Varnishing woodwork

[davidpbo]

I am about to varnish the few bits of exterior wood I have.

I am using International Original Yacht Varnish (not the one from B&Q).

Last time I used a thinned epoxy as a primer. Do others do this or just use thinned varnish?

I can't remember what I used or to what proportion last time would it have been acetone?
and to what proportion, mixing by weight.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I just use ronseal yacht varnish minimum 3 coats. Others use 3 coats of epoxy with a top coat of varnish to give uv protection.
I've found that I need to touch up after a couple of years and suspect it's the same whatever you use.
An alternative is woodstain which is easier to touch up but doesn't have such a glossy finish.

 

[Lakesailor]

Woodstain has the disadvantage that any damage or repairs need a colour matching session....

I'm just varnishing bits for the dayboat. The hardwood ply I have epoxy coated (for robustness) and covered in International varnish (I started with Original, but it is clear and the wood didn't match or even approach the other hardwood colour). International Compass has a honey tone and helps make them look more similar. I used polyurethane varnish as opposed to a tun-oil varnish which has a lovely finish but it a bit soft.

On the hardwood side benches I haven't used epoxy as stripping and revarnishing is easy enough and they won't sit in water. I'm on the third coat at the moment and it's beginning to look glass-like.
Epoxy-coated wood seems to look good after a couple of coats of varnish. However it does seem easier to scratch the varnish through to the epoxy again. No problem as the wood is protected but needs coating again for the UV protection.

The floor has only one coat of varnish over epoxy so far. The aft locker has two coats, over epoxy, so far.

The back rests have been stained by a previous owner and have lost any wood-feel. I'll strip them and start again, or replace them.

Varnish seems to need a good couple or three weeks to harden properly.

 

[johnwest]

First coat thinned 50/50 with white spirit, second coat 75/25, third coat 90/10. Fourth coat full strength. Then another nine, flatting off every third coat. Then at least a couple of weeks to harden off.

j

 

[PhillM]

First coat thinned 50/50 with white spirit, second coat 75/25, third coat 90/10. Fourth coat full strength. Then another nine, flatting off every third coat. Then at least a couple of weeks to harden off.

j

+1 on the prep.

I tend to do four full coats and then leave for a month, then a couple every 6 months or so. I like to build up a decent coverage and then keep replacing the top coats.

I like Epifanes varnish for its finish, "feel" and I even like the smell

 

[Tranona]

Save yourself a lot of effort and use International Woodskin or similar porous woodstain. Start from bare wood, well cleaned with acetone. 3 coats and you will get a good finish. Unlike varnish it does not need thinning, rubbing down etc, is tolerant of poor brush work, but more importantly it will outlast traditional varnish because it does not crack and let water in, but allows the wood to breathe.

 

[prv]

Save yourself a lot of effort and use International Woodskin or similar porous woodstain.

Very practical, but doesn't look anything like as nice. For quite a while now all Crabbers' spars have been treated with this type of product, and they look really dull compared to Kindred Spirit's many layers of Epifanes.

Pete

 

[Tranona]

Very practical, but doesn't look anything like as nice. For quite a while now all Crabbers' spars have been treated with this type of product, and they look really dull compared to Kindred Spirit's many layers of Epifanes.

Pete

That is the trade off, although I have just done my boom with it and surprised how good the finish is for very little effort - particularly compared with the amount of effort required when I used Deks Olje, which lasted barely 2 seasons before cracking and flaking off. The mast has had Sikkens Nova on it for over 10 years with one refresh and is still sound but dull. Screwing up the courage to strip it and use Woodskin.