Posted by Robare M Novou on October 29, 2003
D. BernhardtMy researching for a tung oil varnish has lead me to a manufacturer of tung oil based varnishs.
The manufacturer is "Waterlox". They make an Exterior Marine Grade Tung Based Varnish.
Would this be a good varnish for backing up Gold Leaf on Windows?
Thier Web site is www.waterlox.com
Robare M. NovouHi Robare...saw the earlier post but as I'm no chemist thought i better take a pass...BUT...now that my excuses are past, thought I might mention there is a white water varnish available through Lee Valley tools which is a catalogue store (although they have a large retail location here)now I'm going a wee bit (mostly) on memory here but I'm willing to bet it is the same basic W.W.Window spar the Boss used to sell.
Kent SmithDoug, I went to leevalleytools.com and did not find a suitable varnish. They do sell 100% Tung Oil...But then I would have to get me a cooker that maintains a temperature of 575 degrees, and other ingredients to mix with the boiling oil to produce the traditional Long Varnish of yesteryear.
Most of todays Spar Varnishes are an alkyld-synthetic. Manufactured at room temperature and not by cooking, thus lowering the cost of producing the varnish...and leaving us gilders without a good strong tung varnish.
My thoughts are still with the waterlox brand.
If anyone else can add to this info, please do!
Robare M. NovouThe overcoat varnish we created at Chromatic was developed for reverse glass work and is a silicone modified clear which means it adheres well to glass and is resistant to water. It is a synthetic but has many chemical properties that makes it suitable for this purpose. It is my understandig that 1Shot is still making this formula. Although we used it at first on trucks, it is not as UV resistant as two components. It is a much more suitable formula than common alkyds and is optically clear with a drier blend adjusted for 3-4 hour dry time. It actually dries more clear than water white spars since the spar resin tends to retain some of the yellow color depending upon the variables of the cooking process of each vendor. The more clear water white spars are not as durable as those which retain some yellow as they are not as water resistant. Although nostalgia may push us to desire old style cooked resins, the more complex synthetic resins are actually more durable. And although alkyds are formulated technically at room temperature, the friction of formulation and mixing raises the temperaure to 89 to 109 degrees centigrade, just below flamming. Most fomulas are allowed to heat up and cool down 3 to 4 times which means they are also cooked formulas. The vats are also often covered with nitrogen so that there will not be oxygen to cause a flame or explosion.
Kent, Thanks for the info, Its a pleasure to read your posted knowledge! Im feeling better informed because of it.
Is Chromatic Clearovercoat still made?
RMN
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads