Epifanes or NOT

by Tom
(Minnesota )

I have a ‘59 plywood mahogany Elgin.

No rot but old checked grain.

I have tried for two years now to make Epifanes fill the grain and produce a good finish.

I simply cannot do it.

Should I give up and try a different strategy?

Use epoxy first? use a different varnish? Thin varnish 50%?

Am I simply expecting a show quality finish when it is not obtainable on such a poor wood condition?

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Jun 17, 2021
 Checked grain repairs.
by: Sonny

I'm guessing you intend to leave the deck natural wood with a varnished finish.

I restored a 1959 Lightning sailboat with a 3/8 plywood deck that had the same checking you're describing.

I used epoxy resin laced with sawdust to correct the checking.

I painted that deck, so I wasn't concerned with my check repair matching that deck so much, but I can say the epoxy did the job on that project.

The Lightning has been sold and I now have a new project.

It's a 24-ft 1920 Double Ended Motor Launch.

It has a white oak keel,white oak floor timbers and stem bent white oak frames.

The interior of the boat is all teak, with cedar planking over the white oak frames.

Bearing in mind this boat is 101-years old, there are plenty of cracks and checks to repair prior to finishing.

I'm hoping to use sawdust laden epoxy to fill those on anything that gets varnished.

Other than that, I've had good luck with Pettit EZ-Fair for anything that gets painted.

Its wood, if you try something and you don't like the results, there's always sandpaper.

Best of luck.
Sonny

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