Varnol / alternatives

[Dick Wynne]

I am thinking of removing my varnish and replacing with Varnol or something else as easy to maintain, as my exposed mooring and general wear & tear are hard on varnish, and this being my 2nd boat, life's just too short. Gunwales are teak (-ish, anyway). Any experiences, anything I should watch out for?

[Canoeyawl]

Deks-Olie #1 has served for me with great results for many years.
I have an open boat (big dory) that was moored outside for years that used this treatment.
The wood does darken a lot but no evidence of degradation other than cosmetic.
I think the dark color looks pretty good myself. I think it is futile to try and keep a moored boat “bright”. As you said, life is to short.
It takes a lot of applications at first to apply enough to saturate the wood, but after that, you can reapply anytime. No sanding or other prep work, it dissolves itself. I re-coat everything using a rag and wipe off the stuff that ran onto the paint. Some times I recoat as often as once a month in the California sun. That takes about an hour, start to finish, for the whole boat.
You will need to buy it by the gallon for the first applications.
Sally has about 4 coats of varnish on everything hull included, and then was painted over all but the vertical surfaces of the cabin/combings, which are varnished. The rubrails, cockpit and interior are Deks-Olie.

[Dick Wynne]

Deks-Olie #1 has served for me with great results for many years..

Thanks C/Y, I just read elsewhere that Deks absorbs better in tight grain like teak than does Varnol, so I think that's going to be the answer. Changing the subject, the AS meet last week was a good 'un, 6 3/4 AS boats pls some guests, perfect weather. The 3/4 is a boat based on the AS Sheila II but with modified lines. Gorgeous all the same. Story on the website soon I hope.

[StevenBauer]

My son and I used Deks Olje on our Oughtred Elf project after seeing a gorgeous JII Yawl finished that way. If you use the #2 after the #1 it might darken less.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r241/bauerdad/Small%20Reach%20Regatta%202007/IMG_1221.jpg


Steven

[outofthenorm]

I've used Deks Olje #1 and #2 on spruce spars for more than 25 years and always liked it. Application is easy - many coats of #1, wet on wet until it won't take any more, let it dry 3 days, then 5-6 coats of #2, with no sanding until the second last coat. Maintenance is a snap - wet sand with #1, wipe it down and recoat with #2. I just stripped the mast for the first time in 15 years, and then only because it looked a bit ragged after being stored outside (with a cover on a rack) for 3 years without being touched. I've liked it less for harder woods like oak - I don't think a harder wood will absorb enough #1 to make the system work properly. I tried it on WO rubrails and rail cap, but went back to varnish after 2 years. I haven't tried it on teak.

- Norm

[Dick Wynne]

OK I have now sanded the varnished teak back to bare wood, however there are areas where the varnish seems to have penetrated a long way, and sanding is not going to do away with it. As a result I suspect the gallons of Deks Olje waiting in the wings may not 'take' there. Any ideas what might get the old varnish out? If I knew the right solvent for it, would applying that help or make things worse? I really don't want to have to varnish it again!

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Coelan.

But get right back to bare wood.

[outofthenorm]

Dick, in her book on varnishing, Rebecca Whittman recommends using a stripper to get the last embedded bits of varnish out of the grain.

- Norm

[Dick Wynne]

Dick, in her book on varnishing, Rebecca Whittman recommends using a stripper to get the last embedded bits of varnish out of the grain.

- Norm

Thanks Norm, I take it you mean a chemical stripper? Don't have the book but I might try the method on a hidden corner to check for discolouration first.

[outofthenorm]

I take it you mean a chemical stripper?

Yup. A semi-paste or gel for vertical surfaces. Almost any kind for flat. She only uses the stripper after almost all the finish is off - the general order is heatgun, scraper, stripper (if needed), bleach (if needed), sandpaper, clean up.

I might try the method on a hidden corner to check for discolouration first.

That's the right approach. Good luck.

- Norm