I've been working on my child-size SOF kayak and have the canvas on (have to get some pictures to post, the frame can be seen at http://members.core.com/~dmcoop/iankayakstern.JPG, http://members.core.com/~dmcoop/iankayakcockpit.JPG and http://members.core.com/~dmcoop/iankayakbow2)and am ready to seal the skin. There seems to be a couple of different ways to do this: 1-2 coats of butyrate dope with or without paint, several coats of varnish, or 8-10 coats of varnish. So, I'm trying to make a decision. I used colored canvas and want a clear finish. The dope looks nice because it fills the canvas and only needs a few coats (I'm ready to be done with this boat)but it's too cold to do it right now and I don't know if I can wait 'til Spring. Some articles recommend 8-10 coats of varnish with sanding to get a smooth finish that I'm guessing would mimic the dope. Sounds fine, I can do it in my semi-warm garage, but the thought of 10 coats of varnish is defeating me. I'm assuming if I do the fewer coats, you just end up with a rougher finish. Any thoughts? Is the temperature pretty critical on the dope? If I use a respirator can I do it in my garage, or will I kill off my whole family? (which would defeat the purpose of making the kid his own boat) Should I just suck it in and start varnishing? Is it too cold for the varnish? (I can hope for 50 in the garage on a warm day). Thanks for your thoughts.

Dale