[Public-List] Exterior wood finish?

[Gordon Laco]

Hello Glenn - I'd like to take SURPRISE to Hawaii some day too - maybe if I
rationalize that it's for the sake of my woodwork that'll be the tipping
point to make it happen....

Eight coats of varnish is a good finish.  I know to folks reading this who
haven't done it before it sounds like a lot but if one does it, one doesn't
have to do it again.

My own routine has been to do the initial thinned coats with regular
varnish...then do one coat a day of the no-sand stuff each day for a week.
Then I go back to real varnish for the last two in order to make sure I've
got protection from the sun.

In varnishing, it's the sanding followed by the de-dusting between coats
that takes the time and hard work.  Using the no-sand stuff cuts 90% of the
labour out of the work of building up the protective coats.

Surprise's toe rails don't look so good now because the bedding on them
failed (again) and water compromised my varnish job.  I really should remove
them; do the proper rebedding job, then lay them on again after getting 2
coats of varnish on them.  I would then do the regular build up once the
plugs are back over the screw and bolt heads.  Maybe I'll do that next year
(but more likely I'll try to bed the edges of them because I'm lazy and in
the spring want to get sailing....)

Gord #426 Surprise


On 25/11/13 9:24 AM, "Glenn" <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> wrote:

> Thanks Gord,
> 
> Good to know.  I did just as you described- sealed the coaming boards with
> thined varnish, two coats I think. Then six coats full strength. Last couple
> of years i've also tried putting down two coats of dejks oil as a sealer,
> before the varnish.  Not sure if that is better or not so good yet...
> 
>  I thought about sealing with epoxy, but didnt because of the inevitable
> stripping that will come sooner than latter in the PNW. Never had more than
> three years varnish life because of the miserable neverending wet. (my
> solution is take the boat to Hawaii someday, maybe next spring and never come
> back, muahhahahaah!).
> 
> Cheers
> Glenn
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Nov 25, 2013, at 5:38 PM, Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net> wrote:
> 
>> Hello Glenn
>> 
>> Epoxy is a great way to seal wood; but it will complicate the inevitable
>> stripping job you'll eventually have to face.
>> 
>> I epoxied a mast once reasoning that the soft spruce would benefit from being
>> hardened    I wanted to make my varnish job more proof against dings made by
>> shackles etc that would let in water and make black spots in the wood.  Many
>> years later when I was stripping that mast I wasn't happy about having to
>> cope with the epoxy.
>> 
>> The best way to seal wood from water intrusion is by means of heavily thinned
>> varnish.    Thinned 50/50 with solvent, it will be as thin as water and
>> really get into the wood.  It's a terrific wood sealer.
>> 
>> And about the coamings... I agree, there should be no reason to cut
>> bolts...if the heads are plugged (mine aren't) just pick out the plugs with
>> an awl and spin them out    You will need to hold the nut on the inside of
>> course.  
>> 
>> Gord #426 Surprise
>> 
>> On 2013-11-25, at 8:12 AM, Glenn <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> Gord,  very interesting. I did not know about the no-sand weakness, so will
>>> put a couple of coats on next year when I get back to the US to protect last
>>> springs investment.
>>> 
>>> In areas with a lot or rain, Pacific Northwest and Alaska for example, the
>>> biggest threat to varnish is water seeping around the edges of poorly fitted
>>> wooden plugs, or any little exposed edge of trim.  Like you said, once the
>>> wood gets wet along an edge, or split, it peels the varnish along the fault
>>> line and grows and grows.
>>> 
>>> Ive heard several local people say they coat all bare sanded trim with two
>>> thin coats of epoxy, then varnish over.  any thoughts on this?
>>> 
>>> Shukra!
>>> 
>>> Glenn 
>>> Dolce 318
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>> 
>>> On Nov 25, 2013, at 1:52 PM, Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hello friends
>>>> 
>>>> Good marine varnish applied to the specified number of coats has the best
>>>> UV resistance.  Some products will offer convenience with regard, for
>>>> example, to not having to be sanded between coats, but this is always at
>>>> the cost of UV resistance.
>>>> 
>>>> professional varnishers may often use a 'no sand' product for build coats,
>>>> but will complete jobs with one or two coats of regular varnish to boost UV
>>>> protection.  
>>>> 
>>>> When I do varnish seminars people always ask me what goes wrong with most
>>>> varnish jobs; the answer is simple.   Everyone knows that when starting a
>>>> job from bare wood, one needs to get the recommended thickness ... But the
>>>> trouble is this... after three coats or so, the wood starts looking good,
>>>> so they stop.    It's not the varnish's fault if the application is too
>>>> thinly. 
>>>> 
>>>> Similarly, one needs to protect 'no-sand' finishes with regular varnish and
>>>> have the combination thick enough.
>>>> 
>>>> Six coats of 'no-sand' with two of regular varnish on top will look as good
>>>> as any professional job... Yes it's a lot to do the first year... But if
>>>> one applies one or two light coats every spring following that big first
>>>> season, the finish should last more than ten years.  (Even on teak)
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