: I've put 4 coats on Helmsman Minwax Varnish on a newly built kayak. I did the
: hull first and it came out very nice, without dust particles, sags, etc.

: The top side has wooden pad eyes and the cockpit. I'm getting sags and runs
: in these areas. Also, working around these areas is decreasing my ability
: to keep a good wet edge. I've been working one side, about 16 inchs at a
: time. When I return from one side to the next, going over an edge, it
: feels as if I am going over an area that is already setting up.

: I'm ready for the last coat and am thinking of thinning down the varnish
: about 20-30% with miniral spirits to increase the work time.

: I would really like to lay down a good last coat - any thoughts or
: suggestions?

Don't thin down your varnish because it will make it more likely to run and drip. I don't like varnishing around deck hardware either. You really need to use a light touch, but then again you need to press to get in to nooks and crannies. I use a seperate smaller brush for getting around these things. I typically use a 3" foam brush for the body of the boat and a 1" foam brush for around hardware.

As I'm working my way down the length of the boat, I work on 12" to 18" patches at a time. When the patch I'm working on contains hardware, I will use the small brush to coat the hardware first. I then try to pick up any excess varnish around the hardward with the small brush. I coat a small circle around the hardware using the small brush. I then use my wide brush to cover the rest of the patch around the hardware. I am careful not to actually touch the hardware with the larger brush as it may scrape off more varnish.

Even with this care I will still get the occasional drip or sag.