Reply To: Sapwood for external door
If Larry tells us his favorite spar varnish is compatible with GF dyes and water based stains without the need for the gel (and maybe even with), I’m going to write that down for the future reference. I think that means Epifanes Clear and Interlux.
Yah, those are the spar varnishes I use. I put a coat of shellac down as a sanding sealer before the varnish. If you ever have a compatibility doubt, just put a coat or two of clear shellac down first. The old saw that shellac sticks to everything and everything sticks to shellac holds true with everything but poly in my experience. And it’s a quick ( and cheap) way to build up a finish. I lightly Sand with 320-400 grit open core between te shellac and the varnish and between coats of varnish.
