ypsi~dixit

Howsa 'bout some spar?

Some spar? Isn't that a part of a ship's mast? Forgive my obtuseness, Salty Sam; I'm lost as usual.

Spar varnish....yarrrrr..

Oh, Venus! Oh, Mars! Why do you fight so? When you square off like argumentative parents at odds over the correct manner of raising your earthly children, we can't help but bristle. Though the errors of loved ones overshadow your own mistakes, resist the urge to point your finger. Handle your own mess first.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). There's a burst of music in your heart today -- maybe this has something to do with a new Pisces acquaintance. Use the inspiration as a soundtrack for your next (rather dramatic) move.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). A Spanish proverb states: "God comes to see you without ringing the bell." Well, he (or she) is not the only one. Run the vacuum cleaner so you'll be ready.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have major mojo, which you can use to influence an impossible situation. You're so lucky now that merely postulating is enough to make it so. Wield your power responsibly.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). The risk is apparent. You know exactly what is at stake. When there are those around you who won't take the risk, you're even more eager to prove yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You could exact your revenge today -- if you wanted to. Or, you could wait to see if you still feel vengeful tomorrow. The latter choice gives you time for golfing or sewing or painting or ...

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You can't help but wonder what others are thinking of you this afternoon. Whatever it is, it's none of your concern. You're destined for greatness, which you will reach when you're above and outside the opinions of others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The experiences of your life and the secrets of your soul are written large across your face now. No use hiding. You may as well celebrate those scars as badges of honor. You're all right.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The life inside you may take issue with the life outside you today. That's OK. It's a "checks-and-balances" system that works well. Eventually, both may compromise to agree on one reality.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Abundance comes in many forms. You may not be dripping in diamonds, but you're rich to be sure. Whatever you have, this afternoon brings the opportunity to parlay it into more.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You know what is true for you, and therefore, you recognize what is true for others -- though they may not. Whether or not to talk about what you see will be the question.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Keep track of your keys today. The stars suggest there will be much going on, and it would be a bummer in the midst of it all to be locked out, and even worse to be locked in!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Though you may not be aware of it, who you are and what you believe shines through your work. People and things that resonate at the same vibration are inexplicably attracted to you.

Ah. Spar varnish. Is that a green substance? I'm trying to avoid chemical-y stuff. Looking for nontoxic organic substance.

My Virgo side is destined for greatness, kind Oracle. That's good news. Once I'm great I can hire someone to do the thankless task of digging up my freakin' back lawn, which is taking forever.

Till then I'll do it myself. Thanks for your kind guidance, Oracle.

I like the proverb quoted under Taurus:

"God comes to see you without ringing the bell."

Nice. And true.

Don't ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for whomever it freakin wants too.

Question: Is any man an island?

Gilligan came pretty close.

...every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.

You say "red wood floor"

Does that mean it is redwood tree wood or painted red, wood?

It is not redwood. It is reddish-brownish hardwood. Not painted--red-brown is its natural color. Darn purty.

probably red oak

I'd turn off your furnace and water heater and spar the crap out of it.

arrrr...

Yeah, looks like oak.

Cap'n Anonymous, should I not strip off the old finish first, pray?

Can I get "spar" at a boat shop?

Minwax superspar at Fingerme Lumber. Natural clear finish. I'd go high gloss.

Scuffsand the old finish a bit with 120 sandpaper. Vacuum dust. Do it in sections. Not all in one day.

arrr....

I appreciate your kind advice, by the way. Thank you. I had no idea "spar" even existed. Sounds very flammable. I'll check into it. Thanks, Cap'n Anonymous (and first mate).

Perfect, Cap'n. Super helpful instructions--I have some 120 sandpaper, and a sanding block. Thanks for your helpful words as always. You laid it out for me so I can do it myself, and I appreciate it. I'll stop off at Fingerle.

(hugs the Cap'n)

http://www.minwax.com/products/protective/helmsman.cfm

note the three coats. Each sucessive coat will be glassier and glassier.

arrrr...

Ooh, cool. OK.

Hm. Says on that page "not recommended for use on floors." But why on earth not? It sounds like tough stuff to me, and perfect for floors. Hmm. I should consult with the Cap'n.

