Preview: Varnishing Tips & Techniques, Part 1 – Sanding for Varnish
* * *
OffCenterHarbor.com is a membership website with over 1,000 videos and articles
on boat handling, repairs, maintenance, boat building, dream boats and more.
Sign up above to learn more, and get 10 of our best videos.
* * *
June 6, 2019
Email this Video to a FriendFor a lot of us, a perfectly applied coat of varnish is an elusive (if not altogether impossible) dream. For Maureen Barnard at Artisan Boatworks, it’s a day-to-day reality. “Mo”, as she’s called, has spent much of her life with sand paper and varnish brushes in hand, and Artisan Boatworks in nearby Rockport is known for turning out exceptional finish work on many of the finest wooden boats that sail on the Maine coast. Let’s see what Mo and Artisan have to teach us.
Get Free Videos Start Free Trial Members Sign In
Comments, Thoughts or Suggestions?You can leave a comment or question for OCH and members below. Here are the comments so far…
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
18 Responses So Far to “Varnishing Tips & Techniques, Part 1 – Sanding for Varnish”
or …
george bahen says:
Timmy Sharp a young man working at the Oxford Boat yard in Oxford, Md a few years back did most of the bright work on the better boats. He worked very quick and his work was flawless He also worked in a white button down dress shirt and usually light colored pants which were comfortable. So help me when he was through there was never a or speck or spot of of any kind on him of his hands.
To me amazing as when finished my hands loaded with varnish/paint running down to my right elbow and clothes ruined.
Like your publication very much, Best, g.b.
Kaci Cronkhite says:
Perfect timing and reminder to be super patient with the prep. Really appreciated the tip about the sanding block and working on the “crackly” joint between deck and toe rail. Love Mo’s humorous back and forth with those niggling temptations… do it now, or next year? And, not to make it worse, by sanding a ding even deeper. Jazzed to watch the next video. Thanks OCH and Mo!
Sean Scully says:
What i liked about this video, is the same tips can be used in glassing a boat top coat, Thank you Mo.
David Butcher says:
Any news when part 2 will be available.
Jack Haverty says:
Any tips on screwing hardware back into the finished coat? Concerned about moisture seeping in and need a product recommendation to seal the fixture
Paul Grun says:
butyl tape.
Jerry Hickman says:
Thanks Mo , I’m liking all your nuances , as I need that kind of help!
Remember , start slow and ease up!
robert friedlander says:
what about black spots on wood where varnish wore out
Jeffrey Evans says:
I’ve been looking forward to an instructional video on varnish work from you all. This is really invaluable information from a real pro. It’s such a help to amateurs like me. Thanks!
Alan Houghton says:
Bring on videos #2 and #3, can’t wait :-) Thank you.
Tobias Edler says:
Great video! What kind of rag ist that? Is it dry or damp?
Patrick Daniels says:
+1 for rogue moves! Yeah!
Gary Prost says:
She’s giving great tips, but I think she really confirms that the most important things in sanding and varnish prep are attention to detail and patience. I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Gary Prost says:
The Moe’s Books tee-shirt fits well in an Off Center Harbor instruction video.
Maurice Johnson says:
My kit includes an 18 ” 3/8 ” PVC lavatory supply tube for blowing dust out of the corners and fittings, without having to put my face and eyes too close to the work
Michael Seibert says:
Great video.
I would be very interested to hear Mo’s tips on how to get a nice smooth varnish surface without the little lumps and brush marks that drove me half-crazy when I bright-finished the entire inside of my new Lightning. When I was done, I swore I would never go through that again.
Lansing Hays says:
Excellent start. Just finished my two coats for this season, and this video reveals all my short cuts. Rats! Varnishing is an act of patience, and I am constantly running out. Hope Mo covers patching established varnish and removing masking tape residue (not all of us are able to remove all masking tape each session!) in later sessions.
Ed Altonji says:
Perhaps what I enjoyed most is Mo’s lesson in patience, to go slow and hopefully enjoy the process (it is summer after all). I’m just about ready to start the varnishing on my new build rails so this is very timely. Thank you!