: Hey Everyone,

: I am almost ready to finish my kayak. I am using Epiphanes and
: intend on adding artist oil paint to tint it the color I want. I
: have 4 (although I'll probably think of more) questions to post
: for advice.

: 1. How do most of you actually physically "paint" your
: kayak...ie. top deck first, hull first, both at once, with what
: (brush, roller, etc) and how do you suspend it when drying
: without getting marks on it?

: 2. How much tint can I put in the varnish before it starts to
: effect the varnishes properties?

: 3. I am also planning on putting a design on my kayak using
: straight artist oils. How long do I need to wait for this to dry
: before I put a coat of varnish on top of it? Also can I use an
: artist oil design between two layers of varnish?

: 4. How many coats of varnish does everyone use?

: Thanks,

: Rosanna

I actually paint mine, not using varnish, though I've thought about trying it. I do the hull first then the deck after the hull is done.

Number of coats for a "traditional" SOF covering I'd suspect would be the number of coats to fill the weave. Once it's mostly filled it's waterproof and that's all that's really required, though a smoother finish is easier to maintain.

Mine are waterproof before I paint them, so that's not an issue.

Bill H.