Brightwork Varnishing on a New Surface

[Sue & Larry]

If you're starting out from scratch, at least you'll know that everything was done correctly. Assuming that your old finish has already been removed or you're starting with a surface that hasn't been finished before, these are the steps that you need to follow to obtain a beautifully glistening finish. Sand the surface until smooth using 80-grit sandpaper, then switch to 220-grit and repeat. Use your tack cloth to remove all sanding dust and debris. Carefully tape the area off with long lasting, easy release tape. Tack area once again to ensure you've removed all sanding debris. With your foam brush apply your varnish, which has been thinned by 20 per cent with the recommended thinner. Let area dry thoroughly (maybe 24 hours). Sand with 220-grit sandpaper, tack and varnish as above. Continue as stated above, but slowly reduce the amount of thinner so that by coat number 5, you are thinning at the rate of no more than1 capful to every 8 ounces of varnish. After coat number 5, remove masking tape and re-mask using new tape. This will ensure a good seal on your edges, and it's time to remove your 5-day tape by now anyway. Continue the above process of sanding, tacking the surface and varnishing until you have achieved the desired number of coats. Generally, a minimum of 8 to10 coats of varnish is needed to protect the wood to the fullest and yield the desired high level finish. Several coats prior to your top coat you may transition to 320-grit sandpaper, assuming your surface is reasonably smooth. If possible don't thin your final 2 coats of varnish unless absolutely necessary. This will ensure that you have the maximum UV protection on top of your base sealing coats. See sidebar ôHow to Maintain Beautiful Brightworkö for hints, tips and tricks for making your varnishing job easier, and your brightwork everlasting. - - S.H., L.H.