Varnishing the deck of a strip built boat. Techniques for applying a smooth, drip-free, sag-free varnish finish with a foam brush. More information at: www.guillemot-k...
That music...I never knew I needed the medieval music of trobadores/minstrels when working with wood but I've now got a 'woodworking' play list. Thank you kind sir.
Love the finish , I've always used a foam roller though and then tipped off with a foam brush at 90% to the roller line ! Then as the varnish dries keep tipping any imperfections ! That's my method ! Cheers knackers
After the varnish starts to set up and has lost its wet edge - about 30 seconds - any time you touch it will leave a permanent mark. Tipping off after that will typically add more imperfections than it removes. I've used the roller, then brush technique but found little benefit in having to switch from one tool to another during the applications process.
I always put a thin coat of epoxy on bare wood to raise the grain and seal the wood than sand. The glass wets faster and does not get dry spots as sometimes the wood absorbs epoxy at different rates.
+Daniel Cohen There is no bare wood anywhere on this boat. Every surface is covered with fiberglass set in epoxy. This makes a much more durable finish than varnish on wood coated with just epoxy.
Looks like a great job. Me, I am sprayer. I spray everything. I am terrible with a brush but can lay down some varnish with a gun. I use an HVLP with a 3 stage turbine.
Hi Nick Lovely work, Have you any suggestions on how to maintain a wet edge while varnishing open gunwales on a dinghy, with all the Packers and slots between the rubrail and inwale
I don't know if this varnish is good for a dining table, I have very small grandchildren and they make a right mess at meal times so my table gets wiped very often. Would you recommend this yacht varnish ? The table is a reclaimed solid pine table.
Greetings Nick, Two questions, first what is the wood on the rear deck of the Noank Pulling boat? the photo on your web page does not do justice to the wood. Second question, what is the delightful music that you have playing with this video? Maybe you could put the music you use in your description. I have enjoyed so many of your video partly because of the wonderful music. I have other question regarding building a kayak, what is the best way to contact you? Andre Anderson Portland Oregon
Nick, I have watched this several times thanks for posting. I am practicing and continue to get bad results with epoxying over glass! Can you answer why I have sketchy areas of fiberglass weave and noticeable individual threads showing under the epoxy? Also I am getting several bubbles (pimples) I consider to be outgassing in my layers of epoxy is this due to applying during hot days? Thanks
The visible threads is likely something to do with your epoxy work prior to varnishing. Sometimes the wood sucks up epoxy, starving the weave of the cloth, with the result of incomplete wetting out of the fabric. Small bubbles may be outgassing, or they may be dust on the surface. Doing epoxy work in falling temperatures helps with outgassing. Dust is hard to prevent. If it is causing fisheyes or dry spots in the varnish coat, you could brush hard into those spots to try to fill any pin hole with varnish before applying future coats.
Like for a house floor? I would not necessarily use marine varnish on a flooring. It would look great but I think there are some modern finishes that are easier and more durable for walking on.
@@NickSchade That's what Ive used in the past with success. Also used Epiphanes with 5% and it was ok. But recently, I tried Total Boat Lust and Im not happy with the results at all. Un-thin the brush strokes dont lay down. With increases in thinner (5%-7.5%-10%) the brush marks go away BUT heavy sags start to form around the vertical sides. There really is no magic formula with that stuff. I guess, lesson learned, it pays to get the best varnish to start instead of trying to save the dime.
Total Boat's claim is you can apply additional coats every hour to build up fast. Limit is 3 coats in 24 hours. This all true... after an hour it was dry to touch either spraying or brushing. Biggest problem Ive had with it is it wont maintain a wet edge but for a few seconds. I think this is due to their drying agents and my hot shop. I live in the south and its alway hot here. Im sure its a good product and works under better conditions.
With that kind of quick build varnishes I will usually go for a fast application of multiple coats to get the build, not worrying too much about smoothness, brush marks, dust, etc. Then sand it out level before the last coat. I would then use a different, slower drying product for the last "show" coat.
Hi Nick ..I was wondering if you can give me some advice...I am varnishing a strip boat for a friend..but it he layed a really ruff coat of resin over cloth..do you think I can recoat resin with a good sand down..or should I just continue on with varnish?...also what it the best varnish line in your opinion? by the way your videos are great keep up the amazing work!
You will not get a smooth coat of varnish without a smooth surface below it. You should prep the surface to be perfectly smooth before you start varnishing. If the existing surface is rough, you should sand it flat. If you can not do this without sanding into the cloth, sand as much as you can, then apply another fill coat. When that cures, sand it flat up to 220 grit. Then proceed with varnish.
