Varnishing a mast

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Nessa
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Varnishing a mast

Post by Nessa »

I have offered to varnish or epoxy the mast from a Drascombe Longboat after it has been repaired for severe footrot. Are there any tips for how to stop the varnish/epoxy from dribbling round the mast, and how should I approach varnishing a cylindrical object?
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Garry R »

For a mast I would use Epiphanes or Goldspar (seems appropriate) as these are traditional varnishes with some flex in them. It's a bit tricky but use thin coats to avoid runs. I actually find the worst case for runs is a clinker hull upside down near the bows. Too much varnish there and it builds up at the lands and then flows onto the next plank. Certainly a roller gives the thin coat you need and then the jenny brush smooths it out. I just used a brush though when I did Secret Water's mast and I used the halyards to support it from the garage rafters so that I could varnish it in one go. Hope this helps.
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Ancient Geek »

Can't argue with Garry but I would add - thinned varnish very thinly applied with a proper brush!
Sorry I am old fashioned in that. A good "Hamiltons Oval" makes it so easy. If its short you could always do it (Varnish that is.) verticallty and use a ladder.
There is pretty nearly always a place where fittings go you can use as a prop.
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Ancient Geek »

This is full of good stuff advice and brushes
http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk/hamilton.html
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Nessa »

Does this mean I must not use epoxy as it will crack when the mast flexes? The Drascombe belongs to sailability at Grafham, so no one person really takes responsibility for its care (hence the footrot I fear) which is why they are suggesting epoxy as it is more durable. Is there anywya I can epoxy the lower part where it sits in its plug, then varnish the rest?
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Ed »

I don't think epoxy will crack.....

it will just be hard to apply.....hard to remove....and any damage must be fixed immediately or you get the dreaded white marks associated with water getting behind the epoxy (by osmosis) that can't dry due to the waterproof nature of the epoxy.

agree with everything else said, would only add that due to masts being in the sun so much you will need to think a little more about how to remove the stuff that much sooner.

I know one guy with a Falmouth work boat that uses nothing but copious coats of UCP or Blakes woodseal and then just a coat or two of varnish over top - has worked well.

as said though, I would just go for simple varnish like those mentioned. If you want to coat the bottom bit which is under wear all the time, you could....just varnish over the top.

cheers

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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Rupert »

There is another approach, as usual...use something that doesn't form a coating in the way varnish or epoxy does, like sadolin, or if more oldfashioned, an oil of some sort. That way all that needs to be done is to slap a new coat on each season, with little need to clean old stuff off. Runs are easier to deal with, too.
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Graham T »

Someone at our club has done his Drascombe mast with "Deks Olje" (sp?) which seems to have worked very well - it even looks shiney and varnished but is in effect oiled. If you use epoxy you will still have to varnish as on the whole epoxy is not UV stable.
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by ent228 »

I assume that the mast has not been stripped so you will have to use varnish. Oil is great, I used linseed for years on a mirror mast and it worked fine, but probably no good here. One thing to consider is that if no one is responsible for the boat then you may find yourself asked to do the job again all too soon, as if the foot has rotted that means its been standing in water as no one pumps it out. Maybe you could suggest that they fit an automatic bilge pump, as its to late to replace the bottom of the mast with a length of aluminium tube and avoid future problems
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by ACB »

I would not use epoxy - no benefits, and a very big risk of trapping water behind it if it splits and causing rot - wtth one exception - epoxy the head and the foot before varnishing to stop moisture ingress there.

There is a very good case for using Coelan on this Drascombe's mast - it is far and away the most durable of the varnish type finishes - but the owners may not care for the very strident yellow colour of the primer. You won't have change from sixty quid if you do this, but of you do you can leave the mast in the boat and forget about it for at least five years.

See below for how to apply the stuff - it repays care.

You can use Deks Olje but it will be expensive (more than sixty quid) as the mast will soak up a couple of big cans of no 1, which will change its colour. If you leave it with "No. 1" on it will need re-doing every six weeks. Don't think it penetrates more than a fraction of an inch into the wood - most of it evaporates! Finish with no 2 to get a durable varnished finish. This is a pretty labour intensive method, and nowhere near as durable as Coelan.

"Don't ask me how I know this" - 25 years ownership of a 37ft gaff cutter with loads of varnish, sailed winter and summer - believe me, I have tried everything, and settled on Coelan for the bits left out in the weather, Epifanes varnish for the bits that are usually covered and Deks Olje 1 and 2 for the wooden block shells.

Like Garry and the AG, if varnishing, I would use Epifanes - the ordinary one not the mickey mouse one for lazy people - and a proper brush - Hamiltons oval and not too big. Thin it as directed on the can, preferably using genuine turpentine, which it likes, for the first coats.

Before you start, remove all fittings that can be removed and put them in a Ziploc bag with labels showing where they go, as required.

Consider a wash down with oxalic acid; if you do this be sure to rinse well with fresh water and remembver it will raise the grain.

Hand sand with the grain; no need to use massively coarse grit - start with 100 and finish with 220 before the first coat and use 220 and 300 after that.

Keep varnish out of the luff groove if any - it was sealed by running a red hot poker down it when the mast was made.

You are going to need six coats for a proper job. The first four coats are just filling the grain.

After the first four coats thin the varnish with Owatrol, not turpentine and certainly not "thinners".

Lay each coat on fairly thinly - the idea is to get many thin coats, which are much tougher than a few thick coats because the latter never dry properly (and you will get runs!)

Turn the mast different ways up for each coat.

Give it a week after the last coat and screw the fitting back on.

Cost about thirty quid for the Epifanes, sandpaper, turpentine and Owatrol - keep the brush. It will last you for years.

Now, to use Coelan:

I'm going to assume you own a hot air stripping gun! You will also need lots of rubber gloves as used for epoxying, mixing containers ditto and cheap brushes ditto.

You need to buy one can of Coelan clear (don't buy the matt finish one by mistake - DAMHIKT!) one can of YELLOW primer (not the red or the brown one) and one can of Coelan thinners.

After rubbing down, apply two coats of primer allowing 3-4 hours between coats.

Open the tin of Coelan and decant half an inch into a mixing bucket, then immediately turn on the hot air gun and point it into the container before putting the lid firmly back on - this is ESSENTIAL because the stuff is moisture curing - the hot air is dry... otherwise you have a tin shaped solid lump of very expensive polyurethane!

Thin it down to the consistency of varnish and apply it as you would varnish, using an el cheapo brush that you have already stroked over a brick to get the loose bristles off .

Throw the brush away.

Give it 24 hours to dry and rub down - just as you would varnish. This stuff self levels better than varnish if correctly thinned and you can get a stunningly good result with it if you are careful.

Repeat six times, or until you have used up the can. You want a coating thickness of one millimetre.

Fit and forget...

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Nessa
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by Nessa »

That is fantastic advice! Unfortunately I cannot get epiphanes locally, so I have gone for goldspar. Everything else has been acquired accordingly at £30.04p. The mast has already been cleaned down for me which is a real bonus. My problem is that the boat is used for taking a group of autistic adults on a jaunt round Grafham every other week, so I am under pressure to get it done pretty quickly. Much as I would like to, I doubt they will alow me the time I need to do it properly. We will see.

many thanks for the help,

nessa
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Re: Varnishing a mast

Post by ACB »

Goldspar is fine! Thin coats dry much faster than thick ones. Once you have three coats on, you can save time by sanding between coats using wet and dry paper used wet - its safe to do this when the varnish is not quite as hard as it has to be for dry sanding.

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