Spraying varnish??

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Glenn
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:16 pm

Spraying varnish??

Post by Glenn »

I was considering building a strip canoe. I would like to know if anyone has sprayed their varnish on their canoe or heard of anyone who has. Also, how were the results? Thanks for any input. Glenn
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

Hi Glenn, welcome aboard. I have never sprayed varnish, I use a foam brush so I can't really help you there. Some of our members have sprayed varnish so maybe they will be able to comment on this matter.

I have a question for you. Did you join this forum as two different people? On the same day we got a "Glenn" and a "Glenn, Guelph" which would be quite an extraordinary coincidence. Could you clear up this situation please?
patrick
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2004 1:25 pm
Location: Arizona

Post by patrick »

we did not spray varinish on our canoe, but we had a guy from a local autobody shop spray a earcoat finish on it. It ended up being much smoother that it would if we had brushed it, and the clearcoat seems to be very durable and clear.
Glenn
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:16 pm

RE: double name

Post by Glenn »

Hello Glen. Yes, Glenn and Glenn, Guelph....we are 1 and the same. For some unknown reason I can't log on under Glenn, Guelph which was the name I used for the account activation, but I can under the name Glenn. It's a mystery to me and I will just log in under Glenn from now on.
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

I know why you can't log in under Glenn, Guelph but if you have both identities, I will delete that one. I just want you to know that Glenn, Guelph will dissappear from the memberlist. Are you affilliated in any way with "Outdoor Canada Adventure"?
Glenn
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:16 pm

RE: Membership removal

Post by Glenn »

Yes Glen, please go ahead and delete Glenn, Guelph from your list. I will just continue to log on under Glenn. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. you asked if I was affiliated with "Outdoor Canada Adventure". No I am not although my brother owns Outdoor Adventure Canada. I don't know if this is what you were thinking of or not. Thanks for the replys on the spraying varnish question. I would still like to hear of any other input anyone else has.
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Glen Smith
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Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

Alright, Glenn, Guelph has been deleted.

Sorry about that, I meant Outdoor Adventure Canada. If you work for that outfit, you should indicate it in in your signature. If not, I'm sorry to be bothering you for nothing with this.

As for the varnish spraying, as I said, some of our members have done it but it could take a few days or even longer before you get a response from them.
Glenn
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:16 pm

Post by Glenn »

Hey Glen, Not a bother at all. I do not work for Outdoor Adventure Canada, my brother owns it and I am not affiliated at all with it.
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

Glenn, I owe a thousand pardons to you, your brother and the Outdoor Adventure Canada outfit for my earlier questionning. I obviously jumped before looking! Anybody who joins this forum (and many others) on behalf of a company that is involved in products or services of similar nature as what is offered by our host (Bear Mountain Boat Shop) should include their affilliation in their identification (signature). I now know that this is not your case. I have looked at the website: http://www.outdooradventurecanada.com/index.html and I have added it to "My Favourites".
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Patricks Dad
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Location: Warrenville, Illinois

Post by Patricks Dad »

I believe mtpocket sprayed varnish on his Redbird. If he's not off scuba diving or hiking somewhere, I'm sure he'll provide his input soon. From what I've seen he did an outstanding job with his spray gun.
Randy Pfeifer
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Scot T
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:45 pm
Location: Victoria, B.C., Canada

Spraying Varnish??

Post by Scot T »

Hello Glenn,

I am a newcomer to boat building but have spent much time in other aspects of woodworking so I hope you don't mind if I add a couple thoughts from my experience.

I have not spray varnished a boat but as a builder classical guitars I have sprayed a good number of musical instruments in the past. It certainly gives a beautiful smooth finish if done well and a perfect mess if not. For musical instruments spraying makes for a very thin (which is good for sound production), albeit fragile finish. I'm not sure if that is what one would want on a boat where there is more likelyhood of scratches than on a musical instrument. Others would know better than me.

I found ventilation a big problem and as a result a fairly large part of my smallish shop had to be cordoned off and reserved solely for spraying. If you were to have enough space to have a properly ventilated spray booth/area (as the autobody shop, from Patricks post, most likely has) then it would certainly seem to be an excellent option.

I also found that some varnishes do not spray well and needed a careful thinning to be useable. Not really a problem but still a consideration, I think.

I quit spraying a few years ago and went back to brush and/or french polish on my instruments. Being a bit (my wife would say "A lot") of a traditionalist, I think a hand done finish looks much nicer, less like a factory job and brings out the character of the wood better. To me there is something special in the physical contact of hand to brush (or french polish rubber) to wood that is missing with the spray gun...
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