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Well, after years as a hold out I am about to jump off the deep end and put varnish a boat. Specifically I have worked out a teak plotter mount much like Hyperion's and have decided to go ahead and varnish all my teak. In the past I have used either oil or cetol depending on the boat and with either one of those just any old brush will do. But for this job I plan to use epifanes so any advice on brushes would be greatly appreciated.
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Offline
This may be more than you were asking for, but here's what I gleaned from a number of friends and websites:
1. Always work at the recommended temperatures and use a tack cloth before varnishing and work in a dust-free environment; some people even resort to laundered coveralls and a shower cap to keep body detritus (druff, etc.) off the finish.
2. Strain the varnish (even Epifanes, which I have used to good effect) through disposable sieves available from any paint store.
3. While it's often recommended that you buy the best brushes you can afford, many folk opt for disposable foam applicators which, since you toss them after each use, means there's no retained residue to worry about.
4. Use a new tack cloth before the finishing coats.
5. The adage "patience is a virtue" is worth heeding when applying varnish.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa
Ken Pole, Ottawa
1975 Mark III Santiva
Offline
Ken,
Thanks for the tips. So foam brushes will produce as good a quality surface as the more expensive ones?
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Offline
The pros (and your varnish supplier) have a vested interest in saying "buy the best brushes" but the amateur consensus, which is in line with what I found, is that the foam applicators do a nice job if you take your time. Good luck.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa
Ken Pole, Ottawa
1975 Mark III Santiva
Offline
This may sound like heresy, but I don't think brushes are that important in any absolute sense. I've been varnishing all the teak on Towser since 1998 and I use the 'Best' quality from a chain hardware store (in other words, brushes that would make a purist faint with horror). If I can't find my 'Best' brushes, I also use $3 brushes from another chain that I normally use when painting with oil paint.
I like my brushes firmly flexible but neither too firm nor too flexible, fine-bristled but not too fine-bristled. I should note that my wife hates my brushes, and thinks they're trash. I'd rather try to paint with a concrete cinder block than the ones she likes. In other words, it's personal. I can't imagine using a foam applicator, though, particularly in the light of the remark, "as long as you take your time." When varnishing much more than in painting, you're always working against time.
What I find more important is temperature and sunlight. I like to varnish when it's cool (my own target is 15 degrees Celsius (around 60 F) on a warming day with cloud at the time I actually lay on the varnish (60F probably doesn't happen too much where you are, but I think the temperature trend is more important than the numbers - I wouldn't varnish if the temperature were dropping). If I have to varnish on a sunny day, particularly in summer, I put up an awning and I add a few drops of thinner to the pot every 20 minutes or so. Wind is also to be avoided - it stirs up dust but worse, you lose your wet edge too quickly.
The other thing I do that I think is critical is to chill the varnish (always Epifanes) in the fridge overnight and keep the can in an insulated cooler with blue ice until I use it. Someone told me this spring that he thought that was a bit fussy (the expression on his face said he meant 'marginally less stupid than putting it under a pyramid'), but fortunately the fellow who does brightwork for the concours yachts at the club was there and he piped up that he does the same. His work is stellar, so chilling may be fussy, but I'm sticking with it. I've never found it necessary to strain varnish but that may be just good fortune.
A few other points that I think contribute to a satisfactory job:
<ul>
<li>Don't sand with paper finer than #100 grit. This came from Wooden Boat, which published an article on troubleshooting failed varnish jobs some time back. The author, a consultant for a large US coatings firm, pointed out that varnish bonds to previous coats mechanically, not chemically, so it needs some roughness to adhere to. Sanding beyond #100 makes the surface too slick. If you put the new coat on properly, it will become smooth.
<li>Don't use tack cloths (more heresy, again from the Wooden Boat article). 'Real' tack cloths are cheesecloth soaked in linseed oil but commercial tack cloths can contain all sorts of weird stuff that leaves a residue on the clean surface and this will impede a good bond. I vacuum the wood with a brush attachment, which lifts dust out of the grain and adjacent crevices, then wipe the surface with a cloth soaked in thinner, turning often.
<li>Clean up the surroundings, including yourself. I try to sand and clean up one day and varnish the next morning, wearing clean clothes. If I have to do both in one day, I take off my boiler suit and vacuum it.
