Varnishes

[STEPHEN MILLER]

Currently use International Goldspar Gloss on my brightwork performs quite well with sun exposure for a couple of years , was checking on International website on some other paint and noticed it now does not mention UV inhibitors in Goldspar, so has any body out there used International Schooner Varnish and how has in performed

[Boatmik]

Howdy Stephen,

Goldspar is my choice too and it is very entrenched in the Industry. A few years ago they did have a bit of a play with it but an industry uproar got them to change back (the place I was working got some samples).

I would be very surprised if they risked changing the formulation much.

You can always give their tech line a call and see if the formulation has been changed. If it ain't then .. business as normal.

For people who want to try it ... it is not as fast drying as some but does protect wood from UV very well. Stays a little soft for a few days but then firms up.

Michael

[lynaes]

Hi.
I don't know if it's awaylable in your country, but in Denmark many boatowners are using the French Tonkinwarnish, and for good reasons. Easy to work with, and very resistant to sun and other seaconditions, I have tried the schooner, but found Tonkin far better.
Erik

[Boatmik]

Hi.
I don't know if it's awaylable in your country, but in Denmark many boatowners are using the French Tonkinwarnish, and for good reasons. Easy to work with, and very resistant to sun and other seaconditions, I have tried the schooner, but found Tonkin far better.
Erik

Howdy Erik,

Sold in Britain as Le Tonkinois.

I don't disagree at all, but just a bit of a warning for local Australians.

Many imported products seem to have problems with Australian conditions so I would recommend trying them on a small project first to see how it goes ... don't do the cabin of your 30 metre ketch!

Lots of imported boats ... even from seriously good manufacturers like Nautor Swan (arguably the best quality production yacht builders in the world) have had trouble with varnish deteriorating quickly with boats newly imported into Australia.

Our conditions are pretty extreme.

Just had a quick check ... it doesn't seem to be available here. But we did discuss it some time ago. https://www.woodworkforums.com/f34/le-tonkinois-41225

Will be of interest to some of our Northern Hemisphere builders who might be looking for a good varnish that works in their area!

Michael

[lynaes]

I took a look at the thread you named. I can see at your recommandation, that it is a hard job having boat in Austr, Can't say I know about your weather, but I can say how I varnish my boat. From start 8 layers the first 2 with thinner, sanding ligtly between every 2 layer, using a corck to remowe the tops. Sanding before last. To maintain, every 2. year sanding with waterpaper 280 and 1 time tonkin, no more. It looks like the mahogany, is deep under the surface, like looking through water. Has worked for me without any repair for more than 15 years. So you better start importing this very fine product.
There is a link on my side TONKINLAK and it's in english too.
I have no financial interest in the shop. I only like beautifully varnished boats. And I allowed her to grap a pic of my dinghy for her site.
I think many producers are using 2 comp. and it will crack. the water enters through and the wood will be damaged.

[Boatmik]

Howdy Erik,

That is a really good result you are getting for not too much work!

Thanks too for putting your method down - advice from a man who has done a LOT of varnishing is always very welcome

Thankyou!

Michael

[lynaes]

Michael.
Don't forget my age, I got my first woodden boat 56 years ago.
My experience through the years is that people are sanding far too much, and that they unfortunitly don't have many persons with experience to ask. They fall in love with a well kept boat, and starts very entusiastic by removing all old varnish sometimes with very rough sandingmaschines, gets a poor result and then start varnishining, after 3-4 layer they find it to be OK, and in a few years the boat is almost ruined. When I a few times has sold a woodden boat, it always comes with a manual abanding bandsanders, excentersanders allows what we here call shakinsanders but best a cork with sanding paper, and to avoid loosing colour add a little colour to the varnish.

[PAR]

If interested in long durability and gloss retention, you should try one of the LPU or WR-LPU clear coats now available. Goes on like paint, except it's a UV protected clear. And it's really clear, not amber. It has much more UV protection then traditional varnish or spar urethane, is harder, more solvent resistant and will last a bunch longer.

The stuff I'm using (System Three WR-LPU) will give 3+ years of service (before recoating) in a tropical environment (which is where I'm at) or 5+ years in northern (or southern, depending on which side of the globe you're on) climates. That easily out performs the best stuff of varnish and urethane I've used before. Here in Florida a year was about it for the best of the best, maybe you could stretch it out to 18 months, but at some risk to UV damage.

Now the jury is still out on LPU gloss (and satin too) as a natural wood finish, but it's performance in the painting industry is well documented, so reasonable predictions about it's UV protection can be expected. This of course assumes a stabilized and fully encapsulated piece of wood to start with. I think LPU's are to stiff to tolerate the movement of unencapsulated wood in a marine environment.

[STEPHEN MILLER]

Have applied schooner to one set and goldspar to the other set of handrails on my yacht so will wait to see which one preforms the best so time will tell.
Le Tonkis is available from a boat repair company in Sydney did some research on it but cost from them is high but wasnt as scary as buying in OS and freight was way to prohibitive to do it