"dadiOH" wrote in :

It seems to me that the manufacturers themselves are at least
partially responsible ofr the "voodoo art" concept. Take spar varnish
for one example...thanks mostly to the manufacturers, the average Joe
thinks spar varnish is a superior, harder varnish. Not true. Heck, I
don't even know if what is labled as such IS spar varnish. I do know
that it isn't easy to find a plain old alkyd one.

I'll agree with you on that specific one. Mass-market
manufacturers putting random crap in the big-box stores
and calling it "spar varnish" does no-one any good. Use
a real spar varnish, like Petit or Epifanes and you
quickly see the difference.

BTW, for those not familiar with it, spar varnish is _not_
harder than other varnish, it's softer. That's because
it's intended to go on spars, and not crack when the spar
flexes with the wind.

John