Rich Engelhardt
07-13-2007, 8:53 AM
Hello,
Everyone has their favorite something.
For me, my favorite finish is spar varnish. I have an almost endless supply of McClosky Boat Coat - ~ 25 gallons. I picked it up years ago when it was discontinued for some ridiculous price of like $2.00 a gallon if I took the whole pile of it.
I've always been drawn to the rich Carmel color traditional spar varnish has. I know this might be heresy to those the like the clear color/let all the wood show fans - but it's my preference.
Some of the other traits I like about a traditional spar:
- It's typically a high build. This allows it to be drawn out with thinner to a considerable degree. I can draw it out to almost 5 to 1 for a sealer/washcoat. This works particularly well on end grain &/or for sealing the backs of things. I've also used it to backprime drywall to act as a pseudo vapor barrier. Note - a decent latex paint will do as well and cheaper,,,but like I said - I have an endless supply of spar.
- Virtually unlimited shelf life. Unlike most other premixed or non-catalyzed products, tradition spar in unopened containers has no expiration. Even once opened, if resealed properly, it can retain the unlimited shelf life.
- Slow dry. Very slow dry. Extremely slow dry. Did I mention slow dry? :D
Slow dry = excellent leveling properties and the ability to go back into a "wet edge". That reduces brush/tool marks to a considerable degree.
The focus these days seems to center on "fast dry" or "quick dry". Way back when - slow dry was the desired quality for fine finishes. I guess I'm just old fashioned in that respect.
- High luster/deep luster. Shellac and lacquer can both deliver a high "gloss" to be sure. Neither can deliver that deep rich "get lost in the the depth" look of spar though. If you've ever gazed into the finish on an old wood boat you know what I mean here.
- Versatile. It takes some doing, but a good tradtional spar can be used on a lot of surfaces that most people would shy away from using it on.
While I'd never recommend it, it can be used on furniture if you do it the right way. The only two real surfaces I'd avoid would be interior floors and seats. Floors because it won't hold up and seats because of,,well,, a lot of unpleasnt memories of sitting in (read that sticking to) church pews when I was a kid. ;). Our church custodian/organist had a love of spar varnish also. As far as he was concerned there wan't anything else.
Spar, in the right mix, will take wax like nothing I've ever used - outside of shellac.
- Pigments. Spar can be heavily pigmeted and still retain a "good" appearance. I often mix some color in it to even out and smooth the differences between different woods and the different ways they accpet stains/dyes.
To be sure, nothing is perfect for everyone. Spar takes a lot of effort to work with, and it does have it's limitations. It's not an "easy" finish to work with and get good results with, like shellac is. It's slow dry can pick up dust. It's deep luster can also magnify imperfections to the enth degree.
Still, I prefer the look and feel of it over anything else.
How about others?
What's your favorite(s)?
Everyone has their favorite something.
For me, my favorite finish is spar varnish. I have an almost endless supply of McClosky Boat Coat - ~ 25 gallons. I picked it up years ago when it was discontinued for some ridiculous price of like $2.00 a gallon if I took the whole pile of it.
I've always been drawn to the rich Carmel color traditional spar varnish has. I know this might be heresy to those the like the clear color/let all the wood show fans - but it's my preference.
Some of the other traits I like about a traditional spar:
- It's typically a high build. This allows it to be drawn out with thinner to a considerable degree. I can draw it out to almost 5 to 1 for a sealer/washcoat. This works particularly well on end grain &/or for sealing the backs of things. I've also used it to backprime drywall to act as a pseudo vapor barrier. Note - a decent latex paint will do as well and cheaper,,,but like I said - I have an endless supply of spar.
- Virtually unlimited shelf life. Unlike most other premixed or non-catalyzed products, tradition spar in unopened containers has no expiration. Even once opened, if resealed properly, it can retain the unlimited shelf life.
- Slow dry. Very slow dry. Extremely slow dry. Did I mention slow dry? :D
Slow dry = excellent leveling properties and the ability to go back into a "wet edge". That reduces brush/tool marks to a considerable degree.
The focus these days seems to center on "fast dry" or "quick dry". Way back when - slow dry was the desired quality for fine finishes. I guess I'm just old fashioned in that respect.
- High luster/deep luster. Shellac and lacquer can both deliver a high "gloss" to be sure. Neither can deliver that deep rich "get lost in the the depth" look of spar though. If you've ever gazed into the finish on an old wood boat you know what I mean here.
- Versatile. It takes some doing, but a good tradtional spar can be used on a lot of surfaces that most people would shy away from using it on.
While I'd never recommend it, it can be used on furniture if you do it the right way. The only two real surfaces I'd avoid would be interior floors and seats. Floors because it won't hold up and seats because of,,well,, a lot of unpleasnt memories of sitting in (read that sticking to) church pews when I was a kid. ;). Our church custodian/organist had a love of spar varnish also. As far as he was concerned there wan't anything else.
Spar, in the right mix, will take wax like nothing I've ever used - outside of shellac.
- Pigments. Spar can be heavily pigmeted and still retain a "good" appearance. I often mix some color in it to even out and smooth the differences between different woods and the different ways they accpet stains/dyes.
To be sure, nothing is perfect for everyone. Spar takes a lot of effort to work with, and it does have it's limitations. It's not an "easy" finish to work with and get good results with, like shellac is. It's slow dry can pick up dust. It's deep luster can also magnify imperfections to the enth degree.
Still, I prefer the look and feel of it over anything else.
How about others?
What's your favorite(s)?