Companionway Door Question.....

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

I finally got around to making my companionway doors. The lower section is completely assembled and glued. All that is left is to place the upper section - which is a plexi window, into the slot, add the top rail and voilla. Question....would your assemble and glue, mask the plexi and then spray the varnish or would you spray all of the components with varnish ( except that the joint areas to be glued would be masked off) first, then insert the window and glue the top rail?Tony B

 

[Dan H]

Varnish - then assemble

Varnish only the inside parts that will be adjacent to the plexi. Then assemble. Then varnish the rest of it. This will keep the varnish away from the plexi. One question? How will you replace the plexi should it become damaged?

 

[Dan H]

I like lap joints also.

I make a lapped 45 joint on my cabinet joints for furniture.I missed the spraying varnish bit, sorry. Maybe you can cover the plexi with Saran wrap and install t. Then remove the saran wrap after spraying the varnish. Of course you end up with a little in the corners were it doesn't all come out. I've never had good luck spraying varnish. I like the old badger brush for me.

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Spraying

I love spraying and hate brushing. Spraying is much quicker and requires less coats and shines like a mirror. The photo was taken in my shop, it is of some of the interior woodworking. The varnish was dry at the time. I try to remove as much as possible from the boat. Of course, there is always the stuff that cant be removed reasonably and must be done in place. When I spray and put these doors together, I will have some photos.Tony B

 

[r.w.landau]

I like the rubbing, not only do you get to know your companionway,

it will help break the dirt/ oils that are on the wood. It is not a G__ thing it is a get to know your boat thing. I really like the product called Penefin. It is rub on. the next coat builds. the next coat can be buffed to a gloss.It is a two year in Fla. finish. Penefin has may products. I would suggest calling them for what you need. I read their product info and thought I knew what I needed. I then decided to call to order and they explained that I needed something different from what I thought I needed. GOOD stuff. Sorry Phil, I asked that you look into this product, you didn't do it. I would buy it from you if it was an option.r.w.landauI am new to Vista and I am really pulling my hair about the simple things. I want windows XP back!

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Tony, before you settle on a particular finish...

try some alternatives on scrap wood. I've been very pleased with either polyurethane or lacquer from a spray can as opposed to brushed varnish. Durable, easy to apply and no brush strokes.Terry

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Vista and Varnish

R.W., I hate my Vista. My Vista Laptop was purchased 4 months ago. I am still using my old laptop with XP most of the time. I have several friends that paid to have XP installed and Vista removed from their puter. Vista runs best if you turn off all of the built in security...isn't that why Vista was developed? Terry, I also use urethanes, also most varnishes are also urethanes. I have an air compressor and spray as much as I can. Spraying is quick and builds up rapidly. As for laquers, I use a furniture grade 2 part laquer indoors. It dont hold up well to UV outdoors. I would think that using spray cans can be very expensive. Tony B

 

[r.w.landau]

Thanks for the Vista ,hate thing, Tony,

How do you squeese out of a physical bond of rolling, brushing and into spraying? That must be by your prep that would forgo a physical bond..TonyB, in other words, how would you prep so that you do not need a physical stirring on the surface of a piece so that it can be sprayed?Sorry, challenges help us explain our methods.explain on. I would not have asked if I didn't think you would.r.w.landau

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

R.W.

The physical bond/mechanical bond is created by the sanding with 120 grit sandpaper. Sanding creates what is known as an anchor profile. This profile is a microspic cross section of mountains and valleys created by sanding. On steel it is created by sandblasting. The idea of mountains and valleys is in effect creating more surface area per square inch. The finishing product whether laquer, varnish, paint, etc also has the equivelant of 'glueing agents' in it to make it stick to a surface. So much for the first coat. Additional coats if performed before final cure of the paint will have a chemical bond.To make it short and sweet...I sand, blow off the dust and final clean with a wipedown of laquer thinner or acetone. Then spray.As far as Im concerned, spraying is the only way to go. A coat sprayed lightly is probably 3 times thicker than a brused or rolled coat. 3 Coats sprayed is usually plenty. I can load my cup gun, spray an area the size of a very large table in literally under a minute and clean up in less than 5 minutes. Spraying will also get into areas that are difficult to brush and roll. On a warm day, i can spray 2 coats then the third coat on the next day. Flip it over and repeat on the other side. I cover my work benches with butcher paper that I buy in Sams Club. One roll lasts me several years of painting and gluing.When I'm able to spray a project, I dont earmark time for it, I just do it as I pass my shop. Spend less than 10 minutes there and go on my way to do whatever it was that made me pass my shop in the first place. Tony B