David Nebenzahl wrote:
After much arduous searching, I've found it, my Xanadu, my Shangri-la,
the sine qua non of varnish. And all the time it was available right
at my little local Ace Hardware store.

[...]

A little while ago while exploring what has to be the greatest Ace
Hardware store of them all around here (Pagano's in Alameda), I found
a little 1/2 pint can of some varnish under Ace's brand, simply called
"solvent-based varnish". They had nothing larger, so I bought it. Used
it on my latest refinishing project (a 100-year-old wooden view
camera, my Rochester Optical Co. "Universal"). It worked beautifully.
But since I had so little of it, I was guarding it jealously. There
certainly wasn't enough for my 26x64" desktop.

So I took the little can over to my little local Ace, Ellis Ace here
in Oakland, and asked them if they could order me a quart can. Well,
they actually had several of them in stock! (The quart was only $9,
less than half what I paid for that Cabot crap.) So I took one, and
used it yesterday on my desktop. (It's item # 276A111, Ace 16385.)


Better stock up. The Ace website has no knowledge of
* 276A111
* 16385
* ACE 16385
* "Varnish" (other than varnish removers)
* "Solvent-based varnish"

So I called Ace. They couldn't find it on their web site either.

Probably the situation is:
a) Ace can't ship hazardous materials, so they don't list it on their web
site, or
b) It's a discontinued item.