Varnish and Epoxy~ Part2

Part 2 of a tutorial showing a modern take on an old maritime tradition; varnishing. This episode covers the materials and process necessary for getting a wood finish that will make anyone say "Damn, now THAT'S nice...."

[@mr.morgan5643]

Hi Andy, I never get tired of these two videos!! I plan to do all my trim pieces on my Falmouth Cutter like this!! Well done Sir! Fair winds, Doug

[@mr.morgan5643]

Andy, love these two videos!!! Simply stunning!!! I can't get your theme music 🎶 out of my head lol!!! 🙂🐢

[@damianborkowski7429]

I watched it a few times over the years and I'm watching again. There are plenty of useful tips, thank you Andy.

[@bmck9097]

Thanks for the response and all the great videos. Thanks to your videos. I'm restoring a boat and doing it properly.

[@mr.morgan5643]

Hi Andy, Fantastic finish!!! Amazing work!!

[@ames477]

Great great set of videos, we are indebted to you for sharing your (hard earned) experience.

[@timothympturney2246]

Excellent explanations of the process. I'll be finishing a live edge black walnut outdoor bench today using your method. Thanks!

[@zeroimpacthongkong6105]

Fantastic video! Thanks for your great work in putting this together

[@steveradford9168]

Hey there Andy......thank you for illustrating the correct approach for tackling this work. Big picture perspective for any project is pretty key. You do good things there, my hat is off to you. Grateful for your help!

[@bobgulmatico4636]

Thanks again, I think I will be using this system on all my exterior teak. Just bought a new ( to me ) sail boat and think it will save a lot of up front time and in the future.

[@sblmd1]

Awesome! Thank you Andy! I've been putting teak oil on my teak companionway door for it only to look nice for a week until it dries up. Now i know what to do!

[@leebonifay5767]

I wish I knew how to include pics of my projects I've finished using your techniques...I truly appreciate your sharing this and your feedback to my questions along the way.

[@hebelson444]

Master.....Obi One Kenobi, please keep teaching us young ones !!!

[@decunha73]

I was doing it all in my garage in the evening but if I remember correctly it was a hot July night. I will try it in my workshop with the a/c on next time! Thanks again.

[@pawemichalak6275]

nicwe, finally someone who can show you how to put varnish on, everyone has his own style and comments on others but doesnt show you how to actually get to this great finish. thanks bro

[@mrhuntinjunkie]

THANK YOU! Just found your vids and finding them very informative and fun!

[@jwong19]

Just excellent tutorial, deeply appreciated. Regards from PR.

[@ericswanson1928]

As the rest of the responses state.... Thank you soo much. I am not a wood person but with you help my project is so far turning out great! Than you once again.

[@boatworkstoday]

Thanks Bob :-) Much appreciated!

[@boatworkstoday]

@Caribsailor Good to hear your making progress :-) I don't know of any kind of additive to flatten the finish, generally you go over top with another product that gives this kind of finish; Goldspar Satin or Epifanes Rubbed Effect Varnish are both good choices (1-2 coats). When finishing, if possible it's best to do this off the boat and install the panels when they are done. If not possible, remove all cushions, blankets, etc (things that hold dust) and clean, clean, clean. Wipe everything!

[@GotItMade]

Spectacular! Never done that and I had no idea it was that time intensive. Learned a lot watching.

[@halo7964]

Your videos help me very much and I thank you for your help

[@boatworkstoday]

Hi Bob, frequency of maintenance coats will vary by region. Folks down in Florida will want to apply a fresh coat annually while boaters up North probably every 2-3 years. These maintenance coats involve a light cleaning and scuff with some 400 grit paper and a brushed application of new varnish. The benefit of having an epoxy base is that it will be many years before a full strip and refinish is needed; the epoxy holds onto the wood much stronger than build coats of regular varnish :-)

[@UguysRnuts]

