Rustins Yacht Varnish

[Dave Vader]

I found a tin of Rustins Yacht Varnish in my shed yesterday, and being in the midst of a fretless project, which will end up being strung with flats, I wondered if anyone had slapped this stuff on a maple fretless neck before?
The tin is very unhelpful as to what is in this stuff, just saying that it does not contain polyurethane.
Just want to try and keep the fingerboard a bit shiny looking for a while, as I say it's getting flats, so shouldn't get chewed up anyway.
Any one else tried it?

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='Dave Vader' post='892591' date='Jul 12 2010, 10:27 AM']I found a tin of Rustins Yacht Varnish in my shed yesterday, and being in the midst of a fretless project, which will end up being strung with flats, I wondered if anyone had slapped this stuff on a maple fretless neck before?
The tin is very unhelpful as to what is in this stuff, just saying that it does not contain polyurethane.
Just want to try and keep the fingerboard a bit shiny looking for a while, as I say it's getting flats, so shouldn't get chewed up anyway.
Any one else tried it?[/quote]

Data Sheet: [url="http://www.rustins.eu/ProdData/Yacht%20Varnish.pdf"]http://www.rustins.eu/ProdData/Yacht%20Varnish.pdf[/url]

IME it's excellent stuff - one of the few "traditional" varnishes out there. Whether it's hard enough for a fretless board is another question.

As it's intended for exterior woodwork, it dries to a flexible film so I suspect a heavy coating will tend to chew up whatever strings go on it. Rather than larding it on, try thinning it with Distilled Turpentine (not White Spirit or Turps Sub) & applying several thin coats - enough to seal the board and give it a bit of a shine. Check the contents are OK first... paint & varnish don't like frost, & it can turn 'em to jelly. If it looks like golden syrup & smells of pine, it ought to be fine.

Pete.

[Dave Vader]

Thanks Bloodaxe, will try and be careful for once. Cheap neck so if it goes badly I won't be too bothered, just sand back to wood and try something else. But I will take your advice with the turps.

Lucky we had that mild winter, no way it could have got cold out there...

[guylewis]

[quote name='Dave Vader' post='892692' date='Jul 12 2010, 12:19 PM']Thanks Bloodaxe, will try and be careful for once. Cheap neck so if it goes badly I won't be too bothered, just sand back to wood and try something else. But I will take your advice with the turps.

Lucky we had that mild winter, no way it could have got cold out there... [/quote]

Yacht varnish will not dry hard enough IMO - it remains flexible which is its purpose - you'll have a frustrating time sanding it off too - Rustin's Plastic Coating on the other hand dries (cures in fact) like glass and is virtually indestructible.

[Dave Vader]

Haven't found any of that in my shed yet, will look deeper into the gloom

Sounds good though, might well give that a go instead. If it's dirt cheap.

[henry norton]

[quote name='guylewis' post='892707' date='Jul 12 2010, 01:36 PM']Yacht varnish will not dry hard enough IMO - it remains flexible which is its purpose - you'll have a frustrating time sanding it off too - Rustin's Plastic Coating on the other hand dries (cures in fact) like glass and is virtually indestructible.[/quote]
+1 on that - I wouldn't use yacht varnish on a fretless board but Rustins plastic coating looks pretty good if you want an alternative to the epoxy route. So far as I know it's similar constitution to the polyester Fender would have applied to their fretless maple boards in the first place.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='henry norton' post='892770' date='Jul 12 2010, 01:41 PM']+1 on that - I wouldn't use yacht varnish on a fretless board but Rustins plastic coating looks pretty good if you want an alternative to the epoxy route. So far as I know it's similar constitution to the polyester Fender would have applied to their fretless maple boards in the first place.[/quote]

Excellent, I was trying to get the look from a 70s maple fretless P-bass that I've been gawping at in Mansons. If it's close to that, then I'll go that way. Have considered epoxy, but the decent stuff is not cheap, and cheapness is the priority on this project.

Only considered the yacht varnish as I found it. Thought it might do the job, and possibly had something in common with marine epoxy. Which shows why I know nothing about sailing, or wood finishing (except what I get from my many advisers, both on here and IRL, my furniture maker friend is often bemused by my many requests about wood finishes).

[Al Heeley]

I'm sure I came across a post on the Guitar project forum where a cyanoacrylate (superglue) had been flooded onto a fingerboard for a fretless bass, dries quick and rock-hard but you could end up with a couple of fingers stuck to it if you're not careful and they would all laugh at you in casualty. Stter away from yacht varnish & similar air-drying alkyd resins.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='895147' date='Jul 14 2010, 10:10 PM']I'm sure I came across a post on the Guitar project forum where a cyanoacrylate (superglue) had been flooded onto a fingerboard for a fretless bass, dries quick and rock-hard but you could end up with a couple of fingers stuck to it if you're not careful and they would all laugh at you in casualty. Stter away from yacht varnish & similar air-drying alkyd resins.[/quote]

I've seen some of the superglue projects. I always manage to glue my fingers to something no matter what I'm doing, so might avoid this. My furniture maker friend seems to think the Kaufman-style walls and epoxy flood method, followed by LOTS of sanding would be the best option. Me, I'm thinking Rustins plastic coating now, probably over the top of some danish oil to get the colour right.

[janmaat]

I've done the yacht varnish mistake. def not hard enough. use rustins floor paint instead.

[Al Heeley]

[quote name='Dave Vader' post='895315' date='Jul 15 2010, 08:00 AM']I've seen some of the superglue projects. I always manage to glue my fingers to something no matter what I'm doing, so might avoid this. My furniture maker friend seems to think the Kaufman-style walls and epoxy flood method, followed by LOTS of sanding would be the best option. Me, I'm thinking Rustins plastic coating now, probably over the top of some danish oil to get the colour right.[/quote]
NOOooo!!! Don't put danish oil on, it will prevent proper adhesion of anything else except more danish oil you try to put on over the top. It may adhere initially but the oil will prevent full penetration into the wood pores and it will flake off as soon as its given a bit of grief. there are some dyes that the Rustins plastic coating can be used with if you need to apply a slightly tinted finish, but not all are compatible and some may retard the cure of the coating. Check with Rustins first! Put the Danish oil back on the shelf. Do it now.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='895666' date='Jul 15 2010, 03:12 PM']NOOooo!!! Don't put danish oil on, it will prevent proper adhesion of anything else except more danish oil you try to put on over the top. It may adhere initially but the oil will prevent full penetration into the wood pores and it will flake off as soon as its given a bit of grief. there are some dyes that the Rustins plastic coating can be used with if you need to apply a slightly tinted finish, but not all are compatible and some may retard the cure of the coating. Check with Rustins first! Put the Danish oil back on the shelf. Do it now.[/quote]

Was hoping someone could point out to me a huge mistake if I made it. Al to the rescue again. BTW, got those springs from you yesterday Al, perfect, did the job nicely. Thanks very much.

Will not strip all the nitro off the neck and refinish then. Just have to take it off the front, try and find a dye that goes a similar colour to the rest of the neck, and plastic coat away. Or leave it a completely different colour...

[Al Heeley]

Glad the springs did the trick -glad to help Dave

[BassBod]

I've done a couple of superglue boards - it really isn't difficult, as you only need a very thin layer. The only thing is each coat softens the previous slightly, so drying time increases as you buid it up - and you don't want to breathe the fumes too much. But the end result is great, provided the fingerboard is profiled well to start with...

I'd never thought of Rustins - is it melamine? I've used it very diluted for fake oil finishes on maple necks, but I've never thought of using it for a fingerboard coating.

[Al Heeley]

Urea formaldehyde resin in butanol, strengthened with melamine. It's good stuff

[Dave Vader]

Out of interest, any ideas how badly it would end if I left the Maple board just a bit stained?

[Al Heeley]

Maple is an extremely hard wood, probably harder than ebony, certainly more so than Rosewood. I imagine it would withstand the chew of roundwounds pretty well uncoated.

[BassBod]

Depends on strings and how hard you play, but it would chew up fairly quickly with steel rounds....but more of a problem is dirt. Maple goes a nasty grey and shows the grime very quickly. The hard finish also gives more of growl/whine than wood alone.

[Al Heeley]

very good point.

[Dave Vader]

I'm in a quandary now, cos I'm more Danko than Jaco in my tonal requirements. I like a bit of dirt on my wood, and I use flats anyway. Might try it out without a coat, as it's easier to put on eon that take it off...

[BassBod]

Really, nobody likes dirty maple - worn old nitro'd maple maybe...but not plain grubby grey. Put a light sealer coat of Rustins on at least, and stick to traditional plunky flats...it'll sound great.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='BassBod' post='896684' date='Jul 16 2010, 04:29 PM']Really, nobody likes dirty maple - worn old nitro'd maple maybe...but not plain grubby grey. Put a light sealer coat of Rustins on at least, and stick to traditional plunky flats...it'll sound great.[/quote]

Fair point, I was thinking of my worn out nitro maple strat neck, but this would go a uniform grey wouldn't it?

[ead]

A long time ago I used to make the tins for Rustins

[philbass57]

I have had good results with Ronseal 'Diamond Hard' (water-based) floor varnish on a defretted rosewood fingerboard. 3 months with roundwounds and minimal marking on the surface.

Edited November 22, 2010 by philbass57