Sikkens Auto Clear Instead of Varnish
Sikkens Auto Clear Instead of Varnish
I stumbled upon a pro woodstrip Kayak builders website the other day and noted that he uses Sikkens Auto Clear instead of varnish. Sounds practical, does anyone else have experience with using this or simmilar products?
I think the reason most of us don't use it, is cost and availability to the home user. My understanding is that it is costly to buy the product, it is costly to hire someone else to apply it, and it is difficult to apply for an amateur without all the right equipment.
A search her for the term "sikkens" turns up a few results.
Hopefully some here can shed more light.
A search her for the term "sikkens" turns up a few results.
Hopefully some here can shed more light.
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Patricks Dad
- Posts: 1476
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:11 pm
- Location: Warrenville, Illinois
I've heard of mixed results with autobody clear coat. I've not heard of any specific results with Sikkens however. I heard of one person who had his canoe coated by an autobody guy. It looked great (as you might expect) but he experienced peeling problems after use. The first canoe I built, I took to the local body shop and had them spray it with clearcoat with excellent results. The finish is fantastic. The canoe has been stored indoors and babied so I can't assert that the finish is as good or better than a varnish finish. One concern with autobody clearcoat finish is the cost and difficulty of refinishing after it's been scratched from use.
The 2nd canoe I build, I applied several coats of Epiphanes varnish with excellent results as well (at lower cost).
The 2nd canoe I build, I applied several coats of Epiphanes varnish with excellent results as well (at lower cost).
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Juneaudave
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 12:42 pm
- Location: Juneau, Alaska
- Contact:
I've been messing around some with Dupont Chromaclear on a cedar strip camper/canoe hauler. You can see the results so far at my google site SlumberMAX Camper. There is a section on clear coat that I'm still working on as the build is still a work in progress.
Couple thoughts...
Unless your set up for spraying and have some experience..this is not for the faint of heart. It has been (and continues to be) a real learning experiece...but I'm happy I'm going this route for this application. I did get some small runs and orange peal that I need to deal with.
I don't think the cost is all that much more than good spar...if your set up to do it.
For a canoe or a kayak...I would have concerns about repair. Varnish is awful easy to fix when you get those nasty scratches and such (and my canoe bets plenty)...I'm not so sure about the durability of clear. I guess time will tell.
Hope that helps...Juneaudave
Couple thoughts...
Unless your set up for spraying and have some experience..this is not for the faint of heart. It has been (and continues to be) a real learning experiece...but I'm happy I'm going this route for this application. I did get some small runs and orange peal that I need to deal with.
I don't think the cost is all that much more than good spar...if your set up to do it.
For a canoe or a kayak...I would have concerns about repair. Varnish is awful easy to fix when you get those nasty scratches and such (and my canoe bets plenty)...I'm not so sure about the durability of clear. I guess time will tell.
Hope that helps...Juneaudave
I have both varnished and clear coated. I like the clear coat much better. Although it is more expensive to buy ( about 4 to 5 times as much) I think that it is fairly easy to apply if you have a quality sprayer. Varnishing takes days to apply, with sanding between coats. I can spray a canoe, inside and out,(3 to 4 coats) in 4 to 5 hrs. It will not pick-up dust after about 45 min. and is dry in about 24 hrs. Final cure is about 5 to 7 days. The plus is DUST AND BUG CONTROL for less that a day. You do need a good respirator, some temp. control, and ventilation. But, no more that varnish. I did get trained by a retired auto body man on proper technique.
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Patricks Dad
- Posts: 1476
- Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:11 pm
- Location: Warrenville, Illinois
Oh, this is great. Can you tell us some more about how your canoe finishes have held up with use. Sure, any finish will scratch but have your finishes been long-lasting otherwise (e.g., any peeling?). Do you put any additives in your clearcoat to make it more flexible (to avoid cracking when the hull is flexed)? What grit do you sand the epoxy down to before applying the clearcoat? I was drawn by the ability to "get the job done" quickly with clearcoat so I understand what you're saying there (that was frankly the primary motivation on my first canoe - I just wanted it in the water.. now!).
thanks
thanks
Ok, this could take a while. The first one I clear coated was with a new Dupont product. ( I am at work and don't know the exact product, I'll get it this weekend) It was two years ago, The canoe has been used a few times -- has got scratched up some-- into the epoxy in some places -- and has not chipped,peeled, or cracked at all. I plan on re-spraying these areas next time I am spraying. This canoe was sprayed by the retired pro. I talked about. The epoxy was sanded to 120 grit.
Since that time, I have talked to a world renowned local builder and this is what he suggests. Sand to 320 grit--clear coat needs less tooth--
spray 3 to 4 coats. let it cure for 10 days,( It will be dry is less than a day) then sand with 1500 grit sand paper to remove any runs, and "orange peel". He then does a polishing compound and a wax step followed by buffing. I use a 3 step polish routine(3M brand--I will post the names this weekend) and wax and buff. I have sprayed myself the inside of a kayak, and 10 paddles. The finishes come out like glass and seem to hold up quite well. It also hides any places that you sand into the cloth. They are very hard to find. To explain the 10 day cure time. If you spray a paddle and wait a day or 2 the clear coat will feel totally dry. But if you lean it against a wall for a day, there will be a small dent where there was pressure from the wall.
I do not put any additives, It is a 2 part system. It seams to be quite flexable on the paddle shafts. The most appealing part for me is the dust control. I am not the tidiest person, so it is very difficult for me to keep my shop clean and the bugs out.
Since that time, I have talked to a world renowned local builder and this is what he suggests. Sand to 320 grit--clear coat needs less tooth--
spray 3 to 4 coats. let it cure for 10 days,( It will be dry is less than a day) then sand with 1500 grit sand paper to remove any runs, and "orange peel". He then does a polishing compound and a wax step followed by buffing. I use a 3 step polish routine(3M brand--I will post the names this weekend) and wax and buff. I have sprayed myself the inside of a kayak, and 10 paddles. The finishes come out like glass and seem to hold up quite well. It also hides any places that you sand into the cloth. They are very hard to find. To explain the 10 day cure time. If you spray a paddle and wait a day or 2 the clear coat will feel totally dry. But if you lean it against a wall for a day, there will be a small dent where there was pressure from the wall.
I do not put any additives, It is a 2 part system. It seams to be quite flexable on the paddle shafts. The most appealing part for me is the dust control. I am not the tidiest person, so it is very difficult for me to keep my shop clean and the bugs out.
I don't know if it's the same thing or not, but I've used System Three WR-LPU, which is a two-part topcoat designed for marine use. I used the clear gloss, but the same product number is used for their paints. I used a painting pad to apply it.
It seems very durable, and there's been no peeling in the 5 years since I used it. Repairs stick.
Here's a link: http://www.systemthree.com/p_wr_lpu.asp
It seems very durable, and there's been no peeling in the 5 years since I used it. Repairs stick.
Here's a link: http://www.systemthree.com/p_wr_lpu.asp
Alan