ebb, not having read all 5 pages of the thread, curious to have your opinion of Deks Olje? I used it for some time with good results...as long as one keeps it applied every few months.
ebb, not having read all 5 pages of the thread, curious to have your opinion of Deks Olje? I used it for some time with good results...as long as one keeps it applied every few months.
Never got into it myself. I mean I tried to use it, but..... It's a system: one part to be put on the wood until the wood can't take it any more - and then thicker UV inhibited coats are put on to protect what you first did. Nobody talks about it. That may be a reason not to use it. That's what happened to me, just forgot about the stuff. Probably cost alot too.
Putting watery oil on vertical surfaces is counter-productive (2 dollar word for PITA) - like it's too juicey to mask (the coamings) off the deck or whatever surface. so you need another solvent there to clean it off the deck, if it's a nice deck or newly painted, you could screw it up!
I don't know, I had cans around for years. The same cans.
Suppose this could be done to coamings that have been removed, all the way up to the finish coats. (After that maintenance just requires wiping on a fresh #2 coat regularly, right?) If you decide to go with another system, what does that entail? Suppose you want to go gloss. what to you have to do? Maybe it's the ultimate undercoat (rather than epoxy) for spa varnish!
You can lounge against a smooth sexy varnish job. I wonder if the Deks Olje will print your nice yachhhhting shirt?
Must have been manufactured for deks. There it probably works just fine.
Last edited by ebb; 01-16-2007 at 12:46 PM.
I used the stuff back in the late 70's early 80's and found it to be for folks in climates where 70 degrees is considered very hot. A lot of work and not as good as varnish , IMHO .
I used it in SF Bay Area temps for exterior wood. You have a choice of matte or gloss, $26qt (qt lasted years on my boat) at West Marine. Once wood is sanded, I applied a couple of coats of the matte. Granted, it's thin and care needed to apply. About every 3 months I'd coat again to stay ahead of sanding. Always looked nice and never came off on my clothing. WM customers give it a 5 for 5 rating.
Last edited by xroyal; 06-09-2006 at 07:32 PM.
Epifanes on sale at Jamestown for $20
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...+Clear+Varnish
I like the Jen foam brushes
http://www.wholesalecentral.com/merc...%2Fstore%2Ecfm
By the way, my experiment with electrical tape didn't work out. It wasn't sticky enough.
I'm replacing my coamings-someone crashed into Mischief last summer while she was sitting on the mooring and smashed one of the coamings. I consider myself lucky that that was the only damage. Anyway, I have 2 gorgeous new pieces of mahogany cut to fit and I'm starting to consider the varnish.
I used to use Epifanes but I remembered reading somewhere (I could swear it was here) that it doesn't last so for the last couple of years for some smaller projects I switched to the Interlux Schooner varnish. I think it lasted longer but that could be wishful thinking. I'm also looking at Pettit Z-spar, which is a bit more expensive, but if their copy is to believed, worth it.
Interlux is way thinner than Epifanes so it was hard to get used to.
Any new opinions on which is best? I noted all the praise earlier in this thread for Epifanes, so now I'm confused. Not unusual.
[SIZE=3]Robin[/SIZE]
Just to kinda snarl things up here...
There a resuscitation in progress at the yard of a small wood sailboat that is nearly complete. The type of cutaway keel boat escapes me at the moment, it is a pretty thang with iron ballast keel that was worth only the bronze fittings it had and the iron for scrap when they started last spring. Major $$$ rebuild. The bright work has been done with Detco's (Sterling LPU) Crystal Varnish thruout this rainy and cold season.
The boat is being worked on uncovered (a tarp over for rain) in the open. The varnish looks fantastic and has this modest list of attributes:
fast build,
"enviable luster" (very true!)
flows out, dries fast, LIKES COLD WEATHER, sands without clogging.
overnite recoat without sanding,
goes on over anything, everything goes on over it, including heavy solvented two part urethane!
(all according to the hype on the Detco site).
First two coats are seal/primer coats and go on thinned. Remaining coats go on out of the can. Like spar varnish, the more coats, the more mirror. Eight coats and they'll stop to look! Coats don't require prep sanding between unless you've waited too long. Detco does call Crystal a varnish - not a coating.
Great qualities, but like a pretty woman, how long will she be with you?
Putting ON any varnish is half the battle. The other half: HOW LONG WILL THE "ENVIABLE LUSTER" LAST? I'll ask them why they are using the stuff. What about peeling, does water get under it, how easy to renew, repair scratches, how does it age, how easy is it to take down to wood again after many coats? etc. It looks just like varnish oughta look to me, There's NO obvious evidence of any orange or muddy UV inhibiter!
Last edited by ebb; 01-17-2007 at 06:43 AM.
I'll toss in a vote for: epoxy + reg'lar old varnish (on teak, oak, or mahogany). Simple, works well, no exotic names or prices.
