airbrush

[bob]

hi folks,is it possible to airbrush exterior varnish like sikkens?,i want a better finish than i am getting at pres with a brush,many thanks

[Steve Firth]

In general, yes, but you'd have to get the viscosity right.

If you're trying to achieve a very good finish then (IMO) the best you can get for exterior use is a two-pack yacht varnish and then apply it with a foam brush which leaves no brush marks. This produces an excellent finish and it's the way I varnished boat wood work.

Careful preparation will give a finish that is good for 10-15 years in a salt water environment.

[Justin C]

I can't answer the question Bob, but perhaps you are thinking about this the wrong way. You've obviously seen what good varnishing looks like, so perhaps, instead of trying a whole new method, you could investigate the technique used by those who do a good job and try to improve yours? That must be cheaper than air-brush kit unless you already have it.

Justin.

[Tabby]

airbrushes are pretty cheap fwiw, if you've already got air to drive them.

NT

[Another John]

Don't forget that you can buy proper "Varnish brushes" -- finer, no doubt, than ordinary paint brushes. ('Scuse me if you're already using such a brush.)

Googling varnish brushes, I note that there are various pages on technique, as well, on sites such as those for furniture restorers. HTH, John

[Another John]

Blimey: ain't this Interweb wonderful? Serendipitously, I just saw this link from Stephen Hull in the newsgroup uk.rec.gardening

"Providing information on coach painting - Various painting tips..."

(It's in his sig, nothing to do with gardening!) Looks like a class site -- I've a feeling I looked at it some years ago, out of curiosity rather than direct need.

Again, HTH John

[stephen.hull]

The problem with intending to use an airbrush for varnish is that you may have to thin it in order to force it through the nozzle. There are certain types of varnish that should NOT be thinned and that also includes some in the Sikkens range.

For those who don't already know, Varnish should really be applied with a Namel-Var brush which is a special type of brush designed to use with varnish and woodstains. A Namel-Var brush contains soft pliable bristles perfect for spreading the lighter varnishes across panel work.

There is no pigment in a clear varnish and the viscosity is somewhat thinner than a conventional paint, this is why a special softer brush is required to apply varnish because it is not necessary to push the pigment across a substrate as the varnish consists of mainly a pigmentless oil which being thinner only needs a soft brush to spread the material across a substrate.

You might find some interesting information on my site, particularly this page which goes into more detail.

[stephen.hull]

Hi John, I am a sort-of regular in the UK.DIY group but I don't always have much to contribute and tend to spend much of my time just lurking in the background.

I have recently updated the section about varnish on my site mentioned in my earlier post that may prove interesting.

Cheers,

Stephen.