At the recommendation of someone on Instagram, I decided to try Le Tonkinois varnish on my last project and I wanted to take a moment to post my impressions.
Cost: at 40 bucks a quart it costs about the same as any of the other medium grade varnishes. They sell a 2 1/2 quart size which gives you 1/2 quart for free and is a perfect size for a small boat project that includes oars, spars, foils, floorboards, and a bit of bright work.
Application: Being able to use this in my house without a mask was amazing. And because it was easy with no sanding between coats, I put on a lot more coats. Because this stuff relies on available oxygen to cure, it likes thin coats, which makes it a natural match for throw away foam brushes which are easier to deal with anyway. The only big downside is that it’s never going to cure if it’s cool. 70 would be ideal. 60 degrees barely works for the 24 hour recoat time.
Coverage: Due to the lack of VOCs this stuff goes a LOT farther than other varnishes. 10 coats on spars, oars, and floorboards and I still have more than half of the 2 1/2 quarts left.
Durability: Being nothing more than tung and linseed oil, this is clearly a softer varnish than most marine varnishes, but because I liked using it I applied a lot more so it may not be an issue. I’m also a lot more likely to re-apply. As far as long term performance goes I found an article online where it and a dozen or so other varnishes were left in the Florida sun for 2 years and it fared surprisingly well in the middle of the pack.
Overall impression: due to the lack of UV inhibitors I probably wouldn’t use it on a boat that lives on a mooring but for little boats that don’t spend all their time in direct sunlight I think the price, total lack of toxicity, and overall performance are probably worth it. Not having to buy new vapor cartridges for each project is a nice additional savings.
Bottom line: I’ll be using it from now on.
___
This post was originally featured on our Instagram feed.
See the original post and discussion here.
