Lew's Canoes
Canoe Builder
I am in the process of restoring a 30's era OT Yankee, and having a problem I have not experienced before. I have 4 coats of varnish on the interior - early coats thinned, last two nearly full strength - and I am getting a very uneven, blotchy finish. Most of the hull has a beautiful, smooth, even varnish coating, but there are a significant number of spots that have no gloss, and have taken 4-5 days to dry. The shop is heated and the good areas dried overnight, as expected. I am certain that the condition of the underlying wood was uniform, clean and dry, so I do not think that is the problem. I am suspecting a problem with the varnish - it is Pettit Captains #1015, which I have used succcessfully for years. However, the particular can I grabbed for this job had been sitting on my shelf for several years, unopened, and I am wondering if the contents had settled or separated, such that I had a 'out-of-spec' mixture when I poured about 1/3 of the contents from the can. I did not stir the contents before using, other than stirring in the thinner for the early coats. Anyone ever had such a problem, or care to suggest a course of action? Thanks, Lew