Varnishes

It should take about two liters of varnish to apply four coats to a tandem canoe or a 17' solo kayak; double kayaks and rowing boats will use more, solo canoes will use less.

Coma Berenice CLEAR SPAR Varnish ($33.95/liter) This spar varnish produces an extremely high gloss, applies readily by brushing or spraying, and has high UV inhibitor protection. We have found this varnish to be the easiest to use; it has great flow out characteristics. You actually get more for your money here because the one liter gives you more material than a quart. You should thin this varnish by about 5% with the HMG Thinner listed below when brushing. This will reduce the viscosity so that your brush marks will flow out within 20 minutes or so.

Liters:

 
Please Note: All epoxy and varnish supplies must be shipped through FedEx. For an accurate shipping estimate, please select FedEx on the shipping screen.
 

HMG K-Type Matte OR Semi-Gloss (Satin) Varnish ($29.95/liter) This is a polyurethane varnish with fewer UV inhibitors than the CLEAR SPAR Varnish above. We like to use the Matte on the inside hull of our canoes and Rangeley Lake Boats when we leave the coarse "cloth" coat of fiberglass. Application of this material is VERY easy and forgiving; the Matte dries to a dull flat finish that hides the little variations on your inner hull that you would rather not see. Another use is for the inside of the strip or stitch n glue kayaks. This varnish dulls the gloss and gives you a very professional looking interior.

The Semi-Gloss provides a nice, satin finish. You can use this on the outer hull and it will look like a real wood boat without all the gloss.

For either version of this varnish we suggest applying the Coma Berenice Gloss listed above first in 2 to 3 coats and then top coating with Matte or Satin for the final finish.

Make sure you stir thoroughly to get the flattening agent evenly distributed in the mix.
Liters:
 
Please Note: All epoxy and varnish supplies must be shipped through FedEx. For an accurate shipping estimate, please select FedEx on the shipping screen.
 
Coma Berenice Thinner: We recommend thinning your varnish with the thinner that was developed for it. This means thinner and varnish will be compatible with each other and will produce predictable results. Using another brand of mineral spirits only introduces another variable into the chemical equation. Available in either liter or half-liter.
Size: Liters/Half-Liters:
 
Please Note: All epoxy and varnish supplies must be shipped through FedEx. For an accurate shipping estimate, please select FedEx on the shipping screen.
 
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