anyone with experience in varnishing ? (too visible brush strokes)

[BillA]

type faster

 

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[ARC]

You will need the following items... One of which is hard to find and fairly expense when found due to its unavailability ...

Which is ... STAINLESS STEEL wool. Double 0... "00".

Yep...

This is "the key" ingredient.

YOU SHOULD take the extra time or effort to find the stainless as opposed to the regular... for if you do not... you may regret it by finding rust spots around your area later.

Ok... after first coat... lightly rub with SSW (S steel wool)... do it till it "clouds"... which is not a lot.

CLEAN RAG... paint thinner wipe down (this will beevery time).

Second coat... lay slightly heavier and evenly... watching the woods "dry spots" sucking it in... go back over these and try a nice "level" coat.

Let dry... test by rubbing a small corner and if "gummy" ... its not dry..

When dry take SSW and sand to cloudy....

CLEAN rag and thinner... then apply next coat thicker... and repeat each step... step by step.

With each coat you will begin to see the build.

Stand back and admire. :P

 

[BillA]

does the ss wool deal with high spots ?

 

[ARC]

Next item...

CHEAP CHINA brushes from Harbor Freight.

No joke.

Watch for bristles that detach occasionally.

that is it,

 

[ARC]

They sell the cheap china bri=ushes at Home depot as well... err or they did... I am sure they still do.

 

[ARC]

does the ss wool deal with high spots ?

This is all in the way you "lay it down"... nice long even strokes... ue the cheap brushes... dip in and slide off lip of can to remove the extreme excess.

 

[ARC]

nice flat tapered 45 degree strokes...

"wax on ... wax off" grasshopper. :P

 

[ARC]

does the ss wool deal with high spots ?

I am assuming you mean the varnish...

IF you have high spots... sand till smooth... start over.

Use care when strokes... this is something that comes over time... but I will tell you that long even pressure will win.

 

[BillA]

what is the advantage of ss wool over say P600 Norton A275op
this paper as it resists loading up with green resin

 

[ARC]

use the 120 - 200 if real high.

But yes.. the SSW will sand as well... keep flipping pad of SSW.

 

[ARC]

The key is that "00"... it removes the strokes without removing much varnish... hence the "glass".

There are many "pour" types for some projects they may be better.... they are "self leveling" etc.

I never worked with these... beings many times I was doing bow rails... or transoms... or ladder rungs... or interiors of yachts... where this would never work.

 

[BillA]

brushing is an art for sure
wiping the brush for the amount of resin to be put down, laying it down, velocity, moving the resin generally, blah blah

 

[BillA]

no, I too am dealing with curved surfaces which dictates thin layers

edit: got to run

 

[BillA]

'morning ARC, would like to explore sanding

substrates: 2 in mind, wood -> varnish
the wood will always be a hardwood and with years of drying before use (have a bodega full of wood)
the varnish will always be an exterior 'polyurethane' (assuming I can find) sanded . . . .

ok, sanding wood is straight forward and I generally use 60/80, 150 if I'm being prissy, and 220 all with a 5" orbital sander
I will then hand-sand with 600 grit as posted above.
I have found that varnishing a 220 sanded surface simply leaves more material to be removed later with 600 grit.
sanding green resin can be quite difficult, have far better results with the Norton paper

the transition from a wood substrate to built-up varnish is somewhat gradual,
a single thinned coat will not completely seal and must in any case be sanded (my huge error was going for thick coats !)
the manner and extent of sanding between coats seems most tricky
you (and others) recommend steel wool, others not because of a crazing effect
- but I have seen crazing also over a sanded area due to a too-thin resin mix replicating the substrate below it

the ss wool would seem to lack any leveling capability whereas paper can be fitted to a soft block

why is the ss wool better ?

 

[ARC]

Use a spar varnish if sunlight if factor.

SSW is enough to expose flaws and open small bubble pores and removes less... hence quicker buildup.

 

[BillA]

I guess you are saying that "spar varnish" has a UV inhibitor

ok, the ssw is for the lightest possible removal

btw, have no bubble incidence (surface tension control of resin as a function of several components), but am very careful
- a brush with straight cut bristles will entrain air like crazy

 

[gunsil]

I have done a lot of boat and furniture varnishing myself. I always use spar varnish and I never use stainless steel wool, I use regular 000 steel wool. AARC is 100% correct, prep is paramount and to get a fine smooth finish sanding with sandpaper between coats is necessary. I only use the wool as a final coat prep and only when I have a smooth several coat deep finish going. A good varnish job is tough work, lots of coats and sanding between, and keeping dust out of the finish can be hard especially if the work is outside. Sure looks nice when done though!!

 

[hvacker]

I built a teak drainboard for my kitchen sink over 25 years ago. A carpenter wrote an article in Fine Homebuilding
back then and he only used Waterlox. It's mainly tung oil with other stuff.
I used it on the drainboard and looked good. When refinishing time came I used spar varnish but didn't get as good results. Eventually the spar pealed where use was greatest. I know a sink gets abused a lot. When it's time again and I'll probably go back to Waterlox.
Some finishes sit on the surface and other's penetrate. Some do both. I think just from using a wipe on poly that it appears to do a bit of both. That might be choice #2 but before I decide I'll work with a piece of teak and compare the two.
Nether of the 2 show brush strokes. The Waterlox because it's mostly tung oil and the poly can be put down with a rag. Additional coats are easier than with other top side finishes where sanding is needed.
A factor in choosing is how it will be used. Example is shellac is great looking but doesn't stand up to some types of use. All poly top coats are not brand equal, for example on floors.
I use a sanding sponge when using steel wool to keep fingers from gouging. I have also read of problems with the steel reacting to some wood so SS might be a good idea.

 

[ARC]

Ok... here is my dealio with SS...

Let me paint a picture for yas...

1.2 million dollar boat...

Fiberglass / gel coat...

Has teak bow rail from stern to bow...

Rail done with regular steel wool...

Guy shows up next morning to see his 1.2 million dollar boat COVERED with 1.2 million RUST dots... little squigs and lines.

Overnight... in salt and morn dew.

Guess what...

Now your are either scrubbing for days trying to remove every rust spot... your fired... and you might be paying thousands in time and gelcoat.

So...

See the light ?

 

[ARC]

Ps...

Anytime "precision" is needed... the extra couple of dollars (if even) for the SS is worth every penny.

Skimp... and get skimped.

Besides guys...

I will point out an even better reason to pay a buck more and use SS...

It last 5 times longer than regular Sw.