Very fortunate to be able to benefit from both your expertise and teaching skills. I've learned from you in the past regarding gelcoat repairs and am delighted to find this video addressing my current project. I used West epoxy to glass a canoe leeboard, and a layer of resin to fill the weave. I used the slow hardener, which left a slight waxy feel and wanted to know how to deal with that before varnishing, which I believe you addressed with the acetone wipe instructions. I've heard it's important to remove this film BEFORE sanding for the varnish so as not to spread it into the surface grooves, so that's what I'll do. Then a final acetone wipe before using the high gloss Epifanes I've been working with. Not having great luck with the Epifanes though. It went lumpy very quickly and the company tells me that's normal and a sign of "healthy" varnish. They recommend keeping the tin full by replacing used varnish with glass marbles to reduce the amount of air in the can. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[@boatworkstoday]

@antlrking1 It would work great for rails, steps and platform (providing it doesn't get alot of wear/tear as the finish is relatively soft). My general rule of thumb is exterior solid wood that isn't a wear surface gets this finish; wear areas are better to let grey or use an oil as it hides scratches, etc. Interior as you mentioned is better with a dulled finish (just easier on the eyes), so I probably wouldn't suggest this for bulkheads, trim, etc but would for the sole (floor)..

[@boatworkstoday]

To provide additional UV protection. The epoxy has some UV blockers built into it, but the varnish adds quite a bit more allowing the finish to last much longer :-)

[@boatworkstoday]

Thanks a lot Jeff!! I really appreciate it :-)

[@jfelix7650]

Andy, thanks for the series. I must also say that you haven't aged a bit from 2011 until now!! Either great genes or all the preservatives in the epoxies!! I have two projects whereby the paint or varnish coat has not "hardened" on top of the epoxy. I have used west 105 with 205 and that set up fine and sanded well. On a brightwork project, the spar varnish, for uv, has remained tacky. The other project was a wooden dinghy floor that I wanted to coat with interlux bilge coat. The paint also remained tacky. Do I need special paint or varnish, different epoxy mix, or something else. I like the epoxy with a varnish uv sealer approach. Thanks again for your fine videos. They have extremely helpful to me.

[@boatworkstoday]

Well, it really depends on the brand that you'll be using. A 'Urethane' high gloss is typically a polyurethane base which will be a harder surface and less prone to scratches; however typically doesn't have as much UV protection as a typical spar varnish (Pettit 2015 followed by 1015). If you would like to go this route, I would suggest Pettit 2067 and do 5-6 coats :-) Hope this helps!

[@boatworkstoday]

Just keep filling the cracks with the clear epoxy as long as they are not huge separations. Apply each coat roughly 2 hours apart. If the cracks are big, try using some of the 405 filler to tint the epoxy brown-ish color, then go over with the clear prior to varnishing :-)

[@boatworkstoday]

The bubbles you're getting are being caused by the wood heating up and gassing off either by being applied in direct sunlight or as the heat of the day is warming.. It's best to apply the epoxy in an environment where the temps will remain constant (like in a building) or towards the end of the day as the air is cooling :-) Hope this helps!

[@GeoffH2o]

Excellent video, thanx.

[@johnconrardy8486]

you are a great teacher

[@trompbakker9545]

Nice video. It’s just now that I see it was uploaded 10 years ago😱. Good background music also. Much better that the regular background music of these days in my opinion😄

[@HDXBear]

Between coats of varnish after sanding do you wipe the surface down with just a dry cloth prior to the next coat or is a mineral spirit used on the cloth. You mentioned acetone between the epoxy lay ups but never on varnish

[@boatworkstoday]

@paaloliver I have not run into any issues doing this with teak; just make sure that the moisture content is low (10% or so) and the surface has been cleaned properly. One issue epoxy greatly reduces is the lifting of the finish from the wood (much stronger bond). Maintenance coats should only be working with the varnish layers and really shouldn't get into the epoxy coats at all. Overall, results and longevity have been very good. Hope this helps!

