Hello,

I am currently building the Dutch warship Friesland. I am to the point where I need to consider Varnish or Stain for the deck planks. The plans include no painting or coloring scheme what so ever. (bad plan design). I have almost completed the first planking and am ready to start the adding of the various decks (Poop, Quarter, etc.) and I do not want to cover the main deck until it is given some color. My question is:

1. Which should I use - Varnish (flat) or Stain (flat)?
2. The pictures I have seen show different hues. Which hue looks better? Walnut? Oak? Hickory? etc.
3. Should it be light or dark?

I know that it all comes down to my preference since I am the one building the ship, I just would like some input and some suggestions.

Please add to this thread if you have any views on this, Thank you.

Hi Jerry.
I would make some some sample deck sections (maybe 3 inches by 5 or 6 inches) with scraps of planking (glue them down on some black construction paper). Then try out different finishes on each. Better to take some time now with the samples and see what looks best to you.

You may want to stain, then varnish over it, or go with just varnish. It also depends on the type of wood you're using.

If you're going to stain, maybe go with basswood. Walnut looks great when varnished.

I think flat would be better for decking. Looks more realistic than gloss.

Here's an article by Andy on Weathering Wood (http://shipmodeling.net/vb_forum/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=8) you may want to read.

Pat

Thanks Pat,

My decking is lime lathes. Pretty much standard cheap planking. I am thinking of staing then varnishing, just haven't decided yet. I will try the sample planking squares. That is a good idea. I will form a larger sheet and then test several side by side to see what looks better. i will go and read the article you mentioned now, thanks alot!!!

Jerry,

One other thing to keep in mind is that the decks of ships were usually unfinished wood that was repeatedly scrubbed clean, so your limewood (close relative of basswood) would be an acceptable deck color. (When you're on a pitching ship in a gale, you want the deck to have some traction, so you certainly wouldn't have a glossy finish to it.)

I plan to just apply tung oil to the deck of my AVS. It's a natural oil that hardens (polymerizes) when exposed to air. It brings out the wood's color without making it glossy. I've found that wetting a piece of wood and then wiping it with a towel gives me a good idea of how a tung oil finish will look when it's cured.

- Tom

Thanks for the info, Just one quick question:

How do I use the Tung Oil? Do I just rub it lightly in or do I use a heavy coat?

I have some coming in the mail, and just want to know how to apply it once i recieve it.

Thanks.

Jerry,

You can brush it on or rub it in by hand, the first coat will soak in quite quickly, follow it up with a 2nd or 3rd coat if needed.

If you haven't already done so, check out this thread (http://shipmodeling.net/vb_forum/thread168-tung.html) on Tung oil.


Ozarkhillbilly

Thanks Ozark,

I am waiting for the oil to arrive, as you cannot buy it over the counter here. I will definitely try it on some test strips first. I still have one question though:

Can you glue objects onto the deck after Tung oil has been applied? I am curious if I need to completely outfit my deck before applying the oil. I.E. mount all my gun carriages and capstans etc? I would like to get an even coat all over the deck, even the hidden areas, unless you cannot glue to it? I hope some one can answer this because I definitely want to use Tung Oil since I have heard such good things about it.

Also, I understand painting is not a good idea after using Tung Oil, so I will have to divide the surfaces, such as above and below waterline, so I don't cross the two.

Thanks for your help Ozark, and to all of you "Happy Thanksgiving".

Jerry, hope I am not too late with this, but check out mypost in the articles section about finishes for ship models. Some good basic information on a variety of finishes. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Fred

Hey Fred,

Just read your article, wow so much information, thanks. I have decided to keep my Tung Oil decks and bulwarks. I am just going to stop every few minutes and make sure that I dust the decking to remove any debris left. Also I have glued onto it and it seems to hold so away I go.
I have also applied some varnish to cover some small areas, not a great result. Will have to sand it down and apply some oil based paint to the areas.

Thanks for the article, i saved it so i can use it offline whenever I need. :xrolleyes: