Defthane varnish info

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Rick
Posts: 727
Joined: Thu May 27, 2004 9:23 am
Location: Bancroft, Ontario

Defthane varnish info

Post by Rick »

There was some question here earlier on and over at kayakforum.com whether this "3x more durable" polyurethane varnish contained UV protection - it's available at Lee Valley and they say it's UV-resistant but there's no actual info on this on the label.

Just to be sure, I emailed Deft and their chemist indicated that it does have UV absorbers and light stabilizers, but will yellow with time.

The yellowing over time isn't necessarily a bad thing. I used white pine when building my Huron and initially, it was far too bright-toned for my taste. A year later, the Interlux Schooner varnish seems to have darkened and the glaring white of the pine seems more subdued. From what I've been able to gather, most varnishes darken over time, and this, in part gives antique wooden canoes "character" and added value.

:big grin

Both Schooner and Defthane are amber-toned when liquid, so there's also some color change there. Interlux Goldspar is their polyurethane product and is colorless, but more expensive than Defthane. I don't know whether it darkens with time like the more traditional urethane.

Anyway, I'll give Defthane a try on some paddles before using it on a canoe, so far it sounds encouraging.
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