Epifanes Varnish...

[Andy Meyer]

What are peoples thoughts on Epifanes Varnish?
I am planning on using thier clear gloss. Is this the best option? Any other varnishes I should be looking at?
What is the trick for sanding between scuppers once assembled between varnish coats and other areas that are difficult to both varnish and sand?
I plan on wet block sanding the outer hull and foam pad (wet) on the inner at 320 grit. Is this correct?
4-5 coats on the exterior and 3 on the interior?
Anything I'm not thinking of here?

Thanks!

Andy

[Glen Smith]

Epifanes is the best one I have tried so far but there are still many that I haven't tried. For the scuppers I cut a small strip of sandpaper and "floss" the scuppers with it. I have found that the Epifanes needs to be thinned by 10% to apply easily and I used the special Epifanes thinner. Oh yes, I use a foam brush and follow the technique suggested by Ted in his books. I just scuff the varnish between coats with a scotchbrite type of pad, vacuum off the dust and use a tack rag before applying another coat.

One day I ran into a "master cabinetmaker" and he just couldn't believe that I had varnished my kayak myself and with a foam brush. He was sure I had it sprayed by a professional. When I finally convinced him that I was telling the truth he insisted on knowing the name of the varnish I had used because he wanted gallons of the stuff to use on furniture!

[Rod Tait]

I have used many brands of varnish. Epiphanes is one of my favorites since it takes less coats to give a deep rich finish. Having said that, if you are not familiar with varnish techniques, epiphanes is also one of the hardest to get smooth, because it is so thick and must be applied very slowly. It helps to thin it down and apply very slowly, which many people find difficult to do. Slow is the key. It takes a longer time to level out on account of its viscosity, but when it does boy oh boy! You have to get it right the first pass, because you can not go back and fix a mistake.

Other thinner varnishes will take less time to level out, but also run more and take more coats. For first timers, I usually recommend and sell them Captains Z-Spar.

I have tried all methods of applying the varnish, but my favorite is to use a good quality natural hair brush. They are costly, but do the job much better than cheaper brushes.