Brightwork Varnish - First Coat

For Tuesday, February 9^th, I decided to make use of some time I had and turn my attention to the brightwork. When we are in those longer days of summer and fall, I typically take a couple days of the week and work on-site where Froonie rests on jack stands. But through the shorter days of winter, and this likely works in my favor, I am forced to work on other related tasks to be completed prior to Froonie’s launch.

For Froonie’s brightwork varnish I decided to use Epifanes high gloss clear varnish. I thought originally that I would simply clean the brightwork with TSP, treat with teak oil, and then reinstall the pieces. After giving some thought to the brightwork, and reviewing a lot of restoration pictures of successful refinishing, I decided the “wet” and glossy look of varnished brightwork would be worth the effort and expense.

So on to the brightwork. I staged a work surface and lay out as much of the brightwork as I could, and prepared my tools. I first thoroughly wiped all surfaces with acetone, and then set aside. Next, I mixed the Epifanes high gloss varnish with an Epifanes thinning agent with a 2:1 ratio. For the first coats, the varnish is thinned with more of the thinning agent; later applications will take the thinning agent down to 25% by volume. Also, for the first coat I decided to use a foam brush. Later, in the process of applying the subsequent coats, I will switch to a higher quality natural bristle brush. The first application of the heavily thinned varnish is meant to really soak into the bare wood – providing a good base for later applications. Here are a couple pictures of the first application of Epifanes high gloss clear varnish.