ecgossett Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 What do you guys do for okoume to give it a natural look? I'm building a boat for father in law in Colorado and want to impress.. he wants entire boat to look natural. Is B&B epoxy enough, or do I need to upgrade to Silvertip? What clear coat is recommended for UV protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul356 Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 2 or 3 coats of B&B. work the first coat into the ply with a spreader, like a bondo spreader. keep subsequent coats light, either using spreader again for 2d or a brush, but not rolled. wash between coats to remove amine blush, and sand between coats as needed to keep things smooth. sand the final coat smooth with 120, maybe up to 220. finish with spar varnish, 2 or 3 or more coats. photo shows 1st coat of varnish on decks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecgossett Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 What is your eat threw rate on varnish? I'm worried about the high UV in Colorado. My mother used to leave out ball canning jars in son at our cabin and at end of summer sell them as antiques to tourists, because they had turned a shade of blue in son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul356 Posted January 9, 2017 Report Share Posted January 9, 2017 It was about half a quart can to put two coats of varnish on the decks you see there plus the transom. Then the weather caught up to me, and I had to put it away for the winter. It was too cold on the day I put the second coat on, so I'll probably put two more on in the spring, sanding more than usual to get the second coat smoother. I'm using Zspar by Petit, mostly because I've used it for years and feel like I know how it will go on. I used the same approach on my previous boat, a Bluegill, and it lasted far longer than it should have, given the neglect that boat endured in later life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wile E. Coyote Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 I used Z-Spar Flagship on my cedar strip canoe - it claimed to have the highest UV protection available. I store my canoe inside, but it's seen 14 years of good use, and stays on the truck for extended periods and is still in good condition. No epoxy problems. I refresh it periodically. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccormick Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 If you have the ability to spray you may also consider automotive clear coat. I have used it on a number of projects and it has held up well. The wife's kayak is 15 years old and I buffed it for the first time last year. Looks like the day I sprayed it. Most epoxies will give you a nice clear finish. I have used west with and with out the special hardener, proset, raka and others. I could never tell the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennneee Posted January 13, 2017 Report Share Posted January 13, 2017 These are both automotive clear coat and quite durable. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennneee Posted January 13, 2017 Report Share Posted January 13, 2017 Another product I have had good luck with is Bristol Yacht Finish. It is a 2 part system that is similar to an automotive clear coat but with more UV inhibitors. It has a more amber cast, much like a traditional spar varnish. I have beat the daylights out of some of my boats that have been coated with it and it has held up amazingly well. It sprays well but has the safety issues of many of the 2 part systems. I have also rolled and tipped it and had it shrink up nicely and looks pretty close to being sprayed. http://bristolfinish.us/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAR Posted January 14, 2017 Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 I too use Bristol Finish and once you get a handle on what it needs to finish out, it's the bee's knees and very durable. You pay for this, but it does rival base/clear coat finishes in gloss retention, durability, buffing, UV tolerance, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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