I'm working on some wooden shelving made from Alder for my closet, and I've already applied two coats of Epifanes spar varnish—one thinned to 50% and the other to 30%. Every time I apply a coat, I end up with back pain for a couple of days, so I'm really hesitant to do the final coat if I don't absolutely need to. How crucial is that last unthinned coat?
2 Answers
Honestly, I've been using a DIY wiping varnish for years—like a 50-50 mix of oil-based poly and mineral spirits, and I usually do about 3-4 coats. You really don’t need that last coat to be unthinned. For your shelves, which won’t see extreme conditions, the two thinner coats will do just fine! Save your back and skip that final coat if you're in pain. You’ll still have a solid finish for closet use.
A lot depends on what the can recommends for the varnish. Generally, while two coats should give you decent protection, adding a third coat can really boost that durability. The unthinned coat provides a thicker, protective film, and that’s especially useful for shelves that will have items stacked or moved around on them. However, given your back pain, two coats may just be enough for a closet setting where there's not much exposure to elements.
I totally agree! That mix you mentioned is great and easy to apply. I've had awesome results with it too. Sometimes less is more!