> Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 12:22:19 PST
> From: "TOM WAGNER, Wizzard of old Audio/Visual Equipment........Nanaimo
> Campus" <wagner@mala.bc.ca>
> To: british-cars@autox.team.net
> Subject: Refinishing Wood Dash
>
>
> Now for the strange memories. I used a product called "Spar Varnish" to do
>the
> coating. It was great. It was brushable and flowed as smooth as glass. Does
> that sound like a form of "Valspar". Spar Varnish is/was made by Pitsburg
>Paint
> and is intended for painting "Spars" on boats. It is u/v and heat resistance
>and
Spar varnish has been around for a looong time. The newer UV blocker
varnishes on the market today will hold up better. Spar varnish tends
to yellow and cloud very quickly, which is okay on hidden wood, but not
what you want for exposed wood.
>BTW I brushed it and sanded with wet or dry. Final finish was put on with a
>felt pad soaked in linseed oil and used Pumice Powder as the abrasive. This
>stuff will polish glass....
Pumice stone powder is a good polishing compound for scratched or
blistered varnish too; just be careful because it cuts very quickly. If
the dash is in otherwise good shape except for the finish, pumice might
be worth a shot at rejuvenating the surface.
**Shellac again**
One trick antique furniture restorers use when they want to preserve
an original shellac coating that's in poor condition is to puddle
alcohol on the finish until it liquefies then re-spread it with a brush.
When it hardens again it can be polished with pumice power if necessary.
I've tried this with regular varnish and thinner but it didn't work very
well. I think modern varnishes undergo a more drastic chemical change
when they harden. Professional furniture restorers seem to be able to
do this sort of thing but I've never had much luck. Maybe they use
special solvents or something.
Roland
|