What am i doing wrong when varnishing?

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Crinan12

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Hi i varnished my hatches and a couple of wee strips of wood last year
Any idea why they look bad already? Varnish seems to have just worn off and the wood is faded
I used international yacht varnish and i think gave the wood maybe 4 coats
I thought it would last ages

Thanks
 
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Crinan12 said:
Hi i varnished my hatches and a couple of wee strips of wood last year
Any idea why they look bad already? Varnish seems to have just worn off and the wood is faded
I used international yacht varnish and i think gave the wood maybe 4 coats
I thought it would last ages

Thanks
Click to expand...
Did you use this one ? International Original Varnish 750ml

For a single part varnish 4 coats on bare wood is not enough, in my view, particularly if the first coat is thinned, as it should be. 7 is better, then 1 or 2 each time you want to maintain it.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Looks like the wood is teak? I believe that varnishing teak is more tricky because of the oily nature of the wood. It might be all in th preparation - Teak must be cleaned, sanded smooth, and wiped clean again before applying varnish to ensure the best bond, finish, and longevity - perhaps search for a different varnish recommended for teak or as other will I am sure point out , don't use varnish but something else?
 
Four coats should have looked better than that. I suspect the first coat wasn't thinned or thinned enough. I only have the tiller to varnish so I am a bit casual about it. I put on a coat of 50:50 varnish and spirit first and then a number of thinned coats wet-on-tacky before a final sand and top coat. Attention also needs to be given to the end-grain section.
 
The two strips of wood look like teak which as has been said is hard for a one part varnish to stick long term. Try Le Tonkinois on it is you want a varnished look. Otherwise Epiphanes as a good all round varnish. For particular longevity then go 2 part. 4 coats is a good start, but worth going more if you can - especially the washboards as you can take them home.

For the washboards - some years ago I stripped and coated mine with epoxy and then varnish and never looked back. Far easier to keep to a decent standard. Takes a while to dry. Definitely take them home if you go down this road.
 
Traditional varnish is poor on teak and old ply. Suggest you take those bits back to bare wood and use International Woodskin rather than varnish. However old ply like that is always difficult because the veneer tends is unstable so expands and contracts causing varnish to break down as your pics show. Woodskin is more flexible and resists this better.
 
unless you have a burning desire for varnish on exterior woodwork then look towards International Woodskin or Sikkens Cetol Filter 7, much more 'modern' options with a much longer life once applied

sorry certain amount of repetition with previous two posters ;-)
 
When I varnish , whether polyurethane or other , I make sure it as at least at room temperature or slightly warm. Thinning coats are absorbed rather better then . Set the tin in a bowl of warm(not hot) water whilst painting; brush marks disappear quickly and even if using a fine roller seems to smooth out easier on large flat areas . I was shown this watching spruce masts being varnished and looking like glass when finally finished.
 
I've had great results on mahogany and ply with Ronsons yacht varnish. Preparations the key and apply when the weather's warm (and no flies about). I don't go overboard with varnishing reckon to do another coat in a couple of years (it's easy enough with Yacht Varnish). A friend removed all his woodwork, prepped thoroughly, coated with epoxy (West's) overcoated with varnish to protect from UV and after 3 years it looked terrible.
 
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for longevity on teak sand after about 8 coats of varnish the first 2 coats thinned, then 2 coats of epoxy sanding before the last coat. keep the sun of it and it will last a long time.
 
Plum yes that is the stuff

I didn't thin the first or any coats

The wood strips are oak i don't know about washboards

I think I'll give woodskin a try, i have a tin of it

Thanks
 
Thinning is critical I've found. Posts #5 & #6 are very close to my own thoughts; 50-50 for the 1st coats of a 'normal' varnish, OR Le Tonkinois, which I'm a bit of a fan of.
I've not used Woodskin, and would be interested to hear your view of it, once it's been on for long enough.
 
Agree re not varnishing teak.

I had similar problems with my washboards and ended up junking them in favour of acrylic. Having also swapped a wooden Enterprise for a plastic Laser I now regard varnishing as a quaint but much outdated activity.
 
jamie N said:
Thinning is critical I've found. Posts #5 & #6 are very close to my own thoughts; 50-50 for the 1st coats of a 'normal' varnish, OR Le Tonkinois, which I'm a bit of a fan of.
I've not used Woodskin, and would be interested to hear your view of it, once it's been on for long enough.
Click to expand...
There are more than enough published tests (in PBO and Classic Boat for example) of clear coatings to confirm the longevity of porous woodstains such as Woodskin and Cetol plus many satisfied users on here. All the major marine coating manufacturers offer such products now as alternatives to varnishes. If your requirement is ease of application and long life rather than a shiny gloss finish then they really are superior..
 
jamie N said:
Thinning is critical I've found. Posts #5 & #6 are very close to my own thoughts; 50-50 for the 1st coats of a 'normal' varnish, OR Le Tonkinois, which I'm a bit of a fan of.
I've not used Woodskin, and would be interested to hear your view of it, once it's been on for long enough.
Click to expand...

I have used Woodskin on teak, but much prefer the Cetol combination which has been discussed on here before.
 
Another vote for Woodskin
Previously I used the Cetol product which Woodskin replaced
 
Another option would be Deks Olje. Need to remove all old stuff first. Easy to apply, doesn’t need sanding and can be topped up each year or so.
 
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