[@boatworkstoday]

@Caribsailor It would work very well, however I would consider 2 things; personally I prefer to use a satin finish (rather than high gloss) for interior work, also for a flooring project a 2 part varnish will give you a much harder surface (less prone to scratches and will wear better under foot traffic). I don't really recommend 1 part finishes for "wear surfaces" as it's just too soft. :-)

[@boatworkstoday]

Thank you! If it's possible to remove the doors and do the epoxy work in the shade it will work much better :-) If that's not an option you'll want to do the epoxy on a shady day, or towards the end of the day when the temps start to cool down. Direct sunlight on the wood will heat it up and cause the teak to 'Gas Off' creating little bubbles in the epoxy. If you do it while the wood is already warm and cooling then there will be no issues! Send me some pics when you're done :-)

[@huyu7169]

Hey! Great videos. Would you recommend this method to restore a swim deck, or would it maybe be to slick? Please let me know or if you could make a video, the info I have found is not very great. Thanks, keep up the great work.

[@leebonifay5767]

Love all your videos...I'm doing my teak bow pulpit with this technique you used. Should I be concerned with the epoxy cracking with the flex associated wit the windlass and anchor hoisting?

[@timochoa1]

I absolutely love your video, and I used your idea to finish my front porch. I was wondering how many coats of the Epiphanes you think I need to put on to a porch That gets direct UV exposure. I did also have to put on two coats of the epoxy.

[@reallyhappenings5597]

this is the stuff that makes people get out of boating

[@boatworkstoday]

@tsheehan7 I would probably use a good quality oil based exterior paint / deck finish. Generally, varnishes are not really meant for 'working' surfaces as it scratches too easily and many finishes have a difficult time bonding with pressure treated wood. Check with the major paint manufacturers to see what they have for treating exterior stairs/decks as they are generally built with PTL. Hopefully they have something that gives the appearance you're looking for. Hope this helps!

[@steveng6269]

Cudos to you on this 2 part posting.Very well done and a great help to me as I am just starting a project to re-finish my teak flybridge table. It is good size at about 54" X 45". It is 4 years old (I just got the boat this season) and has dulled and surface mudding cracks. I asked the builder what finish came from the factory and they told me it was several layers of acrylic gloss. My question to you is do I need to take all of the existing acrylic finish off and what is the best way to do that? (sand or chemical?). Or can I sand it to a point that all the defects are out and start from there?

[@boatworkstoday]

This epoxy does have a certain level of UV absorbers built into the hardener, but another type of topcoat (varnish) is really needed for longevity / better protection from the sun. The epoxy mostly provides a very solid and fast building foundation for getting a mirror smooth finish :-)

[@calmauric8218]

Thanks for clarifying mate! I was just going to use straight epoxy. I will now order some good varnish to finish.

[@dylandevesty]

Awesome video! and very informational, thank you! If this same process is followed (2-3 coats epoxy, and then 3 coats of the varnish) how long should you expect this finish to last outside in direct sunlight? lets say on teak brightwork or rails on a boat? thanks

[@billb6064]

Great set of videos on the subject. I will add my own experience. I used a Redtree brand Badger brush on the 1st set of boards I was doing and I was getting some hairs coming out which I dealt with. On the next set of boards I started doing I figured since I was going to be sanding the 2015 after each coat why not try a cheap China bristle chip brush, to my amazement that actually worked better that my badger brush with only 1 bristle coming out! I used chip brushes on the final finish and the difference is noticeable to me (my wife didn’t notice it). Just something to consider

[@billb6064]

Additionally, chip brushes are disposable clean up time greatly reduced!

[@boatworkstoday]

You know it :-) I really like the brush that I used but for something like I did in the video it was a bit undersized (but not too much; it gives good control for the sides). I don't know how well rolling and tipping the varnish would work. I would think that rolling would lay down a pretty thin film and introduce a lot of bubbles. However that being said I've never tried it. Hmmm, may have to try an experiment :-)

[@davids8048]

Excellent video. If you’re forced to varnish cap rail outside what suggestion would you have to minimize dust blowing on varnish?

