: Rob - Thanks for the reply. The brushes are wood handle, black foam, with the
: plastic stiffener inside, made in China. I got them at Home Depot. I also
: have a badger hair brush - would that be any better? - John

I've got a drawer full of badger brushes. The foam brush is fine, but don't thin the varnish. Thinning is intended for coating bare wood, not epoxy.

I use a 4" foam brush. This is too big for a quart can. You shouldn't work from the can anyway. I put 1" in a clean dry quart plastic milk carton cut off.

From my plans:

Most finishing novices apply too thick a coat and find the finish has runs or drips. It is best to start with too little than too much finish on a surface. This will allow you to get the “feel” for that particular finishes brushing characteristics. Each finish brushes on slightly differently.

Be careful around cockpit coamings and hatch openings because the foam brush carries a reserve of varnish that will pool out when pressed and leave a sag of varnish.

Brush Technique
Dip only the tip of your brush in the finish and do not wipe off finish on the edge of the can. This can add foam to your brush.

The toughest part of applying a finish is to put on the right amount, so you don’t get drips or sags and yet cover the area completely.
It seems easy to cover the boat with finish but, I never seem to go without missing a few spots.

At a boat show a finishing rep displayed this brush technique; brush a small area (about 16” sq.) with the grain, then across the grain and finally with the grain, to spread the finish evenly and cover the area totally.

I now use this brushing technique and have much fewer drips and sags.
To prevent missing areas divide your brushing area into small sections. I use staples on my hulls below the waterline so I brush from the staple holes from one station to the next. Overlap your brush strokes form one section to the next.

If you don’t have a definite area marker like staple holes you will have to mentally guess an area work size. I estimate a 1/2” dip of my brush into the finish will cover about a 16”. square area.

Look for the reflections of your shop lights highlighted in the finish to make sure you have covered the surface completely and overlapped areas previously brushed. Look for drips or sags and brush them out before the finish sets.

You must wait until the next day before recoating an oil based finish. I usually apply varnish in the evening.

Sand between coats with 220 wet/dry sandpaper. I like wet sanding since it creates no dust and is very efficient. Do a thorough job and level any drips or sags.

Wipe down surfaces with a sponge and clean water until you have removed all sanding residue. Wipe down surfaces with the tack cloth before recoating.

I've tried a LOT of different finishes and application methods. This works great for me. My finishes look like they're sprayed.

Good Luck!

Rob
Laughing Loon CC&K