Wood varnish

[jimeve]

Just now, Mike J said:

I will have to try 120.  I normally use 220 between coats. I try to use a tack cloth between coats but have not found them here.  

Use it wet with soap to make the water soft and very lightly sand it. No I have seen any tacky cloth here. 220 between coats is good too.

 

[Tommy T.]

5 hours ago, Mike J said:

I have had no problems finding sandpaper to include dry paper.  Everything from 60 to 800 grit.  

Once you get the existing varnish off, try staining just the filler to match the wood.

Where did you find these sandpapers, Mike - any particular store or just all over? I have not needed any yet, but I will after moving into the house.

1 hour ago, jimeve said:

For in between  coats I have always used 120 grit, lightly sanded down then vacuumed off. over 40 years in the trade. Make sure the first coat is thinned down, the grain will rise this is normal but needs to be sanded down smooth once dry.

I used 120 grit for the final wood prep, then 240 grit for subsequent coats. At least with the spar varnish I was using, the scratch marks showed when using the 120 - just my experience. I also tried, successfully, coating wet on wet - that is, I would do a coat early as possible in the morning, then late in the afternoon again after it was not feeling tacky to the touch but was still not cured. I never did more than two coats at a time to make sure it cured. I would let it set for three days before applying more coats. Again, not necessarily recommending this method, but it worked on teak that was always in full sun and dried rather quickly.

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

I will have to try 120.  I normally use 220 between coats. I try to use a tack cloth between coats but have not found them here.  

I used flannel rags from old shirts with great success for years. The material is absorbent. I would just shake it out continually as I wiped everything. I used foam brushes rather than bristle. I also would pour a rather modest amount into a plastic cup and use it all up, then pour more into it and never return any to the can or dip into the can. The canned varnish did not get contaminated this way.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Tommy T.

[Viking]

15 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Where did you find these sandpapers, Mike - any particular store or just all over? I have not needed any yet, but I will after moving into the house.

I used 120 grit for the final wood prep, then 240 grit for subsequent coats. At least with the spar varnish I was using, the scratch marks showed when using the 120 - just my experience. I also tried, successfully, coating wet on wet - that is, I would do a coat early as possible in the morning, then late in the afternoon again after it was not feeling tacky to the touch but was still not cured. I never did more than two coats at a time to make sure it cured. I would let it set for three days before applying more coats. Again, not necessarily recommending this method, but it worked on teak that was always in full sun and dried rather quickly.

I used flannel rags from old shirts with great success for years. The material is absorbent. I would just shake it out continually as I wiped everything. I used foam brushes rather than bristle. I also would pour a rather modest amount into a plastic cup and use it all up, then pour more into it and never return any to the can or dip into the can. The canned varnish did not get contaminated this way.

That picture makes me curious of the yacht you had Tommy, pls give us some info about it and pics are Always nice 

[Mike J]

16 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Where did you find these sandpapers, Mike - any particular store or just all over? I have not needed any yet, but I will after moving into the house.

Most any hardware store.  Lately I have been buying in the hardware section of Gaisano.