List: trawlers@lists.trawlering.com
From: scaramouche@tvo.org
TWL: Re: Armada Satin finish
Wed, Oct 20, 1999 2:50 PM
I had so many requests for the article, that I think it appropriate
to send it to the whole list. Please understand it is not by me, it
is a reprint from another list. I have no other info - George of
Scaramouche.
Reprinted as requested from another list:
Here's an update on Armada experiences.
First, West Marine has bought a major chunk of Armada's production
and is
selling it as 'Wood Pro' - both the satin and glossy version are
available
for roughly $25/quart.
After a year with the Armada Satin finish, there is no detectable
wear or
sunburn on our foredeck, the colors remain consistent, there are no
cracks
in the coating, and no thin spots.
This summer we hired a fellow who lives on the next dock to help us
to burn
off the old varnish and sand down the side decks - it's embarrassing
how
much better someone who does finishes for a living is than us
amateurs.
Working with a heat gun, scraper, 6" orbital, and a Fein detail
sander, Sam
got the side decks almost perfectly fair - no cupping, no divots, no
bulging
Polysulphide seam compound.
He then attacked the Armada, and worked out an interesting application
process which created a finish which looks very much like a boiled
linseed
oil treatment, deep, rich, but not a bit glossy.
With his permission, here are Sam's tips for putting Armada on decks:
"Don't over-prepare - it's easy to go nuts with the sanding, but
you're
better off just using an 80/100/150 grit sequence and then spend the
rest of
your time chasing down dirt and dust. Armada wants a soft, open
surface to
penetrate into and finer grits close up the wood too much."
"Keep a heatgun handy, and just before you sand, run it lightly over
the
seams - just enough to soften them, but not enough to make the
compound real
gummy. Then, as you go over them, the sander will heat them up enough
to
form a new seal between the sealer and the wood."
"Treat this stuff like stubborn varnish - it is thick, but flows out
OK if
you keep working it with the brush. Slather it on however you like,
but
brush it out in one direction only, and use a stupid number of
strokes to
thin it out. Pay attention to feathering in behind and to your wet
edge. A
capful of Japan Drier per coat seems to make it flow better and helps
it set
up faster if the temperature is below 70 degrees."
"Forget what the can says, let this stuff dry at least 24 - 48 hours
between
coats. Also, wipe down with a rag saturated in acetone between coats -
Armada just oozes off some sort of weird residue, which you don't
want to
leave - it looks ugly and keeps the fresh stuff from drying."
"Four coats is enough, six coats is best - but remember, the more
coats you
put down, the longer it takes for the whole deck to dry and cure.
Allow a
week to ten days for four coats and probably a month for six coats
before
you go tromping around on it in dirty shoes."
There you have it, we learned quite a bit, and the decks look lovely.
by: jimmitch@jetcity.com