Epifanes Woodfinish Gloss

[roverhi]

Anyone used Epifanes Woodfinish Gloss, how did it hold up and what is it?? Don't intend to start a varnish war when we all should be out sailing.

Have used Epifanes Gloss Varnish for years with mixed results. Looks great when first applied but doesn't seem to hold up to the tropical sun here. But then no varnish seems to hold up.

Inherited this 'Woodfinish Gloss' product and wondering what the difference is between it and the Epifanes Varnish. It gives a very shiny gloss finish but no idea if it will last or somehow easy to recoat. Can suggests using the Varnish but doesn't say it's needed. Is it just a high build undercoat to cut down on the 5 coats that is reccomended for initial coating of Varnish.

I'm just finishing up a total redo of the deck on my boat. Removed all the hardware so it's relatively easy for me to redo the pads, caprail, etc on the boat. Tried Cetol Light on a couple of teak parts but the best thing I can say about it is it looks like thinned orange paint. Hear it holds up well though wasn't impressed when I tried it a couple of years ago. Tempted to paint all the exterior wood as trying to stay ahead of the UV damage to varnish seems like a full time job.

I tried to do a search of the archives just in case this topic had been covered before but see no way to do it. No search box anywhere.

[keepondancin]

I used Woodfinish a while ago. I thought it was softer then Epifanes Varnish. The Epifanes Rep, at a boat show said it should be as good. I still think the Varnish is more durable. Using a couple of coats to quick-build film thickness should be good, but then I would allow it to cure/harden, then top coat with Varnish. What I am doing now, is wooding the teak, doing 3-4 coats in a day of Rapid-Clear, then switch to Varnish.

[roverhi]

What is Rapid-Clear?? Mahalo for the info on Woodfinish.

[keepondancin]

Rapid-Clear is an Epifanes clear coating. It is a varnish that has a different solvent base, that chemically allows coats to bond without sanding. You can do up to 4 coats a day with out sanding, and I don't think there is a time window at all for recoating. It is very thin, so the film thickness build-up is slow. What I think it is good for is a sealer, and the first coats that you usually have to thin Epifanes Varnish. It dries quickly, so the weather window is less critical. There is another product called Rapid-Coat which is tinted. I don't use, or haven't seen it in reltime. I still sand after 4 coats, which is probably less than 2 coats of Wood Finish, just to keep any runs or sags under control. Also, sanded it is easier to see if you have any holidays. I do like Epifanes, inspite of it's ideocyncracies. It just looks good when you get that almost perfect last coat on.

[pressuredrop]

i am doing the bright work on a fiberglass herreshoff 12.5, theres a whole lot for a 16' boat, anyways im a going to go with wood finish gloss as well as it says espically for teak, and all trim sans inside of transom is teak....

questions at this point are
is rapid clear advisable on teak? planning on using it at this point...
if rapid clear is used (multiple coats) is it still necessary to thin the first coat of varnish?

ill let you guys know how i like this stuff in a week or so... today is hours 8-16 with heat gun and scraper

[keepondancin]

I believe Rapid-clear is as good on teak as any other Epifanes clear finishes. I don't thin the Varnish after seaking with several coats of Rapid-clear. I will thin if it isn't brushing correctly, using either their thinner, or Interlux 333 if I want to slow the varnish down so it flows better on sunny or hot days. My experience is that 2-4 coats of Rapid-clear is equal to one coat of regular varnish, as far as grain filling.

[Noname]

I used Epifanes Woodfinish Gloss to revarnish the cabin sole last year. It is holding up well and the ease of application was impressive, ie..no sanding required between coats. I did use a 400 grit hand sand before the last coat however. Their website is chock full of info and tips, etc.

Epifanes - the finest marine coatings, yacht paints and varnishes in the world - International Site

[Shoalcove]

I've used Woodfinish gloss for about 10 years on my hatches and coamings. The original coatings are still looking good but I do lightly sand and put on a fresh coat every spring and fall. I sometimes top coat with regular Epiphanes as it is a bit tougher IMHO. I like it!

[Carlisle Spirit]

Originally Posted by Shoalcove

I've used Woodfinish gloss for about 10 years on my hatches and coamings. The original coatings are still looking good but I do lightly sand and put on a fresh coat every spring and fall. I sometimes top coat with regular Epiphanes as it is a bit tougher IMHO. I like it!

I have experimented with both and prefer the original

The WoodGloss version seems stickier and has some kind of pigmentation in solution which i dont like as much



CS