Pratt & Lambert 38 varnish

[testore]

I've been using Pratt and Lamber 38 for the first time on my current project. It is, in my opinion, very good stuff. It's a little thinner than the other commercial oil varnishes I've used and I think I like it. Ive only brushed it on so far, but I think it would spray nicely too. So far it doesn't form a skin on top while in the can like other oil varnishes I've used do. So far I'm a fan. Has any body else had any negative experiences?

[Lynn Dudenbostel]

Fine varnish. Sprays well with the right gun. I have a cheap Harbor Freight hvlp touch up gun that works like a champ. Thin it a little with mineral spirits. The varnish will skin over in the can given a few months.

[Bluetickhound]

Have you tried a shot of Bloxygen? It may well keep the varnish from skinning over at all as it is an argon(?) barrier that stays between the liquid and air. I have used it with great success...

[Dale Ludewig]

Lynn, how does this compare to Captain's Varnish?

[David Newton]

It is hard to find around here. Where did you get yours?

[testore]

I had a local dealer order it for me. $18 a quart.

[Lynn Dudenbostel]

Dale, I like it better. The last captains varnish I had was way too amber in color. Can't tell any difference in the two from an acoustic standpoint!

[sliebers]

Lynn, Are you spraying varnish now on your mandolins? I brushed captain's varnish on my most recent mando build. I found it wanted to run no matter how thin I tried to brush the coats. It turned out nice, but was a lot of level sanding between coats.

I'm curious if the P & L 38 is more brush friendly in that regard?

Thanks,
Scott

[Lynn Dudenbostel]

I've been brushing for years (on mandolins) but spray the guitar tops. The last A I built, I tried a combination of both. I'd brush around the fingerboard extension, then spray the rest. Seemed to work fine. I'm going to try that again on the next A. There are just places you can't reach with an "all spray" technique on a mandolin without getting way too much on some areas.

[testore]

Almost finished applying varnish. I've sanded a few times and I am not seeing any witness lines from previous coats!!! That's nice!

[HoGo]

How does it compare to Epifanes or Tru oil? Especially with brush? how resistant to scratching is it?

[testore]

The mandolin isn't polished yet but I like it better than anything I've tried. The varnish feels really good. I'm using a drying box so the finish is drying very nice. Not sure about scratching yet. The fact sheet from the maker says it's very durable. I'll tell more when it's done.

[David Houchens]

testore, How many brushed coats did you go with, and what grit between coats. I have a small can to do a sample, this would give me a head start. Thanks

[testore]

I brushed in two coats then went with the airbrush. I think I have 10 coats all together. I don't sand in between every coat, maybe every 3-4 coats, 600 grit.

[David Houchens]

Thanks. :)