The Uroxsys varnish
sample remains on
the test rig “totally
intact”, says tester
Richard HareBoatbuilder’s Notes
CRAFTSMANSHIP
VARNISH TEST:
There is a
winner after all
HOW SHARP?
One sure way to start an argument in a workshop is
to express an opinion on sharpening. Suddenly the air
is thick with Japanese waterstones, Welsh slate,
Arkansas novaculite and Belgian coticule, not to
mention an arsenal of sophisticated honing jigs. But I
suspect sharpening is largely a matter of personal
preference. Some people achieve a razor edge using
nothing more than cheap sheets of abrasive paper.
The tricky bit is knowing when an edge is truly sharp.
If you see a line of light reflecting from the edge then
it isn’t sharp; it needs more honing until that
reflective intersection of front and back planes is
extinguished. Alternatively, given a steady hand the
old-time boatbuilder’s technique was to see if the
edge would shave his arm hair cleanly.Why emery’s best
If you need to do some serious rubbing down, don’t
pussyfoot around with wet-and-dry or lightweight
sandpaper because a rough or corroded surface will wear
through it in next to no time. Go straight to emery cloth in
which the abrasive grains of aluminium oxide are electro-
coated to a heavy twill backing which is far more durable,
cuts faster, and flexes to work around curved surfaces
despite being a lot stiffer. When working metal it also
unclogs fast – simply tap the sheet on its edge to get rid of
the swarf and its bite will be restored.
Pictured here is Blackspur’s ‘Sharpness’ brand, widely
available at £2.99 or less for one sheet each of coarse (60
grit), medium (100 grit) and fine (180 grit).STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS RICHARD HAREA year after our varnish test – surely one of the longest-running
product tests in British magazine history – came to an end, tester
Richard Hare got in touch from Suffolk to report that there is an overall
winner. Drum roll, please: it is Uroxsys, albeit now under its newer
brand-name, Awlwood. Performance after 78 months, writes Richard, is
“totally intact on surface and all four edges”.
He continues: “It retains a very high gloss and a light nutty tint. It
remains on the test rig looking pretty much as it did all those years
back when it was first applied in the spring of 2009.”
No ongoing remedial work has been needed at this stage, but a light
sanding and a ‘stitch-in-time’ extra coat would surely be advisable.
Latest news from Uroxsys/Awlwood is that a matt finish – which it
claims is a “hand-rubbed effect” – is to be launched. For those working
on boats in hot and windy climates where a longer wet edge is
desirable, a ‘tropical’ high-solids version of the topcoat is anticipated.
Anyone who has applied flexible PUs (polyurethanes) in the South of
France and Greece will appreciate this will be a useful characteristic.