durable top finish

[todd armentrout]

New to the forum here. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. im making something to go in my truck and was wondering if anyone had any advice for an easy on gloss top coat that would withstand some of the temperatures generated. Polly dampens the chatoyance, it seems, and I don't want to do that. I have been looking at Arm R Seal. I have Formby's as a base. So far looks good. Was wondering if I could go with dewaxed shellac over the Formby's wiping varnish and under the Arm R but was hesitant because of shellac's inability to hold up to those types of climate changes. What ever I use will be wiped or brushed.

[John TenEyck]

No shellac; it will offer no benefit over a wiping varnish. I'd stick with the wiping varnish. Easy to apply and very durable. I like Arm-R-Seal, but if the Formby's looks good to you I would not change horses now.

John

[todd armentrout]

will the Formby's hold up to the climate changes? it's definitely easy enough to get to a good gloss by rubbing and polishing. Just thought about the Arm R to provide some climate change protection. It can get pretty hot in there in the summer and under zero in the winter.

[John TenEyck]

Both products are oil based varnish. I think they will have about the same durability. The best product for high/low temp extremes and sunlight exposure would probably be a spar varnish if we are talking about wiping varnishes. Something like Epifanes Marine varnish. But you need to apply that over bare wood which is why I didn't recommend it in the first place. Unless you are willing to chemically strip off what you have already done, I'd stick with the Formby's product.

John

[Steve Schoene]

I don't think Epifanes needs to go over bare wood. The Formby's should be scuff sanded with about 320 grit, but I can't think of any reason for it not to go over the Formby's. The maker of Epifanes doesn't specify that, it for example, calls for top coating another of its clear finishes with Epifanes due to it providing greater UV resistance.

Arm-R-Seal would in fact be less durable in sunlight than the Formby's since the Arm-R-Seal is formulated with polyurethane, which, in general when used in single part varnishes, is less UV resistant that just Alkyd resin. Neither does it add the major UV protectant additives used in Epifanes and other marine spar varnishes. Phenolic resin as in Epifanes would be more UV resistant and has the advantage of the UV additives.