[@DIYNauticalDream]

This is a big help for us on our upcoming project. We want to treat our teak cap rails on our sailboat. I have a question. What if we used pennetrating epoxy first, say 2 coats. Then we apply the varnish. Would that help to persevere the teak longer and prevent us from ever needing to sand down to bare teak again when it's time to re coat the varnish later.

[@titaniumtemplar9826]

I finished putting in a new sole in my runabout using orca fiberlay marine poly resin and 1708 glass. it came out better than i thought. what are you thoughts on hitting it with 220 sandpaper and 2-3 coats of last and last oil spar varnish on top? oh, and i did use 3/4 marine plywood.

[@lizclements1942]

Thank you for your video! Would this process work with Eucalyptus wood that I will be using for an outside dining table? It will eventually be under a roof but will remain outdoors. Would like it to last as long as possible without refinishing.

[@stevefarmer6607]

Nice. I like the idea of the UV protection in the epoxy. Wood tend to darken or lighten over a period of time exposed to sun light even if indirect light and finished. Damn, I can’t wait to put all these tricks to work. But I have to be patient. Wax on,,, Wax of...

[@boatworkstoday]

Yes :-) Sanding is necessary for proper adhesion between coats.. As far as using it for a front door I think it would work well however consideration should be given to maintenance and overall appearance. Depending on the style of the house, a high gloss finish on the front door may look a little out of place.

[@boatworkstoday]

For the epoxy coats I don't know that I would go any finer than 180.. When you're ready to prep for the first coats of varnish then I'd look at 220 or 320 :-)

[@firasdadoukh7317]

you do very lovely job by show us the way you do your work , i wish good for you always

[@boatworkstoday]

+firas dadoukh Thank you Firas!!!! I need it ;-)

[@boatworkstoday]

Sounds good to me :-) Good luck!

[@ehhiller]

Great video...thanks. How smooth does the bare teak need to be before epoxy coats? 120 or finer? on vertical surfaces like transom, will 2 coats of epoxy be enough?

[@boatworkstoday]

Hey Mohammed, the varnish that I used (Pettit Brand) is just a traditional oil based spar varnish. Another big name that you may be able to get would be Epifanes. Both companies have product all of the world, you may have to do a little looking around, but you should be able to find it :-) As far as using a regular wood glue for laminating and going back over that with clear epoxy for finishing there shouldn't be any problems. Hope this helps!

[@tonysieracki5388]

hello andy- thank you for this video as i'm planning on doing this to my exterior teak on y '85 trojan f32- with that being said- i removed my teak last season and cleaned it with iosso teak cleaner and oiled it up. i didn't like the turnout so i removed it last October and cleaned it again and its been in the garage since. it's completely dried out waiting for the next step. as far as prep- i'm going to sand everything down with 200 grit to tighten up the grain and smooth things out- then follow your video- unless you have some other recommendation? some of the teak's grain is rough, but when i sanded it, it tightened up tremendously. you input is much appreciated.

[@franksmiley198]

Hi Andy; I love your video. What grain sand paper should I use before I start to apply the epoxy? I want to get the detail our of the wood (Mahogany wood) and what should I use for cleaning the wood after sanding? Thanks

[@MrCrabbing]

Great job, thanks very much I have a little varnish work to do so it has to be good, Did you save those for the seats in the Rhodes, have you got any further with that one yet.

[@boatworkstoday]

You certainly could use a 2-part poly-urethane (aka 2-part varnish) and sometimes I do but only for "wear areas" like seats. Still need to do 2-3 coats though. For non-wear areas I actually prefer the look of the 1-part finishes (little more depth and color). Practical Sailor did a test of many different finishes (both 1 & 2 part) and the 2-parts did last a LITTLE longer but not much. In my opinion not long enough to justify the cost difference which is typically 2-4x more expensive :-)

[@boatworkstoday]

Hi Frank, I do typically seal all sides with the epoxy, but not necessarily with the varnish as well. On a piece of lumber this thick and being vertical grain I could probably get away with not coating the backside, but it;s not really a good idea :-) Better safe than sorry!

