well…
to me oil looks nice. That is part of the reason I got wood gunwales in the first place.
Plus if I bung it up I can just sand and reapply.
And…putting on more is quick and easy if the finish needs a little rejuvinating.
Varnish could be more practical perhaps, but then again so are aluminum gunwales!
I just personally prefer the oil.
Matt
What say the two camps to a
compromise? A wipe-on oil/varnish blend. Best of both worlds?
The highly knowledgeable, yet reliably humorless, be nicestrom must surely be chuckling behind our backs.
How many coats of varnish?
I varnish every two years. I have a base of five coats of varnish and then touch up with a couple. Nothing gets in the wood.
I notice on a new to me boat that only one coat was applied. To me thats asking for trouble.
Some boats have oiled rails. Kinda depends on if its a wood dacron boat.
No, bnystrom’s busy trimming gaskets.
Oils differ in the degree to which they harden the wood surface and the extent to which they will build up without getting sticky. I like Minwax 209 for the initial buildup, but for quick re-applications I use Watco. For my taste, Watco is too thick and sticky for the initial work.