Experience with Autobody Clearcoat

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Patricks Dad
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Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:11 pm
Location: Warrenville, Illinois

Experience with Autobody Clearcoat

Post by Patricks Dad »

Hopefully we will be ready for varnish in about a month. I've read a couple instances where people have had their canoes' clearcoated at a local body shop. We were thinking that with the investment of time we have put into our canoe so far, a really nice finish would be appropriate. A really nice finish is unlikley to come from a brush - in my hands.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who followed the Clearcoat path with their canoe and how it worked out (cost?, quality? repairability?), etc. I've heard that repairing clearcoat is difficult.

Are there different types/formulas for Clearcoat?

This is another example of our search for ways for technology to compensate for a lack of skill....

Thanks in advance.
Randy Pfeifer
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The Gutt Clan
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Location: Rochester, NY

Post by The Gutt Clan »

Most varnishes can be thinned before applying. A thinned varnish will dry quicker, use less varnish and go on smoother. However, you need to add more coats because each coat is thinner than a brushed on coat. You can also use a rag to wipe on a thinned varnish rather than brushing. If you looked around the varnishes in your local DIY yuo would see 'normal' varnishes and 'wipe-on' varnishes. The only difference is that one has more thinner added.

If after all that you still are not happy with how the finish looks, you can always 'rub-out' or polish a finish after it is on. The process is to get some fine rubbing compounds and to polish the finish.

Seeing as how any boat in use will probably pick up it's share of scratches in use, I would think that the first step of trying a thinned varnish to eliminate drips and to speed up the process may be all you need. Please note that I have not tried this with marine varnishes or over epoxy; however, it should still work. Has anyone else around here tried thinning their varnish and wiping it on rather than brushing?

-andrew
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Doug
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Location: London, Ontario, Canada

Post by Doug »

Patricks Dad,
you stated: "a really nice finish would be appropriate. A really nice finish is unlikley to come from a brush - in my hands"

This may be of interest to you;
http://www.greenval.com/FAQvarnishing.html


All the best,
Doug


.
"Some people hear the song in the quiet mist of a cold morning..... But for other people the song is loudest in the evening when they are sitting in front of a tent, basking in the camp fire's warmth. This is when I hear it loudest ...." BM
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Glen Smith
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Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

No personal experience with clearcoat but I did find this info: http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Build ... ead/109943
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hoz
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Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2004 11:57 pm
Location: Indiana

French polish

Post by hoz »

I have applied varnish with a rag to my canoe, a table and chair set, and even solid wood doors . It's called "French polishing". It is very easy to apply several good coats that have a super satin finish. I have not been able to get a high gloss with the rag method.

I didn't thin the varnish either, just ragged it on full strength. BTW use good rags. Cotton sheets or T shirt material is best. Once you make and have a good rubbing rag use it throughout the process. I keep mine tightly wrapped in plastic while waiting for the previous coat to dry. Usually it holds.

Here is an online essay on the technique. The guy is finishing musical instruments and he used shellac but the stroke is the same. For a canoe and using varnish you omit the oil step and just rub the varnish on.

http://tinyurl.com/26fbs

BTW, I know it is easy to get carried away with these things. But just for me, taking a canoe to have it clearcoated is a waste of money. It depends on whether you are going to paddle it or just hang it on the wall. At least with my spar varnish I can redo or touch it up as I go. With clearcoat you ain't so lucky.
someday I'll fly, someday I'll soar
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Juneaudave
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Post by Juneaudave »

I just put another coat of varnish on the Yellow Bob's I built last year...it had gotten some scratches and wear...and I had only put 4 thin coats on when I built it as I was in a hurry to get it out. It really refreshed the finish and it is nice to be able to touchup without a lot of anxiety...My vote goes for spar!!...Juneaudave
garypete
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Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2005 7:32 am
Location: Rice Lake, WI

Let's give it a try

Post by garypete »

I'm willing to try a urethane auto clearcoat if it has equal or superior UV protection for the underlying epoxy as does spar varnish. The price for top-quality urethane auto clearcoat is roughly the same as good spar varnish ($30-$40/ qt.), but only two sprayed coats are needed for the same mil thickness as four coats of spar varnish.

If sprayed with a good HVLP gun, there should be very little waste with two-part urethane clearcoat. The tech specs for a suitable two-part clearcoat (PPG's DCU2021 Concept 2021 Urethane Clear) indicates that a sprayed quart would do three 1-mil coats on a 16' canoe.

It's pretty easy to set up one bay of a garage as a downdraft spray booth with hanging bedsheets, an open garage window high on the wall for air intake, and a couple 20" window fans blowing out the bottom of a partially open 9' garage door. We've had excellent results with such a system and an HVLP spray system with 5 hp compressor.

I'm waiting for UV-resistance specs from PPG technical reps. If the product looks feasible, I'll give it a try and post results later on this site.

Gary
When people figure out what's really important in Life, there's gonna be a big shortage of canoes.
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