Thinking Ahead
Whichever method of paint stripping may have been used to strip your wooden surface it is extremely important to prepare the surface carefully before the application of paint or varnish. It is tempting to rush ahead at this point but a few simple steps now will almost certainly guarantee a superior and longer lasting finish. Continue reading “The Next Steps After Paint Stripping”
There are a few obvious and fundamental differences between paint and varnish that need consideration when deciding on the required finish particularly for wood. Wood is a natural product and as such has unique features. The first and most basic decision is whether you want to highlight or hide the detail in the grain of the timber.
If choosing to display the beauty of the grain, varnish should be used. Typically it is clear and offers UV protection for the timber. Before varnishing a stain can be applied to the timber to enhance or change it’s colour.
The range of colours for stains however can be somewhat limited and tends to be based around different timber shades. It is also important to decide on the sheen level (shininess) of the varnish which can range from ‘flat’ matt to full gloss. This sheen level is often denoted as a percentage (i.e 25%, 50%, 75%, the higher the number, the more glossy).
Whilst varnish to some extent is absorbed by the timber, paint is a pure surface treatment. This means it will coat over the natural features of the timber hiding them under a smooth finish. The main advantage of paint is that it comes in a virtually limitless range of colours. This versatility is further extended if using multiple colours. Paint comes in a number of types each giving its own finish.
There are a variety of textured paints including eggshell and different levels of finish from matt through to high gloss. It is always advisable to use a primer as a base coat as this will help ensure an even finish and also gives a better representation of the top coat colour. It also helps to ‘fill’ the grain and once rubbed back with light sanding offers a pure smooth surface.
Varnish and paint can be applied in several ways. Brushing is typically the most common means of application. This requires a little more attention when using varnish as the timber will absorb on contact so the process should be completed start to finish in one. In this respect, paint is slightly more forgiving.
A roller can be used in place of a brush and generally offers a more even finish. It can, however, depending on the viscosity of the paint or varnish leave a slightly textured finish.
Both paint and varnish can be sprayed, though this requires specialist equipment and a suitable environment. This is best left to dedicated professionals.
In all these cases and with both paint and varnish, it is normal to give a base coat which, when dry, has a light sanding (de-nibbing) before applying a top coat to achieve your chosen effect.
Fundamentally the choice is dependant on whether you want to work with the natural features of the timber or to disguise them. Paint has the versatility of colour whilst varnish enhances the timber allowing it to tell its story.
After a successful restoration process, a historic motorboat that was used in the 1930s is now valued at £2 million, just two years after it was acquired for £20,000. The boat is among those that sailed the America’s Cup in the 1930s. Built by Camper & Nicholsons (oldest leisure marine company) in 1930, Gelyce measures 50ft and is one of the best masterpieces done by Camper & Nicholsons.
The vessel was handed to Sir Thomas Lipton, a legendary yachtsman, as a tender for Shamrock V, a J Class racing yacht. Sir Thomas is renowned for the establishment of Lipton tea brand, and his yacht took part in the America’s Cup glory five times.
He was accompanied by King George V and King Edward VII in many of these trips. The vessel was used in many occasions including ferrying spectators about, but when war broke out, her tender was halted and she would be converted to a vessel and was used to help fend off aircraft flying low over the Solent during the Second World War.
As the war proceeded, the vessel remained under the ownership of Hugh Goodson, a yachtsman, who took part in a 1958 Americas Cup Challenge. After this, she changed ownership and was ferried to River Themes, where she was turned to a riverboat. All through the 60s and 70s, the motorboat was forgotten in a boatyard in Hurley and she started to rot away.
By the time she was recovered, she had disintegrated and could barely be recognized. There are photos of the motorboat before restoration that reveal it had holes and its paint was in bad state. In 2015, engineer Wint Taylor purchased the motorboat at a price of £20,000. He is a wooden boat restoration enthusiast and engineer, so he invested his passion and time in this project.
For the restoration work – which was done by Classic Restoration Services, based in Windsor, Berkshire – Mr Taylor spent an additional six figure amount. At completion, consensus enthusiasts argue that she would be valued at about £2 million, which is calculated based on previous sales.
Only nine motorboats similar to Gelyce were built by Camper & Nicholsons between 1912 and 1930, and a few of them were reserved for members of the Nicholson family. Its name, Gelyce, was created from an amalgam of the names of the wives of Nicholson’s brother (Gertie, Lucy and Constance).
After a complete restoration process, Gelyce is now finished to the highest standard possible. It was finished with three layers of mahogany and modern epoxy that are held together by 75,000 polymer staples. Both its superstructure and interior were retained and refurbished.
The deck and instrument panel, as well as cabin fittings, came gold plated to allow easy care, and its reason is to make it secure from erosion. The boat runs a Rolls Royce aluminium mid-1960’s engine that produces 175 horsepower, and this makes the boat capable of attaining speeds of up to 28 knots. Engine restoration work was done at Tim Walker Restorations by Brian Bax.
