What do you guys use to very shiny clear coat (foam brush or spray?) the wood top bows and tack strips? Minwax Urethane or Polyurethane, or what? Thanks
I like Minwax Spar Urethane which is made for exterior use. But, to get a really slick finish its best to use a lacquer based sanding sealer before the urethane. You can use multiple coats of urethane and sand between coats, but the urethane takes much longer to dry and is difficult to sand. The sanding sealer is made to be sanded and does so easily. What you're doing is filling the grain of the wood and sealing the surface so that your urethane is just a topcoat finish that isn't absorbing into the grain of the wood. If I'm working with large areas like a piece of furniture then I'd spray both the sealer and the urethane, but with small parts like top bows it would be better to brush the products on.
Use the Spar Urethane, the polyurethane is not designed to be used outdoors, a pure bristle brush does a better job. HRP
Thanks! Now, which Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane do I purchase? There is oil based, water based, and a couple more I see during a GOOGLE search? Part number will really help, please? Lowe's is only a couple miles from me. I am not familiar with coating wood products. Other than "Barn-Fence" Paint, or the soaking of posts and poles in a 55 gal barrel of used motor oil, or the laborious task of cutting, splitting wood for winter heat. I am after a super gloss clear look on the Oak bows and tack strip. All the fasteners, (screws, nuts and bolts) are polished stainless. Thanks.
When using Urethane products do not shake the can before using. That puts air bubbles in it just open and apply.
Thanks for the suggestions. However, the question still lingers, which kind of those Spar Urethanes do I use, since there are several to choose from?
Look up West Systems, they make lots of coatings for wood boats that are more UV friendly & last longer.........................................
Hello, We have used this product or variations of it over the years we have worked with wood. When my wife and I had an old folding oak high chair we purchased at an antique dealer. We had to strip it, then coat it with polyurethane for a strong finish. The three coats had fine sanding between each coat and it looked like natural wood, but we knew it was well protected. When our son was eating “his foods” in his hands or tray surface, the sealer was almost non-destructible. When we gave him a baby fork and spoon for his bowl items, he could scoop them up and if one fell on the surface, it just stayed there until the fork came banging down. We both, initially thought of holes in the surface and were amazed. When we looked at the surface, not one scratch or mark where the baby fork hit repeatedly. Durable is shown in the coats I had put on to the surface. When the high chair was in the low position, he could not tip it over and most of the time, he liked being close to us as we worked in the kitchen and he was right there doing his toddler thing… in a well protected high/low chair. Jnaki So, what did we do after he was finished with his “eating style” in his chair? Well he was cleaned, first and now I took the high/low chair outside and hosed it off. The splatter of foods came off instantly and not one scratch or mark was anywhere to be seen. The sun dried off the items and yes, even the small metal wheels were coated with the hard liquid coating to make it one fast spray to clean off every particle that got into the stray spots. YRMV Note: Since those early days, we have used the same polyurethane in upgraded variations. The wood surfaces on our long line of sailboats wooden rails, doors, and hatchboards were well preserved. They lasted a long time in the harsh salt air/water splashes, constant moist air attacks daily and nightly, plus our constant bumping left no marks on the surfaces. It was one tough surface protection. No need to mess with any other oils or finishes. The polyurethane is the one always on display at hardwoods stores. The Varathane brand is probably the most reliable and strongest product. Minwax is also very good. For boating surfaces, those are good coverage products, but not as strong as the Varathane products. I still have one can each. Oil based is stronger than water based.
I have tried varnishes, poly stains, and polyurethanes on automotive wood. oil based spar varnish by far out lasts them all. the polyurethanes are clearer and look glossier
Water based is easier to work with, stinks less, and potentially dries faster. It does not look as deep or “pop” wood grain as well as oil based… Best way to describe it is that is looks more like it is sitting “on top” of the wood grain. It is generally “clearer” than oil based. Oil based can be more durable, is often more amber hued, and generally projects the “chatoyance” of natural wood grain better than water based. It sort of “sits in” the wood grain if that makes sense. It is a little more difficult to work with (solvent vs water cleanup). Certain oil based products can be harder to find in places where the government thinks they know better. They both can be good products depending on which particular line you choose.
