Varnish techniques

[glennd3]

Noah do you thin your varnish?

[glennd3]

I am messing around with my floor boards again. I used the clear west system epoxy 3 years ago on them and now I need to freshen them up a bit. I am going to apply 1 or two coats of the epoxy then use 1015 varnish. When I use the varnish I in the past I did not thin it. I get a dry spot here and there and it drives me crazy. I am thinking that if I thin the varnish it may "flow" without having the dry spots.

Glenn-
I use Epifanes varnish and their thinner. On new wood absolutely thin first couple of coats. Subsequent coats I thin slightly "to taste" depending on temperature/humidity/brush drag and flow.

[mdidomenico]

I am thinking that if I thin the varnish it may "flow" without having the dry spots.

yes.  it also depends on temp and humidity.  i just wrapped up painting my mast.  the amount of thinner/paint ratio to get a shiny coat has been the most difficult thing for me to learn how to do between the boom and mast.  i've also been varnishing the interior.  i tend to over thin that though, even on the latter coats, otherwise i feel it gets "thick" after it dries and i tend to get more runs when it's not thinned

[Noah]

On large flat areas like floorboards try the "roll and tip" method: i.e. roll on varnish then smoothing out quickly with tip of brush.

[scgunner]

Floorboards, this is where I've found foam brushes shine, like the floorboards when you're done.

[Noah]

Glenn-
I use Epifanes varnish and their thinner. On new wood absolutely thin first couple of coats. Subsequent coats I thin slightly "to taste" depending on temperature/humidity/brush drag and flow.

[glennd3]

I have finished 3  of the floor boards for the salon with varnish. I have to say that it is a process but they look nice. I am getting better at sanding and applying the varnish. I will have to see how they hold up over a season. I guess no shoes on when going below will be the new rule.

[scgunner]

Glenn,

Think of it as a wooden indoor basketball court, if you wear shoes down below, rubber soles only.

[glennd3]

I was happy with the soles however when I brought them up from the basement work area and put them in direct sun light "ripples". Which now has led me to buy a new sander because I had "ripples" in the finish. I have applied 3 more thinned coats of varnish and have a smooth mostly flat finish after some detailed sanding. I am going to try a last coat with a lightly thinned mixture. Question, can your last coat be wet sanded without losing the shine?

[Noah]

Nope. Wouldn't recommend it.

[scgunner]

Yes, actually it can be, but like Noah I wouldn't recommend it. It's basically color sanding, and it's a fairly involved process. When you wet sand you'll use ever increasingly fine sandpapers until you reach around #1000 to #1500 grit, a 4 or 5 step process. Next comes a series of increasingly fine polishes, at least 2 or 3. Then you can finish it off with a buff wax to a high shine. This process is usually reserved for high dollar show cars with very expensive paint jobs.

[glennd3]

Good enough, thanks for the answer. Just wish I had a paint room.

[scgunner]

Glenn,

Just get a good flow, keep it moving, and use a foam brush, they'll turn out beautifully.