Re: satin vs. gloss varni

Posted by Ingrid H on Jun 3, 2007

Heidi, I was interested by your question and decided to do a little research on it. I was unable to find a single satin varnish that was designed for exterior use. Some reliable paint companies had satin varnishes but the tech specs said they were for interior use. I suppose you could try one over 4 or 5 coats gloss finish. What have you got to lose? The cost of a quart of satin varnish and some time sanding if it fails to stand up to the sun? It might be fine anyway especially if you store your boat undercover when not in use or being transported. There was another thread related to acheiving a satin finish recently and although I do not remember the details, somebody suggested using multiple coats of gloss and sanding the final coat with very fine sandpaper like 400 grit to achieve the desired look. You may want to do an experiment on some scrap wood and with different grits of sandpaper to see if you can acheive the look you are after and to determine if you would want to try the method on the whole surface of your kayak. And unless you intend to win a gold medal in your kayak, I wouldn't worry about the drag a satin finish might have over a glossy finish.

In Response to: satin vs. gloss varnish by Heidi on Jun 2, 2007

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