On bare wood, put 2 coats of resin, let dry, sand smooth, then varnish. The epoxy hardens and protects the wood, the varnish then UV-protects the epoxy.
I was told to do this by a friend who makes wooden boats down in Texas, and it worked great for me. For the varnish, I used the Worst Marine house brand, which is exactly the same as Pettit's (IIRC) but abuckortwo cheaper, and it has the highest level of UV protection of varnishes (at the time I bought it, according to PS mag). 2 coats of varnish lasted me over a year and still looked awesome. I'd planned more coats (and will use more in the future), but ran out of time when applying...
The process took a bit more effort than the Cetol which I used on my previous boat, but the results made it look as if I knew what I was doing, like I'd had actual experience beforehand. I even had a powerboater ask me how much would I charge to do his.
Kurt - Ariel #422 Katie Marie
--------------------------------------------------
sailFar.net
Small boats, long distances...
There must be 100 different choices for wood finishes. You've got regular varnishes, modified ones, water or oil based, 1 and 2 part urethanes, Cetol types etc.
They all claim to be the longest lasting. Each has its own fans. Somebody else will tell you its crap.
What does this mean?
They all work, but no product has swept the field because it is clearly superior.
I'm still intrigued by those products where you can apply multiple coats in a day. This would greatly speed up the process.
The Detco varnish ebb mentioned seems to allow this.
I had an unhappy experience when I tried Bristol Finish, so I hesitate to try any more miracle cures.
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...read.php?t=855
Man! we're ALL looking for the right stuff.
The boat restoration is a job for these guys, so they would tend to use stuff that wouldn't mess with their reputation. And the boat yard runs on what works and what doesn't. Word of mouth is king. Since this Crystal is. I think, relatively new*, I'll ask them if they bought the hype. As I point out, tho, the apparent ease of application in an exposed situation may have a lot to do with it. A dirty dusty windy yard ain't ideal for varnishing. Impressed me. After the job leaves the yard, so may the luster.
Personally learnt to HATE EVERYTHING about traditional varnish except its LUSTER. "I'm not the only one!" One of these days, after a bloody century of trying, one of these chemical conglomerates could come up with the real enchilada sauce!
*Guess not. Check out:
>google< Another Varnish Post [Archive] - The Wooden Boat Forum
http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulleti...hp/t-9637.html
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
A problem with some forums is wading thru the shuck and jive. Like with varnishing, it is possible to learn the technique. Scot Rosen's posts on the WBforum above seem credible to me. A lot more credible than P.S.'s funky two inch square wood chip varnish tests I recently found in a book of theirs - imco not even coming up to a grade school science project level - if anything, varnish should be tested in real life situations to be credible. My opinion. You know, like ON a boat. Anyway, a vote for Crystal. Don't know if there was any further follow up on its lasting qualities from S.R.?
Last edited by ebb; 01-21-2007 at 09:59 AM.
Well guys, I wanted fewer choices not more. The Detco Crystal does look interesting. And from that discussion in wooden boat, it might be the one. I actually love varnishing, I just never have enough time.
[SIZE=3]Robin[/SIZE]
I am in the process of doing my hatch covers (teak) and I'm using McCloskey Man O War and they are looking great in my garage. I was told this is the best any thought about this
McCloskeys has been around for a long time. I'm sure it will turn out great.
Now if anybody can figure out how to varnish both sides of the hatchboards at once, that would be a good trick
This year I'm going to try the 3M vinyl tape #471. Its not cheap, but I can't stand having to scrape off old paper painter's tape. The vinyl tape is difficult to find in widths greater that 3/4"
http://www.hillas.com/Products/3M_Vi...71_1X36_BL.asp
(they only had individual rolls in red)
http://www.hopkins-carter.com/160240...3-4-in-x-36-yd
(only 3/4 inch width)
Last edited by commanderpete; 03-20-2007 at 07:51 AM.
My cabin trim look like propellers mounted on 8 penny nails that were pounded through some old front door woodwork trim. Cabinet drawers stand on their own, as long as I remember to walk around them, instead of through them when I leave for work around 5:30am (I exit through the garage). Cabinet doors pose as Modified Alkyd Resin laden mobiles suspended from 50 pound test fishing line swaying in the aromatic breezes of Exempt Mineral Spirits. Those pesky hatch covers will receive the required 12-20 coats per side and sometime in 2009 they will be introduce to Hull #100 with a pomp and ceremony Elton John will be proud of. Yes, my family is packing up and leaving for Nantucket. Yes, I will feel some guilt as they are leaving. (but they constantly and selfishly complain about fumes permeating throughout the house), (what fumes, I ponder). Yet I know when I summons them to return home in 2009 they will dance with glee on the marina green proudly proclaiming that bright work belongs to my husband and father. Yes, we helped him to its completion.
Last edited by edward burke; 03-26-2007 at 09:41 PM. Reason: manuscript error
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
