Varathane or Helmsman?

Vester

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Jul 26, 2001, 10:43:22 PM7/26/01

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Hello, I've been following this group for a few months now. Brief
intro...My name is Vester and I build portable wooden storage buildings
and sheds for a living. I build these buildings on site.

I'm trying to find the best exterior "clear" wood protector. I like to
leave my corner and door trim natural. Especially if its a nice piece of
knotty pine. My search has led me to Varathane and Helmsman spar-thane
made by Minwax. Does anybody have any experience with either of these
products? Thanks.

Vester

eric ryder

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Jul 27, 2001, 3:16:21 AM7/27/01

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I'm currently having a problem with Helmsman failing on mahogany. Seems to
be mostly caused by sun exposure. Might be good stuff, but you'll have to
pay me to use it again.

Vester <thrott...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:17761-3B6...@storefull-263.iap.bryant.webtv.net...

Lew Hodgett

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Jul 27, 2001, 12:26:47 AM7/27/01

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"Vester" writes:
> Hello, I've been following this group for a few months now. Brief
> intro...My name is Vester and I build portable wooden storage buildings
> and sheds for a living. I build these buildings on site.
>
> I'm trying to find the best exterior "clear" wood protector.

<snip>

If you are truly serious, you start with marine spar varnish with UV
inhibitors as a minimum coating.

Anything less is just plain crap, IMHO.

BTW, you may need mouth to mouth resuscitation after you check the price of
good spar varnish.

You will need a decent spray package, something like a DiVilbiss JGA gun
with a separate 2 qt pressure pot, along with a compressor that can deliver
about 15 SCFM at about 75 PSIG.

Does a great job, but inexpensive it isn't.

HTH

--
Lew
S/A: Challenge (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: <http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett> for pictures
There are no problems, only varying degrees of challenging opportunity

Larry Shearer

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Jul 27, 2001, 5:53:48 AM7/27/01

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I have had some Helmsman out in the North Carolina weather for over a year
on white pine and it looks as good as it did when I put it on.....

Mark

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Jul 27, 2001, 10:12:14 AM7/27/01

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Can you share your finishing schedule..also what sort of object did you
build out of white pine ?

I would have expected the heavy sun, high humidty and occasionally heavy
rain to have lifted the finish right off. Then the termites attack :)

-Mark, in Raleigh

Tom O'Connor

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Jul 27, 2001, 6:33:37 PM7/27/01

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>
> I'm trying to find the best exterior "clear" wood protector. >

> Vester
>I've had very good luck with varathane, even in salt air situation. Tom

SWarren81

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Jul 27, 2001, 11:29:13 PM7/27/01

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I have used Varathane on pine patio furniture in hot, arid West Texas. It
appears to need an annual light sanding and re-application. I left it alone on
a couple of Adirondack chairs for two years and it is now peeled very badly and
I will need to completely strip and apply something else. I have yet to use
Spar, but I may give it a try. No more Varathane.

Slouch