Which varnish for plywood?

[Emma&Al]

Id like to varnish the plywood cards instead of covering them in vinyl or other material.
Which should I go for and how long does it normally take to dry?
Thanks

[Reimotim]

Yacht varnish is good and also resistant to moisture, which is useful on the back of the door cards.

Tim

[Emma&Al]

Thanks Tim

[Emma&Al]

Do I need to thin the varnish before I apply it and if so, what should I use? Thanks

[nicq]

The only trouble with yacht varnish is it cracks when bent.

[Reimotim]

Do I need to thin the varnish before I apply it and if so, what should I use? Thanks

I just put mine on as it came out of the tin. I used it to seal the ply before covering, but if you are looking for a good wood finish then you probably want to do several coats with a sand back with fine sand paper in between.

[Reimotim]

The only trouble with yacht varnish is it cracks when bent.

Fortunately if you're only doing the door cards there shouldn't be too much bending.

[Emma&Al]

Thank you!

[Titus A Duxass]

You should thin it before applying especially for the first coat.
50\50 for the first coat, then more varnish than thinner say 80\20.

If you put it on straight from the tin it doesn't soak in as much and sits thickly on the surface which can lead to cracking.

[paperhouselad]

Hi yes you need "old fashioned" boat varnish as used on clinker built type vessels, this tends to flex a little unlike yacht varnish which is a much harder glaze. As above thin down to soak it in, also best to get spirit based not water soluble. Cheers.

[Emma&Al]

Thanks so much

[CovKid]

Mine are ply. I gave them a sand, followed by pale blue colour wash with a sponge, then a coat of polyeurethane varnish. If you use yacht varnish it soaks in and also darkens the ply.

[what2do]

Alternatively, a superior product would be QD acrylic varnish. Recoatable in an hour or so and improved flexibility over any solvent based product, cheaper too.

[NicBeeee]

If I have to varnish interior wood I normally use beeswax with wire wool to finish, gets rid off any bits of dust and leaves a nice smooth finish, I prefer to use oil nowadays, easy to apply and gives a nice mat finish

[Reimotim]

If I have to varnish interior wood I normally use beeswax with wire wool to finish, gets rid off any bits of dust and leaves a nice smooth finish, I prefer to use oil nowadays, easy to apply and gives a nice mat finish

I like a bit of Danish oil, which I have used on several DIY projects