[@davimalone]

I love the steps you take to ensure a smooth and perfect finish to all that you do. I am a house painter by trade and work in high end homes in San Francisco.I recently bought a used 225 gallon acrylic aquarium and teak stand and want to refinish the stand to a "piano finish",any suggestions, i was thinking black lacquer w/ multiple coats of water white lacquer clear?

[@jfgreen1959]

Excellent video, so glad someone linked you on DIY Sailors on Facebook. I cannot find that wet sander online, the allamericantool link doesn’t work.

[@ftsetradersteve2742]

I would say don't do this on teak faced ply....Maybe good for solid teak....I usually just varnish with epiphanes rubbed effect varnish but I always thin it down with epiphanes thinners and give many coats....the thinner the coat the less problem I have with dust because it sands out easy for the next coat because it is just sitting on a thin coat....I get a furniture like finish doing that....However I will try the West Epoxy basecoat to see if it works for me....I would not use a circulating power tool though as it cuts across the grain I always sand with the grain never across....Just my preference and I think it shows....

[@amandajones2143]

Hi, thanks for this. I have some questions! 1. Did you do the backs of these pieces too? 2. If so, at what point in the process would you do the backs? I have cockpit seats I need to restore. 3. Could I use the epoxy for really weathered 40 yr old greyed teak? If so how would I prepare that? Just with acetone the same way you did here? 4. What do you wipe down the varnish with between layers? Thank you!!!!

[@bewwio]

I'm refinishing the mahagony interior on a 60's boston whaler 13. One of the mahagony benches has a split that goes about halfway down the board. Would you recommend gluing it up and then laying down the epoxy and varnish or should I just let the epoxy flow in the Crack and sure it up?

[@PiratesLady]

I am planning on using this method for my companionway sliding hatch on our boat. The hatch has alternating teak and maple planks on top and I have been having a hard time keeping moisture from getting to the maple, causing water stains. I'm hoping this method will do the trick on sealing it up! I am using the West Systems with the special thinner as you did in the video, but I need a varnish that with no color. Do you have any recommendations on a CLEAR gloss varnish with lots of UV protection that will work over epoxy? Love videos btw!

[@boatworkstoday]

@classactwood This type of finish isn't really suited for "wear areas" i.e. things that will be sat on / used such as a table top. More for cosmetic highlights that just have to look good. So for you're application, probably wouldn't be the best fit. Maybe try an exterior oil finish or something meant for decking (Sikkens, etc) or paint is an option as well. Unfortunately the fact is that anything left in the sun is going to get warm. Light colors are better than dark.. Hope this helps!

[@glenngray1201]

This is a very late post to this video But for those of you that want to read these comments I will share a current tip with you that has not been mentioned or is not talked about and I wanted to share this with the viewers on Andy’s process as I have finished my teak epoxy varnish job as he did , The task turned out Beautiful , prep and patients is key So here it is when it’s all done and cured apply a Ceramic coating over the cured varnish ( check with the manufacture for the time to re apply a maintenance coat ) after the Ceramic coating has cured all that’s needed to be done is applying a Ceramic spray over it as a sacrificial layer to protect the ceramic coating and you’ll never have to varnish ever again . It’s a bit slippery when done so watch your step on flat work , I did mine 3 yrs ago and still looks as good as the day I did it but for those of course who like spending hours and weeks redoing It than this might not be for you . Good Luck ...

[@carmonacrafts1972]

One simple question sir I have some epoxy paperweights that I made with wood and epoxy resin I sanded my blanks down but instead of buffing and polishing the epoxy back to a shine can I spray polyurethane over it to bring back the gloss?

