There's been a lot of argument on the board in past years about thinning and not thinning. My take is you definately thin the first coat. That allows it to dry faster and to fill the tiny scratches left from sanding- no matter how fine you sanded there are still microscopic scratches. I have always thinned all succeeding coats using less thinner in each one as a matter of preference. It lays on better (at least for Epiphane's and Goldspar) when thinned. The two brands mentioned are very thick. They take forever to dry if not thinned.

Anyway, I highly recommend goldspar. It's gorgeous stuff. If you want a semi-gloss finish Epiphanes has the best I've seen for that. I did a Celtic harp in it and it came out silky smooth. They have a good UV in their exterior coatings as well. Either brand gets my seal of approval.