welcome to the forum - what kind of spar did you use ?

 

welcome to the forum - what kind of spar did you use ?

Helsman semi gloss, oil base

 

I don't know why, but, there are sooooo many people that have horrible experiences with Helmsman Spar.
it can be the wood, the weather, the mixing, the thinning, contaminated surfaces, strippers not completely removed. any number of things that prevent a satisfactory outcome.
the general consensus is "just don't use it". but this information is usually given after the product has been used.

please add photos and more history of the door itself.

 

I just finished varnishing a pair of exterior doors with Minwax Satin Helmsman and it turned out beautifully. I'm not sure what caused your problem but here's a couple of things I did between EVERY coat:

• made sure I thoroughly stirred the varnish before each coat.
• I thinned the first coat approx. 25% and each subsequent coat 10%
• I lightly sanded between each coat. I was able to put 2 coats per day on with about 12 hrs between coats.
• After sanding I wiped it down with mineral spirits and let that flash off.
• I put 5 coats on the interior surface and 7 on the exterior.
• I had a couple of questions before starting my project and called their support number. You may want to run your problem by them.

Here's a couple of pics -

 

I just finished varnishing a pair of exterior doors with Minwax Satin Helmsman and it turned out beautifully. I'm not sure what caused your problem but here's a couple of things I did between EVERY coat:

• made sure I thoroughly stirred the varnish before each coat.
• I thinned the first coat approx. 25% and each subsequent coat 10%
• I lightly sanded between each coat. I was able to put 2 coats per day on with about 12 hrs between coats.
• After sanding I wiped it down with mineral spirits and let that flash off.
• I put 5 coats on the interior surface and 7 on the exterior.
• I had a couple of questions before starting my project and called their support number. You may want to run your problem by them.

Here's a couple of pics -
View attachment 427522 View attachment 427523

Beautiful doors! Thank you for the “tutorial.”

 

welcome to the forum, Ken - and thank you for your contribution.
excellent tutorial on your project.
try to remember to come back in six months and one year with follow up photos.

 

Thanks John. I've definitely got my fingers crossed regarding how well this will hold up over time. I have a friend with a boat and he used this product on the teak and says it weathers very nicely. These doors only get a bit of morning sun so I hope that helps as well.

 

anyone that has a boat with wood items on it sooner or later finds out just how much maintenance wood outside in the elements takes. it may look fine and weather well ~ at first. but only time will tell the whole story.
wishing you well.

 

I hate to sound like the 'Prophet Of Doom' but being around tons of boats and living aboard for over 25 years and worked on lots of boats. Helmsman Spar Varnish in my opinion is below bottom of the line. I know you put a lot of work in those doors and they look great. I live on the Gulf of Mexico coast and MinWax just doesn't stand up very well. Hopefully you will fare far better.

 

Helmsman is a pretty poor product but not responsible for your problem. How was the door prepared to finish? If you finished over an existing finish that is sometimes enough to cause adhesion problems. For example sometimes a painter will finish the inside of a door with lacquer and put a spar varnish on the outside side. A varnish won't adhere very well to lacquer. If it was stripped, removers contain wax and if it wasn't washed good it can cause adhesion problems. Then if someone used lemon oil or a number of different polishes on the inside that really could have caused adhesion problems. When you recoat anything the first step is to thoroughly clean the finish with a wax and grease remover.

The instructions for drying time is just an estimate based on reasonably descent weather. If the weather is cool and or damp the overnight drying time could have been as much as a week. If you put too many coats on too fast without each coat being allowed to dry can result in the finish pealing.

It's not part of your problem but looking at the picture your finish is way too thick. A finish shouldn't be more than 5 or 6 mils thick. That is about double the thickness of a lawn and leaf trash bag. The spar varnish needs to expand and contract with the wood and that thick over time I believe it will crack. One day I believe it will look like you had tempered glass glued on the wood that broke.

 

The problem that @Divebomber is having can quite possibly be from oil or wax residue left on the surface.
What was the previous coating and how was the surface prepped?

 

I've had something similar with Helmsman, on some ipe deck railings. I'd got several coats on, and everything looked great, until the last one. I'd been working outside, and I got tied up on something else and didn't get back to move them into the shade after they were dry enough to handle but not completely cured. Our Arizona sun hit them, and within less than an hour they'd blistered big time. Definitely operator error, but it does show that there's not much room for error when applying the stuff. If I try a similar project, I'll look for something a bit more forgiving. I've heard good things about System 3, and I might grit my teeth and pay their price next time, about $50 per quart or $150 per gallon.