[@lukethornton5976]

Video is great ty! If I use a high uv in my epoxy would you say I can use this method on my exterior teak hatches? Almost done with my main hatch rebuild and not looking forward to 20 layers of varnish. 3 epoxy and 5 varnish sounds way more quicker. Please advise.

[@boatworkstoday]

Luke Thornton Would be a great option! Just try not to do the first seal coat of epoxy in direct sunlight (heat from the sun will cause the wood to gas off and create bubbles). After the first seal coat is done, then it doesn't matter :-) Good luck!

[@Caribsailor]

Thank you for the tutorial . Would you recommend this process for a new teak & holly cabin sole?

[@boatworkstoday]

I think the best thing would be to take some measurements from some of the ones used by the marina's... Other than that I don't have any plans or spec's to share.. It's a pretty basic design as far as I can see, just make sure to spec the proper thickness of the metal and have good welds :-) Good luck!

[@g3org3m3i3r]

Hi Andy. Thank you for producing very informative videos. On your Epoxy and Varnish Part 2 video the opening shot shows your RO sander with a dust extraction set-up. Can you please describe your set-up and the brand of equipment you are using. Perhaps a video on your method of dust collection would be useful... Thanks.

[@boatworkstoday]

+George Meier Hi George! I have that topic on my list :-) The sander I use is made by Fein. It's a pricey little bugger, but it works very well for managing the dust!

[@g3org3m3i3r]

BoatworksToday Thank you!

[@nathanoppermann8896]

Hi bud, love your vids just a question why can't you epoxy and the automotive clear over for a uv and long lasting finished boat at all?

[@bobgulmatico4636]

Thanks, so when I feel its time for a full strip and refinish just use paint/varnish stripper to remove down to the epoxy, A light sanding and revarnish.?

[@Caribsailor]

@boatworkstoday Thanks for the information, I'm am almost to the finishing stage off my cabin sole and need more input. I have rough fitted all the sole panels and it looks fantastic from what it was. I'm going to finish everything as you have shared and I was planning to use Interlux Perfection 2 part varnish. My first questions, is there an additive for a satin finish? and when final fitting the sole panels what would you suggest be removed to allow for finishing?

[@decunha73]

Thanks so much for posting the video. Very informative! I do have one question though.. I had heard about this process before so I tried it for my drift boat project. I used exactly the same materials as you did but about 3-5 mins after I applied the varnish microbubbles would appear and not go away. Although I went over the sanded epoxy with a tack cloth, I did NOT wipe it down with acetone. Could this have caused the bubbles?

[@mrhuntinjunkie]

Very informative video...I'm in just beginning a project of sanding/staining and coating all the Teak trim pieces in my Sportcraft CC. I don't believe they have been oiled in over 15years so I chose to sand them down to the honey brown color/grain. I'm planning on staining each piece with a cherry stain for an overall light mahogony/red tone and plan to seal each piece with a multi coat of Spar Eurathane for durability. Is there drawbacks to using Spar Eurathane vs Spar Varnish? THANKS!

[@spinnaker5514]

Hi, I was wondering what if you just put the epoxy on the wood maybe and extra coat or two even and do not put down varnish? What would happen? The epoxy looked great to me! And isn't epoxy harder than the varnish? So wouldn't it last longer? What is the different in finishes? Please advise. I have a small 26 foot sailboat and paid someone to sand and revarnish the interior mahogony and it came out terrible. I wasted so much money. Being that I can't afford to get another professional varnish job....and I'm not sure I'd be happy with there work either. I have to do it myself, which is a great hardship for me since I"m disabled. Some said a trick to great looking brightwork is to just use a less expensive home varnish and then put a few layers of regular good quality automotive wax over the top of that which is less work and they said produces a great finish. Have you ever heard of this method? I don't want to waste my time and can't afford to waste any more money again. So I'll do what ever you recommend. Also what is going to be the easist way to strip the varnish job I have now? I believe he used Epiphanes varnish on it. Thanks for any assistance and advice you can lend, Bill

[@gordonkinslow8385]

Do you ever use cetol. I use it on my boat but I trust your opinion on it. Would it be advantageous to switch to varnish. This is for my outside rails. Thanks

[@gstewartTube]

I have always been reluctant to use epoxy in case I need to remove it in future. I assume that the only way to do that is with sanding and epoxy is a devil to sand. Is that not something I need to worry about?

