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Itching to get Varnishing
Is there a thing called Varnisher's Itch? I think I may have caught it!
I prepped my boat decks in January and have been waiting for the conditions in South England to be right for varnishing. I see Dan has added a module on varnishing in the cold with additives. What about the humidity? Maybe a dehumidifier could be the answer.
I also found this on another forum, which made me think I should wait a bit longer...
... this part of a FAQ on the West Marine site that seems to hit the nail on the head.
"When to varnish
Avoid the “I have to do it today” syndrome: Be patient. Wait for the weather to be right. Sand thoroughly. Do all the prep work. This dreaded syndrome is the single factor responsible for more fouled up varnish jobs than anything else.
Choose the right weather: varnish indoors if possible. Temps between 50°-80°F are the entire range where you can expect good results (ideal: 55°-65°F, with 45-55 percent relative humidity). Don’t varnish in the wind. Dust is the enemy of a smooth, flawless finish so you have to minimize its impact whenever possible. Don’t varnish in direct sunlight because uneven drying can cause wrinkles. Avoid varnishing in high humidity or when rain is in the forecast. If you work in open air, time a fresh coat so it can dry before nighttime dewfall sets in"
As the Thames is in flood and more rain is forecast, I can wait a bit longer. It doesn't help with the itch though!
A good point Brian. If you are talking about your final coat then absolutely, wait for the perfect day to get ideal conditions, especially if your timeframe permits it. Build up coats I wouldn't worry so much about but that final one want's to be when the planets align!
The cold weather additives are really a fix if you have to do it now but my preference, certainly for that final coat would be to wait for the right day. I currently have a Healey sat in my shop, ready for me to start varnishing but I'm not going to touch it until things warm up a bit more here, especially as I'm going to be using epoxy for it.
The most frustrating thing is that when conditions are ideal, you want to be out using the boat 🙂