Mixing brands of Varnish

Norm Hein

Canoe Codger
I believe it wont matter but I thought I would ask. It's time to do some touching up on one of my strippers but I want to upgrade from the MINWAX HELMSMAN SPAR varnish I have been using. So my question is, as long as I stay with an oil base I should have no trouble putting a different brand of varnish over what is on the canoe now. Correct?

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Hey Dave,
Yeah that’s what I kind of figured. Ephifanes is what I plan to switch to. I’m looking forward to see the difference in quality.
 
Epifanes is great, I have best results when I use their thinner with it. It's one of the best. That being said, Pettit 1015 capt varnish is perfect every time. I've never had a problem with it even going over other finishes. It's old reliable and been around a long time and a good price if you buy it by the gallon.
 
I'll check out the Pettit brand. No need to try and save a few bucks when you have so much time and money already invested.
I learned that with tools along time ago.
 
David,
How do you keep Capt's from gelling to pudding in a gal can?

BTW, my preference in Interlux, goes on easy and smells great. :)

Dan
 
Dan,
I have found that if I cover the varnish, actually touching it, with Saran Wrap then put the lid on, it seems to help.
 
If I'm going to keep it a while I buy new quart cans and transfer it to them. Capt. varnish does skin over or gell over but not to bad like others. Epifanes usually stays pretty nice in quarts even after opened. I also always use a strainer on varnish . I use a lot of 1015 capt. varnish but you have to like gloss. I just did a canoe with Epifanes Matte , really nice change from looking at gloss all the time.
 
Maybe I was just unlucky. I lost about 3/4 of a qt can once, used a little bit and by the time I got back to it, the rest was jelly.
Never had that happen with any other brand.
 
Test! I just had a somewhat bad experience. True varnish seems to be disappearing from the shelves home centers, in a moment of stupidity, I picked up rustoleum's varathane spar urethane. It's okay very shiny, but it didn't dry in the usual reasons for using urethane instead of varnish. Oh well,

I've always used true varnish on boats, a few days later it was okay, but I can't think of the mess had put this stuff on new epoxy instead of wood! Test.. always test!

One thing worth doing. I have started storing my cans upside down. No more skin!
 
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Denise,
Yeah I guess it would be worth the time it take to do a test for such a large project.
Up side down can seems like an easy fix.
 
Here at the canoe shop we buy Captain's Varnish in the gallon can, we also buy Classico pasta sauce 'cause it comes in nice mason jars with screw on lids. Upon opening the can of Captain's Varnish it is transferred to 4 or 5 of the jars. The residue in the gallon can is used on the job at hand so there is almost no waste. As the varnish is used from the mason jars, when there is about a half a jar that isn't going to be used in a while the varnish is transferred to a smaller jar such as a pickle jar or a jelly jar. Keep moving to smaller and smaller jars. The trick is to have as little air in the container as possible. Storing the jars upside down helps too, and, another trick is to use a square of Saran Wrap under the jar lids - this keeps the lids from getting stuck to the glass and becoming difficult to remove.
 
Try a devise called “Pump & Seal”. I learned about it here on the Forum several years ago. Well worth the money
 
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