"Bill" wrote
.....Also I appoligize for the lack of political commentary in this
post but......


That's OK you can make it up to the group later.

I am building an outrigger sailing canoe in cedar strip with a
fiberglass epoxy covering and am having issues with varnish
selection. I have used 1 part on other projects in the past but am
interested in teh possibilities of 2 part. It is aparantly harder,
chemically resistant, and lasts much longer.

For a clear coat? Not such a good idea IMHO.

.... The problem is that it
is much more expensive. Is it really worth the cost, and is there
anything i can buy that is not as expensive but basically the same.

Yes, auto body coatings. There are several available 2-part poly
coatings (they get offended if you call it "paint") that are the same
thing chemically as Imron & Awlgrip, at about 2/3 the price. Sherwin-
Williams sells a variant.


Many times buying from a boat supply is more expensive just because
is
says 'for boats' on the label. I would really like to try this to
keep the hull well protected but I don't want to spend $60 per quart.


You're building a boat and you don't like spending money?? Did
somebody lie to you about what this process entails?!?



"Maxprop" wrote:
There are actually three general classifications of varnish, Bill. The
traditional "spar varnish" is known as 'long oil varnish'. In most
formulations it is tough, relatively UV-resistant, and beautiful. The
second class is one-part urethane varnish, which looks a lot like long oil
varnish but is a bit tougher and about as UV-resistant. And the third is
two-part linear polyurethane varnish. Poly varnishes, applied properly, are
beautiful and UV-resistant, but difficult to remove.


Word.
It's a royal PITA to remove, unless of course you just leave it in the
sun for a while. That will remove it, but it will look like hell for
long time before it goes away.



.... One-part urethanes are tougher, but
probably not a lot more UV-resistant than long oil varnishes. And they are
very difficult to strip with chemical strippers or a heat gun. They can be
refreshed, but if you allow them to degrade beyond the point where
refreshing is an option, you must remove them to bare wood, and that can be
a very tough job.

What he said. One-part poly varnish is for furniture that stays inside
and doesn't take a lot of everyday use. It's beautiful but utterly
useless. Also, I have never known anybody who had any luck "touching
it up."

Yet another problem with one-part polyurethane finishes is that they
don't play well with epoxy. Some of them will *never& cure laid over
epoxy, and none of them cure in the normal length of time no matter
the temp & humidity.

Bill are you determined to put varnish on your boat? Why not finish
the outer lamination with some peel ply (which will give a much better
surface than sanding, and solves any blush problem) and then lay on a
last outer coat of epoxy with UV inhibitor? MAS and WEST both make it
and it looks great, it will be tougher than anything else and
compatible with the hull surface and can be touched up readily. It's
true that epoxy is expensive but if you've already bought some to
build the boat with, you should have a couple pints left over
anyway... might as well use that up.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King