On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:37:54 -0400, MikeG
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:40:20 GMT, Andrew
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

7. I'm considering adding some maple trim to the boat (dash, gunwales,
misc.) I'm using maple because I get very nice stuff for free. How can I
finish the wood so that it resists water and sun?

Find the stain you wish to use, mix with and color enough clear
urethane to cover the piece being finished and either spray or brush
the mixture onto the maple. Let dry and do it again to get the depth
of stain and finish you want to achieve.

I can't take credit for this - it came from watching a fellow try to
figure out how to stain some maple he was using on a 47' Post
restoration. That's what he came up with and I was sceptical about
the process, but when it was done, the finish was amazing.

That method is called toning though it is usually done with one or two
color coats sandwiched between the clear coats.

Where were you when we were trying to figure this all out? :)

Actually, I spent a Saturday morning helping him try this and that and
what he finally came up with was this blending technique which worked
great - amazing finish.

I never knew it actually had a name. Thanks for the info.

One should keep in mind that, while there are reasons to stain wood, it
is not a required step in applying a finish. Staining is purely a
cosmetic thing and neither adds nor detracts from a finishes ability to
protect the wood.

In this case, it was to balance off some darker mahogany in the main
salon of the boat. It really came out nice considering - the trim
lightened up the interior a lot.

The varnish, whether poly or not, poly is, by current definition, a
varnish, should be a spar or marine varnish.

Spar varnish is a long oil varnish. The ratio of oil to resin is higher
making it more flexible and better able to accommodate the more extreme
moment of wood exposed an outdoor environment. Spar varnish also
contains UV inhibitors where other varnishes don't.

Notes.

The cured resins in a poly tend to form a more brittle surface film and
I'd be inclined to use a non poly varnish.

No finish stands up too UV exposure forever. The UV inhibitors in a spar
varnish will, depending on exposure, fail in time and the finish will
have too be redone.

There were interior woods, so UV wasn't that much of a problem.

However, thanks for the info - always want to learn something new
everyday.

Like your web site by the way - you do some nice work.

All the best,

Tom
--------------

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