MCCLOSKEY 7509 Mow Spar Varn Gloss

I thought I was buying a gallon for that price….. but a qt showed up….it’s good product but not worth buying at that price online I can buy a gallon much cheaper locally.

Great product...I have used before and needed more but have had to wait for the temperature to be lower along with the humidity but I will be applying this week as the weather cools. Using on a picnic table that my father purchased in the 1950's which he applied Spar Varnish every few years (and stored indoors during winter). I have used the table many years through the late 1990's and stored on a covered porch over the winter and have sanded the top surface and legs which were showing wear and have applied one coat on the legs and the bottom of the table top that really was almost perfect but felt another coating would help preserve the surface. I expect this will go to one of my children one day and it will still be very strong and beautiful. You could never find such a good picnic table on the market today so protecting it is critical to keeping this picnic table in the family for at least another generation. Love the Spar Varnish which is better than the Spar Urethane. Only issue was that I could only get shipped to PA in a quart size. Would have liked to have gotten the gallon size...as I have other wood I regularly coat.

Best finish I have ever applied. Dries smooth and clear. No blushing. No thinner required. Just use a sponge brush. Requires 24 hours to dry between coats but well worth the end result. My garden bee hives have been in the elements for two years and still look like they were just finished. Too bad the bees don't realize they are living in bee mansions. :-)

This is way more durable than competing brands.It's very hard to find so you must pay for shipping online.It has a pretty strong odor while drying and takes a while to dry but the long lasting results are worth it!Here in Los Angeles, the only store that carried it was OSH but now that they're gone online is the only source.Well worth the effort if you don't like to re-sand and re-paint every year.

I've got to say, this is the best varnish out there. I use this on nearly all my woodworking projects. It takes a while for the smell to dissipate, but it is great at sealing and protecting wood. Also protects against fading. Used this on a shelf by my kitchen sink nearly 8 years ago, and it has direct sunlight most of the day. The wood/stain has not faded at all. I have container plants set up on the shelf and water beads right up and most times I can just wipe the water into the sink with my hand without any water remaining. Excellent product

This is a high quality coating; probably my favorite after my own home-brew shellac. It is very, very thick, which makes it a little difficult to apply. Takes more than 48 hours to fully harden, but its a beautiful finish. Time will tell if it stands up to the elements as well as its reputation suggests. Came packaged with nifty little metal clips to make sure the top didn't open intransit. Loses one start only because its hard to apply due to viscosity.

I think this is a great product. I say I think because this is my first time using varnish in conjuction with stain. An eternity since i even put down any kind of wood treatment. My project is a saltwater aquarium stand and the results are good enough for me. Went on easy dried enough in 24hrs to steel wool and apply additional coats. !!!Heavy fumes!!! Left a gloss that will turn night into day! I'm on my third coat and i think my 4th and final coat will be semi gloss or satin. Although the gloss doesnt annoy me because u only get the high gloss effect at certain angles of light. Second pic has 2 coats of stain, plus, 3 coats of varnish. Hope you all have results as good as mine.Excuse me. The third pic is my stopping point with 2 coats stain and 3 coats varnish. The second is one coat varnish

This varnish is a fabulous product! I love it! Hard as nails when dry and great finish. It comes with a few issues but as long as you know upfront, you should be able to avoid them.1- The product takes a VERY long time to dry. The package says 6 hours to the touch but I find that even 10-16 hours later, there's still tacky spots. The can does say in different climates that it could be longer or shorter but I'm in a controlled 70 degree location with low humidity. Be patient and you'll be fine. If you need to coat today and use tomorrow, pick something else.2- The fact that it takes so long to dry increases the amount of dust in the finish so unless you have better filtration then I do, just know that you may want to sand the finish result with some 1500 or #0000 steel wool and buff it out.3- As much as it takes forever to dry, when applying, it does flash quickly so be prepared to work quickly or you will have some issues with the start and stop spots. See pics. (My pics outline the issues with rapid flashing but I also tried to catch the dust in the finish. I'm confident that the lines and dust will sand and buff out however. Time will tell...)4- Thinner multiple coats are better than thicker coats, just make sure you keep it wet.5- The can says not to re-coat within 24 hours. Pay attention to this instruction! (if there was a bold option, that statement would be in bold) I first used a test piece to practice on since it was my first time with this particular product. I will normally throw on a second coat when the clear coat is tacky (when using polyurethanes) so I did the same with this. Big Mistake! The first coat crackled all over. It sanded out when dry and was repairable but lesson learned and hopefully I just saved someone the headache. Wait until completely dry, light sand with 220 or finer and re-coat. Make sure to blow it off and tack it off with a tack rag. You'll be very happy.In my case, I had one of those glass top patio tables which broke. I had some Peruvian Walnut hanging around so I built a new table top with recessed tiles and some gold leafing, really nice.. Anyway, I had previously poured and epoxy finish on it to create the build up, and then sanded and applied 3 coats of this varnish (sanding in between coats) for the UV protection and such. The only problem with application was no matter how quickly I moved, by the time I got back to a starting point (and I'm talking short distances, under 3 feet at a time), the starting point had flashed causing me to try and blend the area. It's doable but difficult and I'm not an amateur, I'm a professional contractor with my own business for the past 17 years specializing in custom built kitchens. I'm thinking that maybe I should have sprayed it, but I brushed it thinking it would be easier. If I was going to do it again, I'd definitely try spraying. I also think that a solid piece, without cutouts, would go easier. In the end, the resulting finish when complete is outstanding. I would have given this 4 stars because my can was delivered 1/2 smashed. When opening, it was like a time bomb going off. I was prepared with a rag over the top but it was quite the mess nevertheless. However, the guidelines say not to grade on shipping or seller experience. If you are looking for a quality finish, this is it, but just know that you need to work at it. My table is still drying as I write this. I'll give it another day, maybe two then sand it down and buff it out. Once complete I'll add a picture of the final result. I'm confident that it will be fabulous!