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Varnish tip

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
For what it's worth (FWIW), I recently removed the cabin sole to my garage and and put on two renewing coats of varnish using a tip from the Internet.

The tip, intended for large surfaces, is to apply the varnish with a paint roller, then tip it out.

I was amazed at how the roller performed. The issue with varnish is not leaving holidays, and not overloading one area.

The pro in the video rolled in one direction, then rolled at 90 degrees. It's easy to be sure you have full, even coverage that way.

The few bubbles that resulted were easily smoothed with immediate tipping, even with a foam brush (I used both foam and good bristle).

Sixty degrees ambient, unthinned Schooner.

This guy is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VdFzj48BOQ
 
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Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
It's a four-part replacement sole, teak and holly ply, now screwed down. The original was removed (and destroyed) with a chisel and the brown adhesive that held it to the TFG was ground away with a sander.

Some photos here.
 
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Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Plywood supplier can order the teak and holly veneer product. The thickness is important, I believe it varies with Ericson models.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
For what it's worth (FWIW), I recently removed the cabin sole to my garage and and put on two renewing coats of varnish using a tip from the Internet.

The tip, intended for large surfaces, is to apply the varnish with a paint roller, then tip it out.

I was amazed at how the roller performed. The issue with varnish is not leaving holidays, and not overloading one area.

The pro in the video rolled in one direction, then rolled at 90 degrees. It's easy to be sure you have full, even coverage that way.

The few bubbles that resulted were easily smoothed with immediate tipping, even with a foam brush (I used both foam and good bristle).

Sixty degrees ambient, unthinned Schooner.

This guy is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VdFzj48BOQ
Thanks for passing along this tip, Christian. I have been varnishing my hatch boards and decided to give it a try. I have about 6 coats on them right now and will probably add another 3 or 4 coats before I call it good. But out of curiosity I rolled and tipped the 6th coat yesterday after a quick sanding with 220 grit. Boy, do I like that technique! The roller makes getting good coverage on the wood a breeze. I used a 3" dry foam brush for the tipping and it seemed to do the job just fine. Attached are a couple of pictures. That's my reflection in the hatch boards. (Please ignore the crappy wood trim attached to the boat; I have to get to that next. :rolleyes:)

I think I can get it even better when I do the actual final coat and give more care to sanding using a finer grit paper.


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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
You are certainly on the right track.
Perhaps, If you use 400 or 600 grit between finish coats, you will achieve more shine yet.

Loren
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
So, he used 4" foam rollers.

I also like the way he punched holes in the lip of his varnish can, so liquid varnish would fall back into the can rather than turning into dirty chunks, later contaminating the residual varnish in the can.

Love that New England accent too. Thick and salty!
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
So, he used 4" foam rollers.

I also like the way he punched holes in the lip of his varnish can, so liquid varnish would fall back into the can rather than turning into dirty chunks, later contaminating the residual varnish in the can.

Love that New England accent too. Thick and salty!
Yeah, I punched holes in the can too. It eliminates a lot of mess when it comes time to put back on the lid. That was a nice bonus tip I got from that video!
 
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Martin King

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
Yeah, I punched holes in the can too. It eliminates a lot of mess when it comes time to put back on the lid. That was a nice bonus tip I got from that video!

That's an old timer trick. So is storing partially used cans of varnish upside down, or keeping varnish brushes suspended in diesel. Every pro develops his own process.

Louis has been putting out some nice videos lately, like showing how to use a shipsaw.

Martin
 

photobug

Member II
Thanks for passing along this tip, Christian. I have been varnishing my hatch boards and decided to give it a try. I have about 6 coats on them right now and will probably add another 3 or 4 coats before I call it good. But out of curiosity I rolled and tipped the 6th coat yesterday after a quick sanding with 220 grit. Boy, do I like that technique! The roller makes getting good coverage on the wood a breeze. I used a 3" dry foam brush for the tipping and it seemed to do the job just fine. Attached are a couple of pictures. That's my reflection in the hatch boards. (Please ignore the crappy wood trim attached to the boat; I have to get to that next. :rolleyes:)

I think I can get it even better when I do the actual final coat and give more care to sanding using a finer grit paper.


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My first impression was your results look splotchy now realize it is your own reflection in the photos of the boards in place. Nice work.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
A few more things I have learned in the past few years:


--Good varnish brushes are difficult to clean with mineral spirits (paint thinnner). Tiny globs remain in the bristles, which have to be combed out. The solution is cleaning with acetone.


Acetone, contrary to what I always believed, is one of the least harmful solvents. Acetone poisoning is extremely rare, and small amounts on skin are harmless. It is an ingredient in nail polish remover and rubbing alcohol, and has been studied for years. It is not listed as a carcinogen, and small amounts can even be ingested without dire consequence. (It's the orange juice that's bad for you)


--Foam brushes work fine.


--Important to position a lamp to illuminate varnish surface, to check reflection for voids. Much varnishing done indoors, because although sunlight is handy it comes with wind, which is a no-no because of the likelihood of dust and other airborne particles.


--Varnish skins over much faster than paint, and any can once opened means a skin next time. Therefore, paint strainers to be used each time a can is opened for the second time. Which is why I buy small cans, so as to have unopened ones in inventory.


--For bare wood, consider making the first many coats of Jet Speed varnish. Two coats a days are possible. Follow with several coats of UV varnish product.


--For bare wood exposed to sun or water (cabin sole), start with two coats CPES (clear penetrating expoxy). Makes wood impervious, does not change varnish color, really is a game-changer.


--A swipe with alcohol over any sanded surface will reveal almost exactly what the wood will look like when varnished.


Generally that sends you back to more bleaching and sanding, but it's an invaluable testing tool.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
That's an old timer trick. So is storing partially used cans of varnish upside down, or keeping varnish brushes suspended in diesel. Every pro develops his own process.

Louis has been putting out some nice videos lately, like showing how to use a shipsaw.

Martin
Thanks, Martin! I love the stuff I'm learning on this forum! (My half-full can of Epifanes is now sitting upside down in my dock box!)
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
A few more things I have learned in the past few years:


--Good varnish brushes are difficult to clean with mineral spirits (paint thinnner). Tiny globs remain in the bristles, which have to be combed out. The solution is cleaning with acetone.


Acetone, contrary to what I always believed, is one of the least harmful solvents. Acetone poisoning is extremely rare, and small amounts on skin are harmless. It is an ingredient in nail polish remover and rubbing alcohol, and has been studied for years. It is not listed as a carcinogen, and small amounts can even be ingested without dire consequence. (It's the orange juice that's bad for you)


--Foam brushes work fine.


--Important to position a lamp to illuminate varnish surface, to check reflection for voids. Much varnishing done indoors, because although sunlight is handy it comes with wind, which is a no-no because of the likelihood of dust and other airborne particles.


--Varnish skins over much faster than paint, and any can once opened means a skin next time. Therefore, paint strainers to be used each time a can is opened for the second time. Which is why I buy small cans, so as to have unopened ones in inventory.


--For bare wood, consider making the first many coats of Jet Speed varnish. Two coats a days are possible. Follow with several coats of UV varnish product.


--For bare wood exposed to sun or water (cabin sole), start with two coats CPES (clear penetrating expoxy). Makes wood impervious, does not change varnish color, really is a game-changer.


--A swipe with alcohol over any sanded surface will reveal almost exactly what the wood will look like when varnished.


Generally that sends you back to more bleaching and sanding, but it's an invaluable testing tool.
A few new (to me) ideas contained in these nuggets. Filed away in OneNote! :)
 
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