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Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
By:Mike Bielski
Date: 12/7/2016, 3:26 pm
In Response To: S&G: Counsel About Varnish (Wesley)

You can always wet sand and polish. It sounds like you're doing a reasonable job figuring out the process. I may be a bit of a brush snob, but there's a reason why good varnish brushes are expensive. The results are commensurate with the price of the brush if you're looking for a yacht-grade finish. I guess I just have a couple of tips for doing a better job at what you're already doing.

Do you know how much material you're actually putting on? Do you know the recommended wet film thickness the manufacturer recommends? Traditional varnish is not as critical, but when I was learning to spray catalyzed finish in a professional shop learning to spray the right thickness was really important. It seems like a pretty basic thing to me now to look up the film thickness and check when I start applying now. Here's a brief guide to measuring wet film thickness. You can pick up a thickness gauge for around $5 on the low end, but I'd expect to pay $15 for a decent one. http://www.geionline.com/wet-film-gauge

Also- the right light can go a long ways to helping you get a good finish. If you us raking light rather than overhead light I can really help you identify flaws easily. When you use overhead light it makes all of the flaws disappear. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raking_light

FWIW- I prefer the Captain's varnish Rob recommends if I use varnish, but I'm spraying Awlcraft 2000 right now.

m

Messages In This Thread

S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/7/2016, 1:15 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 12/7/2016, 1:33 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/7/2016, 2:06 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 12/7/2016, 3:19 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Hubert Schreier -- 12/7/2016, 10:57 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 12/7/2016, 2:27 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
JohnAbercrombie -- 12/7/2016, 2:49 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 12/7/2016, 3:31 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish *PIC*
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 12/7/2016, 4:42 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Paul D -- 12/7/2016, 5:53 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Thomas Duncan -- 12/7/2016, 9:09 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 12/8/2016, 7:33 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/8/2016, 1:39 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 12/8/2016, 7:39 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/8/2016, 1:34 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Mike Bielski -- 12/7/2016, 3:26 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/8/2016, 1:44 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
jaybabina -- 12/7/2016, 5:16 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Mike Bielski -- 12/7/2016, 10:58 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
upchurchmr -- 12/7/2016, 11:39 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Mike Bielski -- 12/8/2016, 9:58 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish *PIC*
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 12/8/2016, 10:45 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Randy -- 12/8/2016, 12:53 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 12/8/2016, 1:46 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/8/2016, 1:47 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Bill Hamm -- 12/9/2016, 12:27 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 12/7/2016, 5:26 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Etienne Muller -- 12/7/2016, 5:37 pm
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/8/2016, 1:57 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 12/8/2016, 10:42 am
Re: S&G: Thanks! About Varnish
upchurchmr -- 12/7/2016, 8:13 pm
Re: S&G: Thanks! About Varnish
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 12/8/2016, 8:03 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Bill Hamm -- 12/8/2016, 12:25 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 12/8/2016, 1:59 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Paul Sylvester -- 12/8/2016, 4:52 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 12/8/2016, 10:36 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
John VB -- 12/8/2016, 10:50 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Bill Hamm -- 12/9/2016, 12:29 am
Re: S&G: Counsel About Varnish
Wesley -- 1/8/2017, 2:58 am