Spar varnish repair

[Ronin NW]

I'm sure it's in the archive but unsearchable...

I've got just a couple of small cracks and bruises (quarter-sized) in my spruce mizzen mast, and am looking for advice on how to patch the varnish and have it blend in with the surrounding area. After sanding and re-sealing some more numerous dark spots on the bowsprit, I fear I'll have to strip it down 'cuase it looks like an appaloosa. I'd like it to match, but would really rather not strip my entire masts for this...

Any suggestions welcome!

-Scott

[garland reese]

I've had some success in the past sanding down the area, feathering it. Then lay on a good buiild of varnish. After a good cure, you should be able to blend it in pretty well with some wetsanding with very fine paper, then polish it back to proper shine with rubbing compound and wax. If the varnish has a chance to cure well, it should behave like an automotive finish......sort of.
Garland

[JimConlin]

If there are dark stains, they can be treated with oxalic acid (wood bleach), available at paint shops.

[Ronin NW]

It's not really stains, per se. When I sand down (feathering) a spot to bare wood and then seal and varnish it (sealing with thinned varnish, and building up), the spots appear darker, almost more red than the surrounding area. These are sitka spruce. Should I just wait for it to bleach over time?

[JimConlin]

Sand with finer paper, #220 anyway.

[david clack]

I have the same problem but found that the redness bleaches out after about an "English summer".
David

[WoodenBNut]

You can blend/smooth the new varnish into the old/previous varnish by sanding 1st with 400 grit paper (dry or wet) and then finish the whole area off by using 3M FineseIt polishing compound and a machine with a foam polishing pad (either a black pad or a white foam pad - white is the least aggresive pad - but don't use anything more aggressive than a black foam pad with the FineseIt). 3M FineseIt is great polishing liquid. I just used it this last weekend to bring back a better than new look to the topside paint on my 1962 Chris. It will really level out and put a brilliant shine on varnish & paint. Oh, for the electric power polisher, I just used a 6" foam pad (hook & loop) on my Rigid orbital variable speed sander - set the speed to 1000 to 1500 rpm).