Completing the Spars

I had expected to be at this point back in February but issues with varnish have delayed me. As it turns out, the varnish issues led to my being able to go back and apply a stain to all the spars, which I am very glad to have done.

Each spar was treated as follows:

1. Sanded smooth to 220
2. Wiped with stain (Mohawk Ultra Penetrating, Thistle)
3. Three coats of epoxy
4. Sanded smooth to 320 grit
5. Three coats of Interlux Schooner Gold
6. One coat of Interlux Schooner. I just wanted to try Schooner vs Gold. Schooner is easier to apply.
7. Two coats Interlux Goldspar Satin varnish

(A scotchbrite pad was used to remove all gloss between varnish coats. Dust cleaned with denatured alcohol and tack cloth.)

As Schooner Gold touts that one Gold coat is the equivalent of two regular coats, I consider that I’ve coated each spar in 9 coats of varnish.

Satin Finish

From the beginning of this build I have contemplated a more matte finish than the high gloss Schooner or Schooner Gold. After I had put seven coats of the gloss on my spars I found I definitely wanted to tone down the finish.

In addition to simply wanting a matte finish, I wasn’t happy with what I assume was my surface prep : Despite scuffing with a scotchbrite to a uniform cloudy surface between each varnish coat, inevitably the next coat of varnish would illuminate a ‘wavy’ surface below. I wish I had taken a picture, but the description is apt. The surfaces seemed perfectly smooth prior to varnish, but there is was. A welcome side effect of the satin finish was to completely obscure this waviness. The finished product looks REALLY good.

Below is a picture of a glossy bowsprit and a satin finished boom. You can’t see the waviness in the bowsprit but you can certainly get a feel for the difference between a gloss and a satin finish.

Rearranging the Shop

After the last coat of varnish dried enough to handle, I hung the sticks from the ceiling to get out of the way and finish their cure. Since they had been on spindles already and still had holes at their ends, I simply recreated the spindles for my hangers. I wondered if hanging from straps might cause the surface touching the straps to cure differently somehow and wind up leaving noticeable marks. I honestly don’t believe this would happen but with all the trouble these things have been I’m not taking chances.

Here’s a sketch-up when I was thinking this through…

Goodbye, spar benches!

These were fun to build and turned out to be very effective for efficiently finishing the mast, etc. but taking them down and getting them the hell out of my shop was as enjoyable a part of this build I’ve had yet. I am ready to MOVE ON.

And gone…

Finally I can build my cradle and begin on the hull. As many before me, I added casters, and she seems to be square and solid. My bottom hull pieces are mated up and ready for stitching once I drop the keel into the cradle.

Next

Dropping the keel and stitching the hull…