the question:

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.

s says...

the question:

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.

In article ,
s wrote:

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?

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.)
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
____

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
Corporate States of America and to the
Republicans for which it stands, one nation,
under debt, easily divisible, with liberty
and justice for oil."
- Wiley Miller, Non Sequitur, 1/24/05

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) http://www.thermatru.com/support/finishing.shtml. 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.


wrote in message
...
the question:

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.

Fly-by-Night CC wrote:


In article ,
s wrote:

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?

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.

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.



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?

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
shine from sanding?

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
the right track. (Rubbing in all coats would really take a lot of
applications to get a decent level of protection.)



could be fine for an indoor furniture type application, though.