Would I use an oil based varnish like this to repair a wooden shaft of an outrigger canoe paddle? Or water based? I don't know how to choose the appropriate product. Part of the shaft was rubbed down to the wood while rubbing against a bailer holder made of a coat hanger during a race.
Oil based varnishes have a proven track record. You can be pretty certain they will work if properly applied. Water-based varnishes continue to improve and some are quite good, but the technology is still developing and your results may vary.
@@NickSchade thank you! any foam brush or do you recommend one in particular? My first time doing a project of this sort and I picked the advanced method without knowing it. 3 months later...
The late great Robert Ruck used varnish on many guitars successfully all though it was the exception when he used it. We spoke on the phone about his varnishing for at least one hour. He liked captains 1015. To varnish on Rosewood it is advisable to seal with a coat of shellac to avoid drying problems on that oily wood. Any finish can sound good on a guitar top if you Can achieve good results with a thin enough coat.Of course Kohno and Velasquez primarily used varnish.
All traditional varnishes have distinct amber or yellow color. This will often darken with time. You may want to look at polyurethanes, some are available in water clear.
If I remember correctly, I am using Z-Spar "Captains". I generally do not thin the varnish. Since the base is epoxy/fiberglass there is not need to thin for penetration. Epifanes is quite thick out of the can, but will level out nicely without thinning.
You do very nice work sir. I noticed the very light touch to your ending stroke and I will use your technique next week if Cleveland weather lends a kind hand to my project.
Yes, the first pass I use a heavy stroke to get the varnish off the brush and on to the boat. The next pass is a 90° to the first with a moderate touch to level out the varnish, the final pass is with a very light touch to tip-off any bubbles and the light touch will actually lift off excess varnish.
The final coat is always thinned down for bubbles to pop easier and to make a glass finish. Just dont exceed the instructions ratio. The thinned finish will run alot easier like water. The 1st several coats are "generally " not thinned.
+Jonathan McClellan I guess the question would be: why would you want to? It is worth understanding why we varnish anything in the first place. It is to protect the material under the varnish. Varnish protects bare wood from sun, moisture and gunk getting stuck to it. Varnish protects epoxy and fiberglass from ultraviolet light which breaks down the epoxy. So, while you could varnish the wood before fiberglassing, it would make it so the epoxy does not stick as well. The fiberglass provides a lot of strength, the epoxy bonds very well to bare wood - better than varnish. By itself the epoxy and fiberglass look like many, thick coats of varnish. It will be shiny and beautiful, but sunlight will attack it over time. We then varnish the epoxy to provide protection. To make the varnish stick well, we first need to sand the epoxy to a smooth surface.
I appreciate the answer - thank you! Unfortunately I can’t find Captain’s varnishes delivered in UK.. Would you know by any chance a good or best high gloss varnish in the UK market?
@@cops1987While some people find Epifanes hard to use, I have used it with good results. You can get Epifanes locally through www.fyneboatkits.co.uk/supplies/paint-and-varnish/ and from other suppliers
I would not recommend it. With varnish you must maintain the integrity of the film of finish over the whole wood surface. If the surface of the varnish cracks, water will start to penetrate, breaking down the wood and causing the varnish to peel. Once the film of varnished has cracked, you must quickly sand and re-coat the whole surface. If you do not coat the underside of the decking, you will have water penetrating the wood from below and this will cause the wood to warp and crack, and the varnish to peel. While this can be done and looks spectacular, it is a huge maintenance chore.
Nick Schade I should of elaborated , I meant after staining , it’s a rather large deck and it’s on the south side of the house, just wondering if I could get a few more years before a re coat
@@raptordan6851 Stain does not change the answer. Some sort of oil finish is much easier to maintain than a varnish because you can just add more. Varnish must be sanded before re-coating and any flaw or crack in the finish will cause ugly black spots. It will look fabulous until it looks bad, then it will look really bad and be a major chore to make look good again. If you like the wet look of varnish, a non-hardening finish like an oil will age more gracefully and be easier to bring back. The problem with oil finishes is they can promote mildew which just turns everything black. If you are staining it you should be able to just re-stain when it needs it with minimal prep required. Stain is essentially and oil finish with pigment added. I am a boat guy more than a house guy, but I would just stick with stain. Don't add varnish to the situation unless you are willing to be very diligent with maintenance. A boat like this can be stored inside and the varnish is over fiberglass and epoxy. This is a different animal than a deck.
Nick Schade I appreciate the in depth input , I’m a welder /mechanic and not so much for woodwork , I think I will go with a dark walnut oil based stain.