Mike Hartigan wrote:

When you say "if you like varnish", do
you mean as opposed to a poly? My limited lifetime experience has
led me to think of the word 'varnish' as a generic term to refer to
any protective coating on wood.

Varnish consists of a resin, oil and a vehicle.

There are many different resins, some dating from antiquity...damar,
alkyd, urethane et al. Oil is usually linseed. Vehicle is normally
paint thinner or mineral spirits nowadays.

Lacquer is also a clear, protective coating but contains no oil and
the vehicle is lacquer thinner into which is dissolved nitrocelluose.
Could be other plastics. The big advantage is rapid drying.

A third is shellac which is a secretion from an insect dissolved in
alcohol after it has been refined. It too dries rapidly.
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Satin finish instead of gloss. Rub out with 0000 steel wool and
wax after full
cure.

Would that have given me the gaudy gloss that I wanted?

No. You *could* achieve a high gloss by rubbing out with still finer
materials such as rottenstone after fine pumice but the resultant
finish is like a piano rather than the gaudy gloss with which you are
enamoured
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Would the spar benefit from the steel wool/wax step - after the
requisite cure time?

Only if you want a finish that has more of a soft glow instead of a
brilliant shine.


--

dadiOH
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