1) **DO NOT** sand across the grain... If you do, the scratches you introduce will be forever obvious.

2) Thoroughly wipe the wood with Acetone before applying the epoxy... Especially if the wood is Teak... You must get surface oil off for the epoxy to penetrate as it should.

3) DO NOT apply the epoxy when the wood is likely to increase in temperature. If you do, you will get myriad bubbles form... As the wood warms, the entrapped air expands and exhausts out, causing the bubbles... Apply it when the wood is about to enter into a cooler period, thereby drawing the epoxy further into the wood as it cools. The above is true even if you are just varnishing over bare wood.

4) Clear Coat is slow curing... You will be able to apply a second coat after over-night, but you may have to wait 2 days before it gets into a sandable state (depends on ambient temp. of course)... If it feels sticky, it hasn't cured sufficiently to be sandable.

5) Sand the epoxy with anywhere between 100-150 grit (open coat paper). It is imperative that you get all the gloss off and, of course, any lumps you will have picked up... As with all coatings over bare wood, the epoxy will raise the grain somewhat... If you think you have to end up sanding thru most of the epoxy (sometimes happens), apply an additional coat and again sand.

6) The varnish applicator **must** be either a high-quality (high density) foam brush, or a full-bodied stiff bristle brush... I still prefer a bristle brush and find the "Badger Hair" bristles give the best results for me. They are not cheap, but well worth the cost IMHO.

7) Refrigerate the varnish... If you are going to apply it in "hot" ambients, even go to the trouble of keeping the can in ice while using it.

8) When applying varnish **DO NOT** brush back-n-forth as you would do with normal house paint... Brush in one direction only and that direction should be back towards where you've just been... On exception being when starting at an edge, brush from the edge inwards a bit, then start brushing back towards that from then on.

9) **DO NOT** fuss with it, just make sure you "flow" it on, and cover all the undersurface... The cooled varnish will dry slower and have sufficient time to "Flow out" and self-level all those brush marks you've introduced. 10) Apply as many coats as you have enthusiasm for... I usually do 12 coats... Some of the "olde time" pros do 20 coats. The more you apply the better it will look and the longer it will last.

11) Wet sand with 300-400 paper after every other coat (once that coat has dried)... Wipe it dry and go over it with a "tack cloth"... Try to find a white colored tack cloth. Some of the gold colored ones seem to leave a residue which sometimes upsets the varnish behaviour. 12) sit back and admire your work, as others are sure to do...

13) Any questions, just ask.

BC