Varnish with amber coloring

[Howie]

So I sanded the seats down to get as much of the old staining attempts off he wood, then wiped on (& off) two coats of Minwax Golden Oak. The color was in the ballpark but not close enough to match the canoe's ash thwart I had previously stripped & varnished (without stain). So I got some Minwax Polyshades Classic Oak (I didn't see a 'interior use' warning) and applied 2 coats. The color was a bit better, so I then applied 2 coats of Gleam marine varnish. Here's the result. Finally I can start caning.

 

[Dave Aukes]

Howie, this is a little late but it's from Jamestown Distributors web site.

Note that the term spar varnish is often used colloquially to describe any exterior grade varnish or poly finish. If you are looking for the most traditional finish possible, consider making your own varnish. Our JD Homemade Varnish Recipe is an old Down East deck coating formula traditionally used on wooden decks for schooners, fishing boats, and porch decks. You will need 1 qt of Turpentine, 1 qt Boiled Linseed Oil, 1/2 pt Pine Tar, and 1/2 pt Japan Drier. What results is a darker, amber finish. To customize the mixture, add more pine tar for a darker color or add less for a lighter color. Allow more drying time for the darker mixture.

Dave

 

[Howie]

Dave: Hey, thanks very much!

 

[Howie]

Howie, this is a little late but it's from Jamestown Distributors web site.

Note that the term spar varnish is often used colloquially to describe any exterior grade varnish or poly finish. If you are looking for the most traditional finish possible, consider making your own varnish. Our JD Homemade Varnish Recipe is an old Down East deck coating formula traditionally used on wooden decks for schooners, fishing boats, and porch decks. You will need 1 qt of Turpentine, 1 qt Boiled Linseed Oil, 1/2 pt Pine Tar, and 1/2 pt Japan Drier. What results is a darker, amber finish. To customize the mixture, add more pine tar for a darker color or add less for a lighter color. Allow more drying time for the darker mixture.

Dave

Umm... Dave... I've been thinking: Do you think I could add a little of one or more of the components you list above to the varnish I usually use (Totalboat Gleam) and get a usable, darker, varnish? I assume that component would be pine tar. Care to guess how much (%) I might safely add?

O... I just did a Google and was 'told' that adding pine tar to Gleam isn't recommended. However it said that I could add a coating of pine tar itself, and after it dries (>72 hours) I could add another coating of Gleam. That seem right? Or should pine tar only be applied to bare wood?

 

[dtdcanoes]

Howie, sounds scary to me. Who is advising AI ? How dry is dry ? What kind of bond will you get with the Gleam ? All sounds gnarly to me , but will look forward to your getting what you want. I wonder what stripping down the road will be like with real pine tar on bare wood. WOW !
Dave

 

[Howie]

Dave: Yeah, I don't intend to do it. But you don't know stuff until you ask.

 

[dtdcanoes]

Yup, the old trust but verify thingy. Problem is with " can't take the time to verify" is the " killa from Manilla "
You're having fun, for sure.
Dave

 

[MGC]

If you are curious about what pine tar looks like on bare wood, look at the bottoms of your old cross-country skis. Step one in treating new skis was to liberally apply pine tar to the bases. The tar was heated in with a torch. I burned the heck out of my first pair of racing skis. I got the hang of it after that. From my experience the heated tar is impossible to remove from wood but it will eventually wear off.
To achieve the color Howie is trying to obtain, Pine tar would not be my choice. It's too dark.

 

[dtdcanoes]

Wood skis ? Way before my time, and surely darker than what might look nice enough.
Dave

 

[Dan Miller]

Pine tar wasn’t the problem with wood skis, it was when klister wax was used that the hard removal began :-/

When mixed in a soup, pine tar can add that golden color. Just a dab will do! On its own, forget it. Everything that rubs against will turn tarry.

 

[MGC]

Klister was/is not a problem just for wooden skis. I still ski waxable "modern" skis, and getting that crap off of those is as much of a PITA as it is on my wooden skis.
I do love my modern Fischer's, but the old wooden Splitkein and Bla Skia were the absolute best. The feel you can get for the snow is not possible on modern skis....but they are much slower.