The Spar in urethane denotes it is a exterior finish designed especially for a marine environment to protect the wood from ultraviolet rays, it is a flexible base material that is available in a oil base or a water based applications. The Spar urethanes are flexible and will expand & contract with the weather conditions. I sold minwax products for more than that 50 years and personally I prefer the oil based Urethanes, the waterbased products were developed for people that were concerned about being environmental friendly products, either one will do a excellent job on the wood in a truck bed. Make sure the wood is dry,preferably moisture reading is around 6 to 8 percent. BTW, Minwax Helmsman is a great product but there are others out there,just read the labels. HRP
Marine varnish. UV resistant hard finish. Always leave a spot that's not visible for the wood to breath, otherwise any moisture gets trapped in under the surface.
Even a lot of the "marine spar" varnishes don't hold up well in weather if left out in the weather. On the other hand the same varnish that has to be sanded down and redone every other year on the hand rails on my sailboat has held up great on the tiller handle ever since I first put it on 21 years ago because the tiller handle is kept inside the cabin of the boat except when the boat is actually on the water. That is the Minwax spar varnish.
Well thats a hard question. sort of like "what wheels should I put on my car?" This advice comes from many years of amateur woodworking. Any of the poly urethanes today are way more durable than any traditional finishes (shellac, varnish, tung oil etc) that we had years ago. To spray them might be hard if you don't have much experiences spraying them because the water borne and the oil based spray differently. the pros of the water based is that they dry fast and you can get away with working in a dirty shop. Bad news is that they raise the grain so you will be sanding lightly between coats. They are pretty darn durable but nor as durable as oil based. The pros of oil based is that it is a harder finish, wont raise grain nearly as bad (just a little), can be harder to spray, take a long time to dry/cure/harden so you need to be pretty dust free. I hope this helps
I’m agreeing with Mr48chev. I have found Minwax Spar to be easily to work with and a long standing product.
I really don't think your wood pieces warrant more than what people have previously suggested but thought I would throw this product into the mix. The yachting crowd claims Epifanes from Holland to be at the top of the list for marine spar varnish, but the stuff is crazy$$$. Now, I don't run in those circles but when we remodeled our house I splurged on a knotty alder front entry door and I didn't want to take a chance on big box store brand poly coatings, seems a lot of people had horror stories when using them. I've never held a spray gun in my life and I absolutely hate brush marks so pulled the plug and had it professionally sprayed, I was very pleased with the outcome.
I used a Varathane outdoor product for my bed floor last year and I'm very happy with the way it laid down and looks. The truck hasn't sat outside since it has been finished, so I can't tell you how it holds up yet. I've used Minwax and similar products in the past and haven't been happy with their longevity.
If drying time is a problem and you prefer to use a oil based urethane you can sparingly use a product called Japan dryer, it will accelerate drying time immensely, again it has some highly flammable ingredients. HRP
Hello, We have been sailing since 1960 for me and 1970's for my wife. But, together, we both sailed a 14 foot dinghy for three weeks to re-learn all of the tricks to make a sailboat fun and exciting. As we got our own line of sailboats, maintenance on our sailboat(s) was to be done in the afternoons when we were usually finished sailing. So, the products were all lined up at the marine supply store. We started out with Epihanes and it coated several Hatchboard Covers nicely and left a nice finish on the surface. But, in order to get into the boat the following week for sailing, we had to move the Hatchcovers out of the way. We did it as usual, each board (3) were taken out and gently placed in a towel bag to keep from getting scratched. It seemed like a lot of work, but the less maintenance required for repairs or replacements, the more time there is to go sailing. So, over time, even with care we took to move the Hatchcovers, the Epiphanes did not hold up to the minute bumps and errant scratches from something. It was a product that did have good reviews and several folks down the dock had previously used the Epiphanes, so we gave them the left over can. It was too touchy to use and afterwards, again, it was very touchy, while the surface dried to a nice shine. Jnaki The two products mentioned in my above story were the best we used for marine protection from 24 hour salt spray, night time salt air/fog rolling in and constant hot sun beating down on any wood surface on our sailboats. After one boat used with Epiphanes, that was it. It does not matter about spray versus paint brush. The liquid solution spreads out evenly if laid down on a flat surface. If it is still in a vertical position, light coats will adhere and not run. For the other 4 sailboats of all sizes over the years, we used the polyurethane and and urethane products. The polyurethane was about the longest lasting coating without scratches. The urethane seemed to be the best satin finish to blend in with the rest of the sailboat. Not a high gloss, but a mellow coating surface. YRMV
WOW! GREAT looking suggestions! THANK YOU for ALL your ideas! After talking with petitpaint.com it was suggested that I use the Old Salem Clear Sealer, and multiple coats of the Flagship High Build Varnish on the Oak top bows and tack strip for the high gloss finish I am after. Thanks again!
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