Toe Rails & Grab Rails | Varnishing

I worked on preparing and varnishing rails in parallel to installing hardware and fittings.

The rails in question were the toe rails on the cabin roof, and the grab rails on the companionway hood and slide.

The rails had all been sanded back to bare wood as part of the upper hull repainting exercise, so merely required multiple coats of suitably applied varnish.

Eight coats were applied in all.

The first three coats were thinned according to Epifanes guidelines - 50%, 25% and 15% respectively.

They were dry sanded by hand using a P220 grit for the first two coats and a P320 for the third  - again in line with Epifanes guidance.

The final five were thinned with 5% thinners. All coats were lightly wet sanded with a P400 grit between applications.

This is the starboard toe rail and the companionway hood grab rail after the eighth coat, with masking tape still in place.

And here they are after the tape had been pulled.

This is the companionway slide grab rail, with tape in place.

And with tape pulled.

Not looking too bad!