Every time I give the boat a coat of varnish, I have to wait at least 12 hours for it to cure. Then I can lightly sand it with 220 grit, which usually takes me about four to six hours on a boat this size.
There is anywhere from eight to 12 coats of varnish on a boat. A lot of people will stop with four, but once you’ve done eight to 12, you see the deep luster in the wood. It just makes a big difference in the sheen and the color.
The hardest part is keeping it clean. The varnish, when you sand it with 220 grit, is so light it just flies all over my shop. I’m constantly cleaning and vacuuming . I also run an electronic air cleaner just to try to help.
That’s just a second coat, but look at it. You are starting to see that shine. That luster is pretty sweet.
Look…you can already see the reflection of the lights from the ceiling. When you get outside, it just becomes a mirror. If you do it right and get that deep luster, you can actually see yourself in the boat.
Six or eight more coats and it should be there. Then I have to put the pin striping on and then the last and final coat.
Jack