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Spar Urethane

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Have any of you used this Varathane spar varnish? Aside from the great price, the directions say you can put on the next coat after 2 hours, but within 24 without sanding. This potentially saves a lot of time and effort and a few dollars too. I think I’ll use it on the inside of the canoe I’m finishing up now. m

Mark
 

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I'm interested in this as well.. HD no longer supplies min wax products. I was a fan of helmsman spar urethane.

Jason
 
I use the Helmsman thinned out for initial coats and then full strength after that, with Epifanes on the final coat. I find the Epifanes gives a really nice amber tone and it is much harder and resists scuffing way better than Helmsman.It also costs twice as much if you can find it.
 
The issue I have with water based finishes is that the applied coat is very thin, because the solids content is so low. You need that recoat capability because you have to apply many more coats for similar build thickness ... so it may not be the bargain it appears. It is easier to clean up, and I do have and use water based stuff like that, just not near my outdoor gear (paddles/canoes).

I would also check what kind of UV blockers it has, I don't see any claims on the label, but the manufacturers website should have that info.


Brian
 
Here at the canoe shop we never, ever use any varnish that has the word Urethane on the label. It will look good for a while, then start to flake off and it will be impossible to sand down to re-finish, the only answer will be a chemical stripping of the varnish - not fun. I shudder when a canoe comes in for repairs with a coating of Urethane varnish on its interior, and the price goes up. There are several good traditional marine spar varnishes on the market, Lots of folks swear by the Epifanes. We have been using Captain's Varnish for over 25 years and have no reason to change. Sometimes a low price is not a bargain.

Also, are you sure you want to be using a water based product on a canoe?

Steve
 
I'd stick with Oil based, for canoes and kayaks ! For that matter, anything outdoors !

Do a little research, on the net.
 
They have the oil based stuff too with similar application specs. So far I’ve had good results with helmsman spar varnish for canoe interior. It appears to hold up well, but I don't know how it would be over the course of 10 or 20 years. Assuming the interior of a canoe only sees the sun or weather while the boat is in use, it should see relatively little exposure to UV in that time. The exterior of a canoe would be a different story, especially if the boat is stored outside. Like any finish, I suppose it should be sanded and refreshed like spar varnish every so often. I do find that the Helmsman spar doesn't give the wood much color, which I believe is what gives spar varnish its UV protection. Not much to find out there on the net regarding this topic aside from stories about lawn furniture that lives in the sun full time.

Mark
 
I used water based spar by that same brand on a canoe. I wasn't happy with it. Any time it gets wet and stays wet for a while it softens and turns that bluish color that water based finishes have. On the other hand it continued to do this even after some long trips and extended use so the varnish must have still been there, it wasn't like it just rubbed off on the first use. I went back to oil based.

Alan
 
I was a fan of helmsman spar urethane.

Me too. Still am, despite it’s tenancy to drip and sag if not tipped out.

I am leery of water-based stuff in boat work. Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane sports the “oily rags spontaneous combustion” warnings, so I guess it is not water based.

I have had success with Helmsman Spar Urethane on thwarts, yokes, seat frames and other brightwork. Not my preferred choice for a canoe hull exterior, but I have used it to top coat, after an initial epoxy coat, two very old (very thirsty) glass & nylon hulls, rolling on and tipping out the urethane after wet sanding, and it has held up fine.

In 2008 I set up a varnish/urethane/oil exposure test on some raw (sanded) wood and let it run for 55 months:

http://myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=40923

Available everywhere Minwax Helmsman was at the top, at least left untouched and unmaintained outside in the weather.

Practical Sailor later replicated that test with better materials and less sole-inspector subjectivity:

https://www.practical-sailor.com/iss...d_10576-1.html

I appreciated this part of the Practical Sailor review:

“One hardware store varnish has surprisingly held its own over the long haul: Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane. At half the cost of the recommended one-part varnishes, Minwax slacked in the color retention department, but it has proven its multi-season durability”
 
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I use Helmsman for all my canoes, both in and out. For a virgin application on the exterior of a stripper, I use a foam roller and tip it off with a foam brush, five coats. If I'm feeling naughty, I apply them all in one day, with no sanding in between.

I used water based marine varnish once, really regretted it, experience similar to Alan's and it was a bear to sand off.
 
Helmsman Oil based, will add a little color. Open a can of each, (Varathane, and Helmsman) and compare.

Jim
 
Yes, I agree Jim, helmsman does add a kind of rustic amber tinge, which is actually beneficial when I use a plain wood like white pine.
 
You know, I used some Helmsman last night and then some thinned Epifanes today, Even thinned, the Epifanes was head andshoulders better than the Helmsman when that was full strength. Just an observation.
 
You know, I used some Helmsman last night and then some thinned Epifanes today, Even thinned, the Epifanes was head andshoulders better than the Helmsman when that was full strength. Just an observation.

Better how? Helmsman is thick and doesn't flow very well un-thinned.
 
True I usually thin my helmsman. It dries lickity split too, which is important for a guy like me who disregards instructions on labels and does 5 coats in one day.
 
True I usually thin my helmsman. It dries lickity split too, which is important for a guy like me who disregards instructions on labels and does 5 coats in one day.

I'm right there with ya! I don't like varnishing, period, and I want to get it done like right now. I don't even fix oopsies unless they stick out like a sore thumb. They get sanded out the next refinish time and are replaced with new ones ;)
 
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