Varnish advice

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williamabernathy

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Hi, all,
Needing some basic varnish advice, please. Priorities are weather and UV resistance, with nice gloss. Flexibility is not required, so I don't think I need the true "spar" varnish in that respect. None of the pieces will be abraded by anything beyond the elements (lower Chesapeake Bay area).

Thanks for suggestions as to brands and references I might find on the net.
 
I ve used different brand of varnish over the years, I don't think I have a favorite...

An alternative to varnish is Bristol. I did my railings with Bristol about 15 months ago and they are holding very well, that s in the Florida sun! Downside is that it s a 2 part finish, upside is that you don't have to sand between coats (except the last) and you can recoat within a couple of hours making the process much faster

I ve used cetol too but don't like the texture and the tint (even the light although i ve never used the new cetol natural)
 
One more thing about cetol... It looks a lot better on small surfaces like rails or trim than it does on wider surfaces like doors, hatches or cabinetry where you can really see the orangey tint
 
What kind of wood are you looking to varnish?
 
The newer "natural" and "light" versions of Cetol have much less or little of that orange tint which many people find offensive.

What look you like for a finish on varnished wood is very subjective. I would suggest looking around and finding a boat done correctly with Cetol before you use it. Or doing a piece of your wood in it before committing to refinishing all your wood in that finish.

Another thing about Cetol is that I find people don't always seem to take the same care with prepping the wood before applying it. To get the best looking, longest lasting finish, you need to prep the wood with the same care as if you were going to varnish it. And I have found that applying at least 6 coats of Cetol makes for a much long lasting better looking finish. Just like when using varnish.

And to get a gloss finish you will have to topcoat what ever base coat of Cetol you use with their gloss topcoat.

It may all sound more time consuming and complicated than it is. Because you can add coats of Cetol on top of each other without sanding between every coat if you apply them soon enough. I find once I get the surface of the wood prepped properly I can put on 3 coats, or depending on the weather and size of the job perhaps more, in a day. Let those dry over night and then scuff sand the surface before adding 3 more coats without any adhesion issues. Of course YMMV. :-)
 
For the last two and a half decades I have tested for highest durability and least maintenance. For matte finish and deck soles, I have always had best results with Cetol and prefer the color of Cetol Light. I do not like the look of Cetol Gloss Finish nor have I tested it for wear. Gloss: For at least 15 years, I preferred Honey Teak which is a multi component base coat/clear coat. I was getting 5 years out of it with no maintenance coats but would strip after that. With minimal maintenance coats, I could go at least 10 years. Since Honey Teak is no longer readily available I like Awl Brite. I build up about 3 coats of Awl Spar or Schooner/Captain's whatever spar color tone you prefer and cap it with 3-5 coats Awlbrite. I recoat up to 18 months later and never apply less than 2 coats at a time.
 
AwlSpar with AwlBrite over it is a great system that many larger yachts use. I just find it's difficult to work with and expensive for most DYIers.
 
Thank you all very much for your suggestions. I'm giving Epifanes from Boatfix a try, going 50/50 thin at first, then slightly thicker for the next coats. We'll see how that goes. Thanks again for your advice.

V/R
 
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