WOODEN BOAT RESTORATION - How to Fix Old and Dull Varnish

[@trojanyacht2518]

Beautiful! Thanks for the beauty. On. A snowy Indiana day. Depression sets in during winter. With the state of the world now, its nice to seek peace and beauty to calm my soul.

[@kogerken]

Thanks Mike, really well explained

[@svore6839]

Hi Mike, LOVE these videos! Thanks for doing this for our hobby! Very well done. Links to actual products is a big help too. Thank you! A question/idea for a future video: How do we deal with varnish squeeze out between planks after a refresh? My boat dried out in the process of my last varnish job so some varnish got between a few hullside planks and squeezed out when the humidity got back up. Common to see but it frustrates me when I'm toweling her off after a boat ride and it catches on the varnish nubs sticking out. I'm certain you've got some wisdom here. Thanks for the videos! Seth

[@emcvicker]

Beautiful job.

[@paulbriggs3072]

I guess I'm your 400th thumbs up.

[@beachgypsyclassics]

Hi Mike , love your stuff!! Thanks for helping out us newbies who are trying to keep these great boats looking good. I am about to start my varnishing for our 1957 century resorter , 18ft runabout. I have a white strip down the side ? Do I just varnish over it and repaint after varnishing? Or do I paint first and than varnish? Thanks again and sorry for the dumb question

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

We do all the vanishing first to get it nice and smooth and then paint of the finished varnish. Thanks for watching.

[@CraigRodgers-cu4nj]

Is there any reason to use brushing thinner on this job?

[@motorv8N]

Thanks for this - One of the most straightforward demos of re-varnishing I’ve found online. Subbed! I inherited a little mahogany daysailer built in the 1950s and I can tell there’s some beautiful wood under the opaque and peeling varnish.I’m going to follow your advice here to get it looking good again. Do you have any recommendations for removing varnish that is this far gone or is scraping and peeling what’s loose then sanding the remaining opaque pretty well it. Thanks!

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

Thanks for the sub! I think the best is to strip it all and then sand with 100 grit with the grain which will give you a even color look then just doing spots. We use a heat gun and sharp flat scraper. The cemical strippers now are not really strong enough anymore to do the job in a timely manor. Becarful if it is plywood, the first layer is thin. Hope this helps!

[@motorv8N]

@@MikeGreenStudioWorks - thanks very much for the reply! The boat is an interesting construction - long 2 x 2 Mahogany strips edge nailed together. There are no ribs inside the boat which seems pretty odd. Must have been bent and fastened upside down over a skeleton structure from the centerboard box outwards then lifted off after. It was built in Denmark I believe. Anyway, at least I’m not in danger of sanding through veneer. When I get back to the boat in the spring, perhaps I could commission a half hour video call with you to show you the surface and condition.

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

@@motorv8N Sure just let me know.

[@darrengustitus]

Total rookie question here. In the video it says to sand after each coat of varnish. Does that mean sand it with the 320 screen each time? Or is it different?

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

Not if you are building coats and trying to get a thick, flat look. If you sand you should put 2 to 3 coats over the sanding or you will see the sanding scratches when the varnish shrinks.

[@chuckstubbings6675]

Hi mike , great video! How long do you wait between coats of varnish. I have to do mine very soon ..

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

It is usually about 24 hours, but it depends on the varnish you use. A high build is going to lake longer and is more flexible when dry. The Pettit Captains we use dries good in 24 hours but is you build coat after coat say like 5 coats in a row you should wait a couple days before you sand.so the thinners can be released out and dry fully.

[@CaseyKendall-x9m]

After applying sealer do you scuff before the first coat of varnish?

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

Yes

[@scottstrand7865]

How many quarts of varnish does it take for one coat on a boat like that? I have a 20' CC Continental and I'm trying to estimate how much varnish I need. Thanks!

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

I think about 1 quart, but maybe a bit less or a bit more of a quart.

[@scottstrand7865]

@@MikeGreenStudioWorks Thank you.

[@michaelangell1542]

Thanks for the video. Very nice. Was any additional sanding done between varnish coats 1 and 2 and 2 and 3?

[@MikeGreenStudioWorks]

Sanded first before the sealer coat with 320 and then we used maroon scotch-brit pads #07747 to ruff up the surface between coats after that. Thanks for watching!