Varnish recoat question

firstbase · Mar 10, 2018

Need to get a couple of varnish coats on rails and various other pieces. When adding coats is it necessary to take off stanchions and hardware and varnish under or is working around them an accepted practice for recoat? Or is it just a matter of dedication to the quality of recoating?

ghost · Mar 10, 2018

Varnish works by encapsulating. Every little break is where it will first start to pull up and where the rash will spread from. If you can get under, it will last longer. Otherwise, plan to scrape and recoat those areas at the first sign of problems.

For my own, I tape and get as close as I can, but that’s because my rails have blind nuts that are 35 years old and prone to spinning out.

Larry M · Mar 10, 2018

We tape around our stanchions. Be careful though when you pull the tape when your done. I have more than once ripped/pulled the new varnish back.

firstbase · Mar 10, 2018

Thanks guys. I know that taking everything up is the better way but such a task. New to me boat and not sure how they are fastened. I assume to an embedded bolt but not sure.

firstbase · Mar 10, 2018

Larry M said:
We tape around our stanchions. Be careful though when you pull the tape when your done. I have more than once ripped/pulled the new varnish back.

When during the drying process should the tape be pulled? Seems like it would be better to take it up immediately so the varnish may have a chance to level out or against the hardware maybe?

Benthic2 · Mar 10, 2018

as soon as the chance of dripping is past but before hardening is when to pull tape

Doug · Mar 10, 2018

If applying multiple coats of varnish. I don’t pull the tape until after the last coat. Sometimes tape can be a little difficult to remove but usually it’s not a problem. I suppose one could retape for each coat but that’s a lot of work.

firstbase · Mar 10, 2018

Will have to trial and error it. Seems like it might depend somewhat on the type/brand of varnish, exposure, etc. Image that. Trial and error. On a boat. Who knew?

Varnish recoat question

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Doug

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