I have stripped my rudder, tillers and daggerboard and am ready to refinish, but I'm finding conflicting advice on what to refinish with.
Some suggest using a good quality varnish, starting with a couple of thinned coats to penetrate the wood and finishing with five or six at full strength, sanding in between. Other posts say you need a coat or two of epoxy on the wood prior to varnish.
I suppose epoxy is harder than varnish so it may be slightly more dent-resistant, but on the other hand it's an inconvenience and additional expense here.
What's the popular wisdom? Is the epoxy layer really necessary?
I'm also confused about varnish quality. Some commenters argue that you have to spend the big bucks on pro-grade varnishes, and others suggest mid-grade is sufficient. Is the level of UV protection the key difference, or are there differences of hardness and water resistance as well?
Dave
Some suggest using a good quality varnish, starting with a couple of thinned coats to penetrate the wood and finishing with five or six at full strength, sanding in between. Other posts say you need a coat or two of epoxy on the wood prior to varnish.
I suppose epoxy is harder than varnish so it may be slightly more dent-resistant, but on the other hand it's an inconvenience and additional expense here.
What's the popular wisdom? Is the epoxy layer really necessary?
I'm also confused about varnish quality. Some commenters argue that you have to spend the big bucks on pro-grade varnishes, and others suggest mid-grade is sufficient. Is the level of UV protection the key difference, or are there differences of hardness and water resistance as well?
Dave