To avoid blotchiness do not sand any finer before the following steps. Pettit Marine Paint Flagship Varnish marine varnish satin.
Supposedly Crystal a marine varnish has 10x the amount of metals that shield the wood from UV.
Best marine varnish for mahogany. The body is built of Honduran mahogany with Bubinga trim. Mahogany and most other woods changes color with exposure to ultraviolet light getting much lighter with age. Also the color will vary from plank to plank even from the same tree.
Hence the use of stain to establish a common color that isnt distracting. 1081 Red Mahogany 1082 Brown Mahogany 1095 Standard Mahogany 7665 Dark Mahogany 120T10 Standard Thinner 2018 Clear Sealer. For small areas such as what was shown in the video I like to use burlap cloth I typically re-cycle the bags that our Basmati rice comes in but the stain can also be applied by brush or even roller if youre working large areas.
Unfortunately varnish is your only choice if you want to protect exposed mahogany without painting it. As for teak it can stand the exposure but due to pollutants in the air it will more likely turn black than silvery grey if not treated. You can bleach and scrub it back to its original golden hue but each scouring removes a layer of wood.
Supposedly Crystal a marine varnish has 10x the amount of metals that shield the wood from UV. It looks very good and is forgiving in the application process. Its best to apply using a high-density foam roller Home Depot Lowes.
Then very lightly run over it with a foam brush to get rid of the bubbles. A yellowed out varnish job is the end result after a few years. My solution which has worked remarkably well for me is to use oil based STAIN first.
I use ZAR 120 Natural Teak color on both teak or mahogany. This is done not for the color but for the important UV protection of the wood. The pictures arent the best but I like the way the finish came out.
2 coats very dilute Brown Mahogany Transfast Dye in water applied with a sponge. 4 or so coats General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Satin rubbed on with a cloth. 1 coat Liberon Victorian Mahogany Paste Wax rubbed on with a cloth.
Finishing instructions for unfinished mahogany blades Blades are supplied sanded to 100 grit. This may seem a little rough but fear not. To avoid blotchiness do not sand any finer before the following steps.
Use good marine varnish. I have had excellent results with Interlux products which are available from most marine supply stores. All marine grades come with an A grade face one or both sides so they accept paint well though some species can be more attractive than others under varnish.
If youre needing real mahogany faced plywood youll have few choices none of which are cheap comparatively. Sanding older varnished mahogany on the outside of my boat cabin. Boat is under shed at marina I re-varnish with Captains.
Edges have bare spots that are gray color. I sanded them to natural wood color. When the varnish hits the bare wood the wood.
I would highly recommend Sikens CetolIt does not look as perfect as varnish because it has some pigment to it but it is maintenance free and you only have to wipe it down to recoat it each year or twoIt goes on like thinned varnish but it outlasts anything I have ever triedThey also make a clear topcoat. If you will coat softwood such as pine and cedar varnish is the best choice. On the other hand for hardwood such as alder mahogany and birch it is better to use polyurethane.
If you dont want to deal with a 2 part go with Epithanes varnish like what was mentioned above thin the first coat only then do 3 more coats. It will be glossy though. Ive made a mess of my custom mahogany storm door.
The door has four curved panels of glass surrounded by mahogany satin finish that has aged through nearly 30 years of morning sunshine. The person I engaged instead of satin finish did a glossy marine spar varnish which also has bubbles. Articles Ive read state that glossy finish can be rubbed to a satin finish.
Consistently among the top varnish alternatives in PSs tests Cetol Natural is not as muddy-looking as its predecessors Cetol Marine Light and Cetol Marinelike the Caspian Clear it allows the woods natural grain to show and has a low gloss. TotalBoat 482869 Lust Marine Varnish High Gloss Quart The TotalBoat Lust Marine Varnish is another product that is worth considering if you are looking for the best wood finishes for your projects. With this formula you get a deep rich finish with the very best protection against the UV lights.
Pettit Marine Paint Flagship Varnish marine varnish satin. This Best marine spar varnish gives a glossy finish to the wooden surface and protects it from external damages. It is formulated with tung oil and UV absorbers.
It can be used on all exterior wooden surfaces and it can also be applied interior where you need extra protection. Actually McCloskeys Man O War spar varnish is a pretty good product. I have used it for marine applications with good results.
The rule of thumb for brightwork on boats is 8-10 coats initially with 1-2 renewal coats annually. More coats and more frequent applications are needed in areas with higher UV exposure. What you need here is a good UV resistant varnish.
Epiphanes is a great product for something like this. From Paul Snyder forum technical advisor. As for staining mahogany this is done with antique and classic boats to give a uniform color tone to the wood.
For the typical marine varnish budget a pint over each ten square feet. Use long even strokes and work along the wood grain. Let this first coat dry for 24 hours.
If you are using a spray on varnish hold the can 6 to 8 inches away from the surface and spray on a light even coat. Let it dry according to the manufacturers recommendations. I tried varnish over top of an epoxiedfiberglassed mahogany ply kayak.
It started to flake off rather quickly below the water line. I now use clear 2 part polyurethane over epoxied brightwork to block uv and it has proven to be much more durable than varnishQUOTEJim Im not familiar with a 2 part clear polyurethane.