HELP !!! Spar Urethane gone bad! - Tiki Carving

BPB Bay Park Buzzy Tiki Socialite West Bay Park, San Diego, CA Joined: Apr 07, 2006 Posts: 3066	BPB Bay Park Buzzy Posted posted on Tue, Sep 21, 2010 12:20 PM I stopped using that brand a while ago because it pretty much sucked...I've had better results with the ACE brand spar. However, I can see a few problems in your application of it as well. "Last night I bought some Varithane spar urethane out door clear satin.I applied a thick coat in my garage around 9 pm" Next time, put the spar on in the morning on the warmest, dryest day possible. It was actually drizzly on the coast over here last night and this morning. You're a little drier out there, but it's still way to moist to be doing that. Cloudy, cold, and damp weather will mess with the drying process. A sunny day and it will be dry to the touch in 3-6 hours, on days like we have today, it could take as long 2-3 days. You should keep it at least 70 degrees and dry for best results "I applied a thick coat in my garage around 9 pm. It looked even and glossy" It just hurts me to read that. you should do several very thin coats instead. The first I do with spar doesn't even look like it was finished at all. It should take on its sealed finished look after about the third coat. If you look at the way the thick spar dries on the rim of your can, you'll see what happens to the tone of the spar when it is too thick to dry right. That's probably what is happening to you right now. Sometimes it will happen if your second coat gets sealed between the first and third without drying all the way. that will usually discolor about a month or so after you do it wrong. It's like a tiki finishing time bomb! Hope it doesn't happen like that after you sell it or pass it on... " All those hours of work just to ruin it in the end." Yep. And unfortunately, you know exactly what not to do next time. If it was that easy, eveyone would make perfectly carved and finshed tikis every time. I always do a few quick "test" carvings before I use any new stain or finsh type or brand. that way, if something unforseen happens, I'm only out a few hours work, rather than several days. If it was me, I'd go get some stripper, and start all over again. You've been working on that tiki for about 6-7 months now? What's another few days of refinishing? Buzzy Out!

I stopped using that brand a while ago because it pretty much sucked...I've had better results with the ACE brand spar.

However, I can see a few problems in your application of it as well.

"Last night I bought some Varithane spar urethane out door clear satin.I applied a thick coat in my garage around 9 pm"

Next time, put the spar on in the morning on the warmest, dryest day possible. It was actually drizzly on the coast over here last night and this morning. You're a little drier out there, but it's still way to moist to be doing that. Cloudy, cold, and damp weather will mess with the drying process. A sunny day and it will be dry to the touch in 3-6 hours, on days like we have today, it could take as long 2-3 days. You should keep it at least 70 degrees and dry for best results

"I applied a thick coat in my garage around 9 pm.
It looked even and glossy"

It just hurts me to read that. you should do several very thin coats instead. The first I do with spar doesn't even look like it was finished at all. It should take on its sealed finished look after about the third coat. If you look at the way the thick spar dries on the rim of your can, you'll see what happens to the tone of the spar when it is too thick to dry right. That's probably what is happening to you right now. Sometimes it will happen if your second coat gets sealed between the first and third without drying all the way. that will usually discolor about a month or so after you do it wrong. It's like a tiki finishing time bomb! Hope it doesn't happen like that after you sell it or pass it on...

" All those hours of work just to ruin it in the end."

Yep. And unfortunately, you know exactly what not to do next time. If it was that easy, eveyone would make perfectly carved and finshed tikis every time.

I always do a few quick "test" carvings before I use any new stain or finsh type or brand. that way, if something unforseen happens, I'm only out a few hours work, rather than several days.

If it was me, I'd go get some stripper, and start all over again.

You've been working on that tiki for about 6-7 months now? What's another few days of refinishing?

Buzzy Out!

Post #555184 by Bay Park Buzzy on Tue, Sep 21, 2010 12:20 PM