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View Full Version : Bartley gel varnish, what is it?



Phil Thien
01-06-2014, 10:58 PM
I did some research and found the stuff is now being manufactured by Seagrave coatings:

http://woodworker.com/gel-varnish-mssu-875-212.asp?search=gelvarnish&searchmode=2

I looked at the MSDS and doesn't seem to provide any details of what kind of varnish this is. Is it a poly, a phenolic, something else?

I've found mixed reviews, people seem to love the finish and ease of application but some are complaining about the lack of water resistance (which makes me wonder what it is in the first place).

Todd Burch
01-06-2014, 11:16 PM
I don't know what it is, or was, but Bartley's was WELL known for its resistance to water. The old stuff was touted to hold off water for 48 hours straight.

Todd

Phil Thien
01-07-2014, 10:17 AM
I don't know what it is, or was, but Bartley's was WELL known for its resistance to water. The old stuff was touted to hold off water for 48 hours straight.

Todd

There are a couple threads here at SMC where someone that was a long-time user of the stuff complained that the formulation changed at some point. Hard to know if he just got a bad batch, or what.

I figured if someone knew what type of varnish it was, that would answer the question somewhat.

Mike Shields
03-09-2014, 5:02 PM
There are a couple threads here at SMC where someone that was a long-time user of the stuff complained that the formulation changed at some point. Hard to know if he just got a bad batch, or what.

I figured if someone knew what type of varnish it was, that would answer the question somewhat.

I've been reading about gel varnish, and I found the post (2nd response) regarding the apparent change:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?118567-Anyone-use-Gel-Varnish