Varnish

[SeaBat]

What type and brand are recommended to roll/brush over West System Epoxy?

[Syd Marsden]

Captains, Epiphanies , Pettit, any of the major brands should work, I have not heard of any problems with any of them. I had great results with Pettits ultra V gold, not sure if they still make it. Just be sure to do a fine sanding to the epoxy and wipe down with a cleaner to get rid of the Blush. Here is another one, Helmsman Spar Urethane

[ZUL8TR]

I have used all those and others including Interlux they all work well if you know how to apply and thin a bit if needed to flow out depending on shop temp. At lower cost but a pretty good varnish been using Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane. I wet sand with 320 between coats (3 over epoxy is adequate for me). I do thin foam roll and foam brush tip then if last coat looks great except for some dust buggers I wait about 2 weeks and very fine sand and machine buff (with wet 2000 grit, wet 5000 grit then polish with Turtle Wax scratch and swirl remover super fine grit - this process works great on dull plastic headlight covers and other stuff.

[mrlou40]

Bill, I have always liked Pettit, on the 4th coat after wet sanding I might thin it a tad bit to flow better.

Carl

[A/B Speedliner]

West Marine is made by Epiphane and half the price. Not West Systems which is not a varnish

[mercsami]

I use Helmsman Spar Urethane, Clear Gloss. Apply with a 4in. wide foam applicator,[no brush marks] ,sand with 600 grit paper between coats. Three coats gives superior protection and looks professional. All this available at your local hardware store or home center.

[DeanFHobart]

I have used a product called Dura Tuff... it is a ‘moisture cure’ polyurethane.... it would dry in less than 30 minutes. I would use it to build up coats then use one of the varnishes mentioned above for the final coat. Wet sanded between coats of course. Another method would be to use a two part clear and the last coat after wet sanding can be polished with a polisher. You can get 1000 or 1200 grit wet sand paper at a Auto Paint Store. The hardware stores usually have only up to 600 grit wet sand paper.

[Team B&H]

Dean,
I always liked Dura-Tuff because it was a quality product that was clear, nor amber, dried quickly and on the directions it said one of the uses was on hydroplanes. It was made by a company near the racecourse in Alexandria Louisiana. However it doesn't seem to be available anymore.

[DeanFHobart]

Sam,

It is available... I found it on Fisherman’s Marine and Outdoor web site. It is now owned by Famowood. Different can, but the same product.

There also may be other similar products. Look for ‘Moisture Cure Urethane’... clear.

Deano............

[laddies]

First never thin varnish except when using as a sealer, heat it for spraying or in place of thinner. We like Captain Varnish by Petit, here a photo of 1 coat of sealer and 4 coats of captain varnish.

[benf27]

Personally I like to use an automotive clear coat. I put down one coat of epoxy and 3 coats of clear on new boats. Great finish and won’t yellow in the sun the way epoxy does. Also no sanding between coats. The stuff i use costs $120 for 2 gallons.

[David German]

Who's clear coat are you using ? Is there a product number or name ?

[benf27]

Advantage euro max 575

[runabout333]

A very good and not costly is Sherwin Williams 2 part polyurethane and it sprays well.

[ricochet112]

What type and brand are recommended to roll/brush over West System Epoxy?

Use Captains

[ricochet112]

What type and brand are recommended to roll/brush over West System Epoxy?

test...

[SeaBat]

Thanks all for your help and advice. Looks like I'll go with Pettit's Captains. It's available at stores near me and the price is comparable to what I would pay online.
Bill Thomas

[Tim Weber]

I’ve used Petit for years. It takes at least 3 coats which is sort of a pain. You have to sand between applications and the biggest trick I have found is to let it dry completely between coats.

It just takes time. If I had the proper place to spray I would use automotive clear coat. It way quicker and is a nice, gloss finish