<li>Don't dip your brush too far into the varnish and dip it to a constant depth so the varnish on your brush is always wet. When finished, clean the brush three or four times, using a paintbrush comb, then clean some more with dish soap. If you don't get it clean and it gets stiff, clean it with paint remover (more heresy) and wash with dish soap.
</ul>
Varnishing is a fair bit of work, but I don't think I spend much more time doing it than people who look after their Cetol and it looks better. I do a coat every year and I've not had any failures or reason to strip back the trim I did in 1998.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Last edited by (2006-08-05 23:57:34)
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Offline
Further to my earlier response, here's Practical Sailor's verbatim advice in the August 2006 issue in response to a question about varnishing:
"It’s 90 percent surface preparation and cleanliness.
"The varnish work will be only as good as the surface to which it’s applied. If you don’t like the looks of the surface when you’re through sanding (with perhaps several grits), varnish won’t help it. If you go for an electric sander, get a random orbit model; they’re much better than conventional sanders. There’ll still be lots of hand sanding, and for some of that, use a rubber block. If you don’t mind aged and darkened varnish, just smooth the surface—don’t cut through the old varnish—and give it some "tooth" to make the varnish adhere. Pay attention to joints, corners, and edges. That’s where varnish often fails. If you start stripping part of the varnish (taking it down to lighter, new wood), you’ll probably wind up stripping all of it. However, you needn’t do it all at once.
"Finally, for cleanliness, use a tank vacuum cleaner with a long-bristled brush, and be meticulous. Then rub over the surface with a bare hand to pick up any fine dust. We’ve found this works better than a tack cloth.
"Varnish in a protected area, if possible. If outdoors, do it early on a dead calm morning before the dust gets kicked up. The type of brush doesn’t matter much; the only advantage of an expensive badger hair brush is that it carries more varnish and makes spreading a little easier.
"If the job isn’t as perfect as you like, start all over: Lightly sand and brush on another coat."
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa
Ken Pole, Ottawa
1975 Mark III Santiva
Offline
Thanks guys, I'm on coat No 2 and so far so good. Fortunately I'm doing some very small pieces for the plotter mount which means I get to use the clean room (living room). Epifanes suggests that the early coats be thinned so I have been using my less expensive brushes. But the next four coats is where the rubber meets the road.
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Offline
Wow I really like the results with Epifanes!
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Offline
You could say, Mike, that you've have an epiphany! Seriously, I'd like to know how the finish holds up down there where the UV loading is much longer-term and persistent than up here. Haulout is only six weeks away for us!
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa
Ken Pole, Ottawa
1975 Mark III Santiva
Offline
My tastes are firmly established in the pro-varnish camp. The other stuff looks muddy. What I have learned after years of varnishing is:
<UL>
<LI>Teak hates varnish. Varnishing teak makes it really mad and it will work at getting even.</LI>
<LI>There is no such thing as a finish coat but just the one you accept when the time runs out. </LI>
<LI>The only coat the counts is the last one (which is always the next one) all the others are "build up" coats.</LI>
<LI>Brush type and quality doesn't matter until the finish coat. Foam brushes float so they will polute less than a bristle brush (provided you retrieve them from the water).</LI>
<LI>The more build up coats the deeper the gloss so don't sweat the first 10 tries at that finish coat. Accept that it is good therapy to help you overcome whatever your issues are that week.</LI>
<LI>The closer you get to the finish coat the more frequently your neighbour will wash his boat and fog your varnish.</LI>
<LI>Wrap your brushes tighly in plastic and put them in your beer fidge between coats. You'll get to drink more beer since you know that damned brush isn't ever going to dry again!</LI></UL>
Good luck to all....MURR
Ken, I'll let everyone know how it (and my maintenance program) holds up. I know this sounds odd since our southern sailing season is really just starting but sometimes I miss the idea of pulling the boat for several months to get some long term jobs completed.
Murr, That is a hoot. I may borrow it with your permission and proper acknowledgements of course.
Finally thanks to all for the advice.
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Mike M
SV Wind Horse
#375
Galveston, Tx
Offline
Feel free....MURR
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