[@talderson1]

What did you wash it down with between varnishes? You used acetone when it was the epoxy but is just water fine after you switch to varnish? Thanks.

[@Rikasso66]

Thanks for all the videos they are great. I was wondering if you could point in the right direction on some sailboat stands. I am a metal sculptor, and would like to make my own. Maybe you would know where I could find some plans or maybe you have some specs I could use. Thanks in advance. Rick in Kingston Ontario Canada.

[@jimhansen7377]

I have a 33’ Bertram with a teak bow plank. I am planning to coat it with epoxy but instead of varnish I was thinking of using a 2 part polyurethane such as Bristol Finish or Interlux clear. Same ability to rapidly recoat. What are your thoughts?

[@CaptActon]

As always love the videos, after 10 years is there different products you would use for the varnish?

[@donaldswett640]

I'm a newbee so forgive me if it's already known but are you removing all the epoxy when you sand? 80 grain is pretty rough wouldn't it take the wood down too? I've just started restoring a 1980 17' Montauk so my pieces are small. Thank you for your Vids they really are a confidence boost.

[@sailingkeylimepie-pirateflag]

Guess ppe wasn’t an issue in the early days 😂. Thanks for all your knowledge Amdy. 🫡

[@primarysearchoutdoors5224]

what did you use after you sanded first coat of varnish with 400 to clean it off ? you said do not use acetone. Did you use use a tack rag or a chemical as well??

[@sblmd1]

Thank you again! :)

[@obidamnkenobi]

I'm curious how I do this process if my teak is already gray? Won't this just make it permanently so? Should I oil it first, then clean, epoxy etc? Sand first? or just clean?

[@tsheehan7]

I've built an outdoor table using pressure treated pine. I was advised to use a marine spar varnish to protect it, but this seems to be a very in-depth process for something like that. I've got about 20 hours into the table build, so I don't want another 20 in sealing/varnishing, but I do want the table protected and looking nice. Any tips for what to use? It is a five foot by two foot table with a lower shelf that I will drop a big green egg grill into.

[@thomasswankeeper4136]

TIP: I watched a video on JHE's Log Furniture Place YT Channel on glass topping tables. They use a blowtorch lightly across the surface after applying the epoxy and it takes out all the air bubbles. don't know if you ever heard of it, so, I thought I would mention it. Love your videos, even I learned something.

[@boatworkstoday]

THOMAS SWANKEEPER That does work for some epoxies, but unfortunately not this one; it would actually create more bubbles :-(

[@thomasswankeeper4136]

BoatworksToday Ahh, see I learned the easy way. cheaper too

[@stinkintoad]

Do you use paint thinner in between 220 grit sanded varnish coats instead of acetone?

[@wysiwyg2006]

how can i do this wiht my jeanneaus galley table in situ? also the wood has black blotches. but scraping the wood seems to take them off.

[@qwerttrewq9192]

How does this system withstand wear and tear? I quit using varnish because of "whitening" and "blackening" of the wood along joints between planks and at any spot that got a "knock". In stead I use Jotun Benar Oil Marine UV, topping it with a satin finish to get rid of the "stickiness" of the surface, no problems since, and lasts several years. (The cheaper Jotun Benar Oil without UV don't last the crappy Swedish summer.)

[@Namdor2012]

Like a boss, check out epoxy finishes they put on heavy traffic floors...When the varnish wears down just a light sand and re do, epoxy won't let in water...

[@boatworkstoday]

Pretty much. If the epoxy ever lets loose from the wood you'll want to apply another coat of clear epoxy prior to varnish but that will be many, many years from now..