Proper finish to coat my tiller in?

[Donald6441]

I have a wood tiller that is made out of a pinkish wood layered with a yellowish wood (sorry, but im not a wood expert). I have sanded off all the peeling varnish or whatever it was on the thing, and have a nice clean tiller to re-finish. What would be the best, high durability material to use to finish it. Sun resistance is key too; the tiller bolts in normally & doesn’t come out easily.

 

[Bob B.]

Cover your tiller

I'm not familiar with your weather etc in Florida. Whatever type of finish you apply to your tiller will last much longer if you have a Sunbrella cover for it. I refinished mine 5 yers ago & it still looks like new. I used outdoor Varathane Diamond Wood Finish. This probably is not suitable for your weather conditions. Regards, Bob B.

 

[Bill18593]

Refinished ours

Refinished our tiller last summer. Sanded off the finish down to bare wood. Reshaped the tiller a little bit where its gripped to remore corners and have a more rounded appearance. Better comfort in-hand. Used Minwax Helmsman gloss, 6 coats. Looks very good. We also use a tiller cover when we're not out to protect the tiller even though Helmsman is UV resistant.

 

[Kevin B]

Epifanes and cover

I used Epifanes Clear Gloss varnish on my tiller and also keep it covered when not used. Very happy with the "varnish" look. This topic came up last year and the southerners definitely had more concerns about using varnish than us northern sailors, so you may want to try searching the archives.Kevin

 

[Donald6441]

thanks

thanks, im going to have my sis sew me a canvas tiller cover, she is already making me some winch covers, the idea makes good sense.