
