Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

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Ed
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Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Ed »

Just reacquainted myself with an old varnishing friend. Jotun Ravilak.

It is really very close to Le Tonkinois in type of varnish. But just a little more 'varnishy'.

Has same habit of skinning in the can though.

Like Tonkinois, I am not sure I would use it for a perfect finish on a racing boat, but for a hard-wearing traditional working boat, it works really well and is just the most gorgeous colour.

Also cheap on ebay.....certainly much cheaper on Tonkinois, which seams very dear these days.

I also bought 2.5litres of Jotun's standard single-pack varnish (alkyd I think). Intend to use that on the Jollyboat over 2 coats of G4, with possibly a finishing coat of epiphanes if needed. Will report back.

Been a couple of new rowing skiffs made here in Calstock recently. Plastic boats with wood (iroko or mahogany) trim. Both had all the wood finished with a couple of coats of Sittens Cetol. General opinion down here was the wood looked really good....and of course I was told it would last for years with no work needed at all..... I am really curious to see how they last. Better than my tideway with the Ravilak on it I am sure.....but how easy will it be to repair, and how long will it last. We will see.

Would I be tempted? Fraid not.....Didn't like the look much at all, but interesting to note again that most people can't really tell the difference, or understand why the beautiful depth of Ravilak is worth the extra effort.

Viva la difference!

eib
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Ancient Geek »

Ed,
I was always taught (At school, by boatbuilders/painters and by various boatmen.) that the correct thing to do after you have put the lid firmly on the tin is to turn it upside down that way any skin will form on the bottom and you'll not need tp punture it when you want to use it again and thus avoid bits in the varnish.
Simples.
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Ed »

yes, we had a thread on this a while ago.....turning upside down works well for traditional varnishes, but can be a nightmare for hard varnishes which are so hard to get a good seal with anyway.

What I was advised to do with Tonkinois by my mate Kevin Boyd.....he with the very old Dragon:

http://www.letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk/fil ... at_big.jpg

was to strain and decant it into small 500ml plastic bottles and expel all the air before doing them up.

This works really well. you never have any mess, no 'bits' and it forces you to pour it out into another vessel. You can tell instantly exactly how much you have and any sediment (you get sediment with Tonkinois!!) can easily be seen.

cheers

eib
Ed Bremner
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by neil »

the plastic bottle trick works a treat. I decanted my Tonkonois over 3 years ago. still have two bottles left
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by ACB »

Thanks for the plastic bottle tip.

(May I put in a small plug for my friend Richard Hare's long running varnish tests in "Classic Boat")

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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Garry R »

I pointed out a couple of years ago that decanting G4 is almost essential. If people want me to save plastc bottles (about 500ml size) I can do as we go through loads in the lab in which we buy mineral oil and glycerol for our analyses. They are screwtop, airtight and of course you can see how much you have left. Distribution would be via the usual channels on CVRDA.
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by chris »

I had been showed by a long gone painter that to carefully float a skim of turpentine on the surface before putting the lid on kept the skin away - but don't then shake the tin.
His other great tip for varnish brushes is to keep then in a jar of cooking oil. They will last from one year to the next without cleaning the varnish off first and will remain dust and bits free. Just clean them out on newspaper before use.
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Ed »

the thin layer of thinners on top of paint.....has never worked for me.

I guess it depends on the type of paint/varnish, but I remember opening a can of woodseal to find that it had completely turned to a gell from top to bottom.....but it still had a nice layer of thinners on top. I guess once it starts to go...that is is.

Also heard about the cooking oil, but how do you keep the brush in good condition. If you leave it on the bristle they will become all bent. do you have to put handle through top of lid? I bet this works - just can't see myself doing it.

thank goodness for rollers and Trago Mill's laminating brushes! Use and chuck!

(Guess that comes pretty close to Trolling!)

cheers

eib
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Ancient Geek »

Really good brushes hamiltons etc have a hole driled through which you put a nail or bit of dowel that suspends the brush in whatever your oil or solvent of choice is bristles hang clear of tin/jar bottom.
Simples.
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Ed »

you are right....they do, don't they!

I totally forgot that.

cheers

eib
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by ACB »

I drill a hole just above the ferrule and shove a bit of fence wire through that.

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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by chris »

Indeed suspending the brush is the thing to do but I have found that when spending a few days/weeks varnishing a boat it doesn't seem necessary. I use a sawn off 2pint plastic milk container with about 3" of cheapest cooking oil. I expect bouyancy comes into it but I think the oil probably is good for the bristles too. They stay in very good condition - not at all like leaving it in water overnight. I lay a piece of kitchen towel over it all to stop any dust settling.
This works better than washing the brush out thoroughly each day as I always find that there is some 'bits' to be discovered the next day. and you use a lot of solvent.

Yes, especially G4, buy cheap and throw away things.
Garry R

Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Garry R »

I don't know (and here comes another plug for Lidl!!!) what is in their universal thinners when it's on offer but it cleans up G4 brushes and most other paints and varnish brushes from solid if you are careless/lazy enough to leave them. It's dirt cheap too - about £2.50/L called Baufix and I always buy a couple of tins when it comes available.
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Michael Brigg »

If I have a left over brush I want to use the next day I find wrapping it in clingfilm seems to preserve it (for up to a week!) and allows pretty much instantaneous re-use.
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Re: Thoughts on Varnish - Ravilak, Sponton & Cetol

Post by Pat »

Supermarket carriers and poly bags go into Sandy's van for wrapping wet emulsion brushes and rollers when in the midst of a job. Oil based paint brushes go into a decorators' brush box with terry clips for suspending brushes which has a spirits container and evaporating wick to keep them in a moist spirit-laden atmosphere - no, not like Christmas parties although it is bought from Brewers!
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