Spar Varnish

[canoenut]

Has anyone had experience with Le Tonkinois No. 1 varnish?

 

[Dan Miller]

There are reasonably good things being said about it over on the Woodenboat forums. Might not be too glossy, in case you are looking for that type of look. I've been looking forward to having a project that I can try it on myself.

Dan

 

[MikeCav]

No experience with that brand, but this month's Fine Woodworking arrived today and there is an article on testing a number of outdoor finishes during a year of actual testing of sample boards (cedar, ipe' mahogany, pine and white oak) in various climates (boards left outdoors in CT, OR, LA, NM to get a wide range of temperature, humidity, freeze thaw cycles etc. conditions.

Watco Exterior, Zar Exterior water based, McCloskey Man o' War Spar, Epifanes and Epifanes over a CPES base. Epifanes was their choice.

 

[ebeeby]

Mike - How did the Man o War stack up?

 

[pklonowski]

McCloskey's held up better than oil or water-based, but not nearly as well as Epi.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/Materials/MaterialsPDF.aspx?id=32304

I think they should have had a test point in the upper midwest, to really stretch their temperature range. But what do I know...