Ugh, I F*&ed Up
5 coats of Satin finish.
Well, I suppose it’s all part of the fun when you are trying new things. But when you are dealing with Varnish, it’s all kinda scary, cause once you start, Going back is not really a good idea. But as build coats you have another chance. So how did I F up? Well. I started with a satin finish. Ya ya, some of you already know what happened. And it explains why one would use pumis to polish out the finish.
Satin
So, here what I have learned. You start with gloss, the idea is there is no silica in that and its clear. So the grain pops. The Silica is the dulling element and makes a slightly opaque finish. This kinda hides the grain. THEN you put on just two coats of the satin. Or polish with pumis, so there is zero chance of not seing the grain. I kept thinking I could polish my way out of it, and the finish stopped feeling right. Thats how I deduced this.
The fix
So is there a fix, other than stripping the entire finish? Well, kinda, I mixed some of the satin in the gloss, 50/50 so I could replicate or adjust. And BAM, it popped. And although the grain issue may be a thing, its so subtle, my old geezer eyes cant tell. AND one could argu, so I will, that there is a ton of little issues in the wood, and patches over time, so maybe fogging it a tad isnt a bad thing. The 50/50 mix brought out the deep color which I love.
Hatch 50/50
More color, no gloss.
Really settling in
Hatch outside
Deep
sides cant be too glossy, they are all over the place. Lots of original wood
Wayne Bomb tri pod
The transom has more pop
Bilge color is kick’n
The satin very cool, but the milkyness of it is not great
So, everything still on track for the budget?
Don’t worry, be happy! It looks great!
So the old Gal is still with us. Like the aged old movie actress with her makeup slightly awry. She’s still beautiful, inside!
We have a saying – – us rough carpenters trying to do finish carpentry work: “it ain’t no piano”. Unfortunately for all of you in the antique boat hobby, it is a frigging piano. Hi gloss, perfect miters, period correct paint and lettering, highest quality, spectacular! And we all love to look at your finished product, mind blowing. That’s why my log cabin is intended to look like a lumberjack built it in a weekend with his axe (it ain’t no piano). Your boat project looks spectacular to me – thanks for sharing it with us.
Is there a name for this 50/50 mix? Glatin? Sloss? Woodyboater’s top secret finish? semigloss?
The varnish work on the classic Chris Craft is looking much better, and that 40 year old classic Boston Whaler Outrage 18 you’ve got sitting in the other bay adds even more class to your operation! Very impressive in total.
“Fogging” it a bit is probably the best thing you could do on a near 90 year old boat with a lot of repairs and original wood. To make it look its best , hide what needs to be hidden. Hi- gloss magnifies the imperfections. Kinda like the less is more thing. Transoms are easier to shape nice and flat, compared to topsides, so the transom deserves that hi gloss. By the way, in the photos the transom edges look to be made from thick stock? Like 1/2″ or more?
No SHIP. The fog has made it 100% better, but it got a tad milky, thats where I messed up. I think. Its looking great, just pissed at myself. Okay not that pissed. Okay, amused.
Hmmmmm. I’m lost in a membrane of clear gloss Matt satin grain whaaat? This is making the finish on my Blue Arabian look easy. However, that bilge colour is insanely good. It’s so so so perfect. Could that be reversed so the boat is bilge coloured and the bilge is varnished satin, flat, gloss-ish? I guess then we’re back to that cool navy boat. Hmmm
Unfortunately I can’t see any of what you are talking about in the pictures. It all looks good from my home…
Beautiful!
Another one saved, nice work Matt. Can’t wait to see you in Dora!