if I make a wiping varnish from gloss spar by thinning it with turps will it dry glossy and how long will it take to dry?
the situation is this: I built and am installing a french door unit. the location is one where a certain amount of wind blown dust and bugs are unavoidable. it's not totally out of hand, but I can count on having to do a bit of sanding between coats. fine, so far, for the first 2 coats but when I get to the final coat I'm going to want to minimize the open time and maximize gloss.
It will dry glossy if it is a gloss varnish. It will dry a little faster since the layer is thinner, but don't expect shellac drying times. Sounds like you are planning to apply the varnish after the door is installed. Seems like it would make things difficult for you. Three coats isn't much for wiping varnish and you may want to consider it is a door. Give me full strength varnish any day for fewer coats and a thicker finish.
Hey Bridger, Instead of turps, I like to use naptha for even faster evaporation of the solvent. If you treat it like a hand-rubbed finish wherein it feels "dry" to the touch after rubbing it in, then you shouldn't have any problems with bugs and dust.
So, for the first couple coats in which you can sand between, are you using the varnish with little to some thinning and applying it with a brush? And are only looking to wipe the last coat on to bring up the shine from sanding? If that's the general plan then I think you're on the right track. (Rubbing in all coats would really take a lot of applications to get a decent level of protection.)
I had a Pella door installed just recently. It was a fiberglass door with a walnut grain. Since this door was rather expensive and fiberglass stains a bit different, I had it professionally stained and finished. On the inside of the door, the guy used traditional spar varnish. But on the outside to get a quick dry time and a more durable finish (the door faces due west) he used an acrylic finish. He didn't want to use spar varnish because even it will get chalky in the sun and it will take more work to renew the finish when it comes time.
I'm not sure if comes in a gloss finish or not. He had told me that Pella does not make this finish and it's very hard to come by. After more research, we determined that it was from a different door manufacturer (Thermatru)
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At the time, Marvin Windows and doors carried that line of doors and they have the finish he used. I'm not sure if it comes in a gloss finish or not. I'm also not sure how it will react to the expansion and contraction of a real wood door since fiberglass does not expand and contract.
Since my dooor faces west, I will have to renew the finish with a new coat every year. He told me that he does it for many customers - clean the door, and put on the finish. No sanding involved. Dry time is something like 15 minutes.
Don't know if this will help you but it is an alternative.
If you find out more information, update the group.
well, I have some turps..... naphtha might be worth messing with if it speeds things up enough. I suspect either naptha or turps will flash out in a few minutes in this application, while even the thin layer of varnish will take something like an hour to tack off well. rubbing the surface out dry to the touch sounds like a good approach if it will finish glossy.
rightio. as it sits it has 3 coats of spar gloss brushed on more or less full strength, sanded between coats.
And are only looking to wipe the last coat on to bring up the
I figure I'll sand the last brushed coat to mebbe 400 grit wet with something or other (turps?) and see how good a gloss I can wipe on.
If that's the general plan then I think you're on
could be fine for an indoor furniture type application, though.
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