Is satin varnish over gloss possible?

[Frank Langer]

I am in the process of varnishing the companionway doors for our boat, and have three coats of gloss Captain's varnish on so far. It's turning out well, and the high gloss for the outside will look very nice. But I'm thinking it may be too shiny for the inside above the steps. So I'm wondering if it would be a problem if I added two more coats of satin varnish on the side that will be visible from inside the boat. I'm thinking that two coats of satin varnish will tone down the gloss a bit. Would there be any problem in putting satin over the gloss, if I do a light sanding between coats?
Thanks for any tips.
Frank

 

[treilley]

This should not pose any problems Frank. Us the same brand and model. You probably only need one coat. This is actually the preferred method for some for obtaining a satin finish.

Satin varnishes have pigments that can cloud the finish if applied in many coats. The solution is to build up with gloss and do your last coat in satin.

 

[Frank G]

This may not be the best solution but is what I did once.

After varnishing something I really didn't like the high gloss finish. I buffed it out with 0000 steel wool and now it h as a satin finish.

I agree with you that high gloss on the interior doesn't look good.

If you don't like the steel wool finish, you now have a good surface for satin varnish to bond to anyway.

 

[treilley]

Good point frank but stay away from steel wool. Use a Scotchbrite instead.

 

[Loren Beach]

Good point frank but stay away from steel wool. Use a Scotchbrite instead.

As I recall, you might want to use SS wool or bronze wool also -- idea being to avoid leaving little bits of mild steel to show rust dots after exposure to sea air.

Loren

 

[Frank Langer]

Thanks for the advice, guys. This is such a great resource for all those little questions that come up.
Frank

 

[Frank G]

Me bad. I should have said bronze wool, which is what I do use now. Don't ask me about my results for making that mistake. I'm still getting out little rust spots in the deck of my Catalina 25 I'll try to sell soon

Frank

 

[Emerald]

If you're looking for a nice satin almost semi-gloss below, check out some of the Daly's Seafin teak oil:

http://www.dalyspaint.com/catalog_seafin.html

It has far more gloss than what I think of oils typically having. Also, you can varnish over it, which gives very nice results as well. So you could try it and if it wasn't glossy enough, keep going.

 

[rwthomas1]

FWIW, the floor refinishing outfit I use on my remodeling projects swears by gloss for all the undercoats and then a top coat of satin. They claim the gloss is harder and dries faster. Granted, this is on residential hardwood flooring but there may be some truth to it. I know it sure looks great when done! RT