My 1st attempt and Red Rocks advice really is idiot proof.  (Of course I did it on Pascanell's canoe so if I ruined it I'm out nothing.)  I should have taken a "before" picture but . . . well, you can imagine what it looked like after 7 years and 160+ days in the Canadian Shield.

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DAMN that looks good............

Good luck with yours Geo - I think your job will be a little more challenging though.

First class job!   [smiley=thumbup.gif]

dd

was that varnish ? or epoxy finish ?

Pettit's Captains Varnish #2067

What a beauty!  As a guy contemplating purchasing a used SR from Red Rock Store, it's comforting to see how well a restore can go.

Okay, the 1st coat is dry (finally).  The can says 12-16 hours of dry time but it was closer to 36 hours - maybe it was the temps were a little low but I digress.

The question now is; do I do a second coat?  The finish is a little on the rough side, certainly not the smooth glass finish that the boat came with and I am wondering if it can ever be brought back to that finish.  I figured I would lightly sand with 120 - 180g paper and then use a squeegee for applying a thinner layer.  Any comments on this?  I was also thinking maybe let it dry for a few hours and then squeegee?  Or, maybe dilute the varnish with a little 333?  What say you?

I certainly am not any sort of expert, but wouldn't buffing with some sort of buffing wheel restore the glass finish?

Hmmm, that might work.  Would the heat generated make the varnish tacky again?  I have no idea really.

Is the uneven finish the result of the settling of dust during the cure or the roughness of the substrate?

It looks good- if you're bothered by it's slightly rough feel content yourself with the thought that a rough surface produces less friction when traveling through water.

Solus wrote on May 15^th, 2009 at 6:56pm:

Is the uneven finish the result of the settling of dust during the cure or the roughness of the substrate?

Dust and cat hair I think.


Quote:

It looks good- if you're bothered by it's slightly rough feel content yourself with the thought that a rough surface produces less friction when traveling through water.

Really?!  I didn't know that.   [smiley=dankk2.gif]  With that I will leave it alone then.   [smiley=thumbup.gif]

That should read "a rough surface patterned like a shark's skin"- with luck the dust and cat hair complied.

I'd be interested in learning the physics behind that.

I thought you would be interested, before I posted the last bit I searched the web for an article I'd read about prepping racing hulls and that perfect smoothness and waxing had fallen from favor due to some new understanding of fluid dynamics. Unfortunately I could not find the article. The idea was that the irregularities created small scale patterns of turbulence that made it easier for the hull to pass through the water.

Unfortunately that leaves you with the choice of accepting hearsay from an anonymous source or sanding a large object with 200-600 grit, then turning your garage into a dust and cat hair free environment. Neither choice too attractive. Perhaps the best course would be to develop your own theory justifying the status quo and raise a measure of single malt to a really good looking boat.

I think I get it - similar to a golf ball's dimples with air friction I assume.  

Regardless, I believe you.  I just pulled the seal off a bottle of Cragganmore 12 yr.  Again, thanks.  

Anyone need a finger or four?  Cheers.

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I remember Solus'  article and read it with rapt attention. Leave a few imperfections they will help to make your canoe faster. Last year I refinished a SRQ17 as you did and was thrilled with the results. Forego the additional coats and do that later when necessary. Mine turned out fantastic but I have no pics.

I'll take three fingers please.

I'd be interested in hearing how the varnish refinish holds up compared to epoxy.

Do the new scratches chip the varnish away along the edge of the scratch?

Does it seem to wear like the original epoxy finish?

BTW PJ. Great looking finish.

From my experience you get the dust and bugs trapped in the wet epoxy refinish too.