That Helmsman stuff says "not recommended for floors"!?
My friend/ handyman put something he called "a glaze" on my very old cherry stained wood floor and it looks fantastic.
But I don't know what a glaze consists of, I assume someone at Fingerles or somewhere may.

That is helpful, Stella. Thanks. I'll ask them about that as well.

Probably because every year you read about the guy found charred on his front yard from smoking while applying. Turn the stove pilot off as well. Don't smoke. The water based stuff won't be as hard.

The Varnishes -- A Very Brief Summary
There are four types of varnish - alkyd, polyurethane, spar, and quick-drying. Any of these varnishes can be substituted whenever we mention "varnish" in this discussion.
Alkyds are the traditional varnishes made from a polyester resin. For a crude reference, think of polyester as the resin that is used in Fiberglass®. These varnishes are durable, flexible, resistance to abrasion, have good adhesion qualities, resistant to discoloration from UV and light, and are relatively less expensive than the other varnishes. Their only negative is that they are very slow drying and will take 24-hours to dry sufficiently for recoating. For this reason alone, the alkyd varnishes are becoming difficult to find as a furniture finish, but their superior qualities make them the choice for floor finishing varnishes.

Everyone has thier opinion. I use spar for everything oak. Rocking chairs, floors, columns, trim.

As you are a woodworker, I think it is wise to listen to you, and use spar. Thank you, Cap'n.

I'll check out Fingerle's.

You will also find oil-based and water-based "varnishes". Oil based are the ones that take 24 hours to dry and are usually harder, more long lasting, and in my opinion, better looking finishes. Brush cleanup must be down with an oil based solvent. Water based dries very quickly, and the new ones are quite sturdy I'm told. I'm not sure how you're defining the word toxic, any of it would be pretty nasty if you slugged it down. However. A kitchen floor needs to resist water and wine other such stuff, be able to handle frequent cleaning etc. The red oak flooring I bought to redo my kitchen has what I was told is an "aluminum oxide" finish on it. Supposedly worry-free. Famous last words, but not a description of wood floors that was the norm in the good ole days. (I do love that old-fashioned oil varnish for refinishing furniture, that is almost impossible to find now. Such a rich, deep finish.)

And there are a myriad of "oils" for refinishing wood. They have a soft finish, not totally impervious to liquid, and would need to be redone ever so often. I did hear lately that linseed oil really is impossible to find, but I haven't been on a quest for it to prove that wrong.

We wax our wood floors and they are beautiful. We much prefer it to a hard coating. Wax has a lovely mellow deep (but shiny) look to it, not as plastic and fake looking as poly or as harsh and bright as varnish. We use the SC Johnson Paste Wax (not the liquid) every few years and it has held up really well. The nice thing about the wax is you can just buff out any problem areas--unlike poly or varnish which chip and you have to pretty much redo a whole section if they get worn. We will buff out (we have a little electric floor buffer) the high traffic areas every other year or so and just leave the less used areas and there is no demarcation. If we want the floors to look super shiny, we just buff them and they are back to new in no time (they are slippery for a week or so though until they get a little wear). The wax smells good, is easy to apply if you have a buffer, and is cheap. It also seems fairly environmentally benign. Varnishes can be really hard to work with and can remain sticky for a long time, especially under pressure, which is why they aren't recommended for floors. Linseed is the cause of many "pile of rags in the basement catching on fire" fires so you have to be very careful. The only drawback to wax is that it can cause difficulties if you try to put anything else over it later. But since I can't imagine ever wanting to put anything else on, that doesn't bother me.

JulieW: YAY!
There's my answer! Non-toxic, easy-to-apply, environmentally friendly wax! Hurrah!

Paste wax it is. Thank you for the ideal answer, Julie! I was dreading turning off my furnace, &c. for the "spar"--I'm just the sort who would never be able to turn it on again, and I just don't want to mess with flammable/carcinogenic/toxic substances.

Can I use a car wax whirly thingie for a buffer? Or maybe there is an attachment I can use with my electric drill. What is the buffer head made of? I think a car wax whirly thingie would work. JulieW, is that what you use?

Thank you for the perfect answer! Yay for paste wax!

The aesthetic sounds more suitable for me, too--not hard and shiny but mellow and glow-y.

I also bought some Murphy's Oil Soap today, which I adore the smell of.

Truth be told, I've mopped the floor every night since ripping up the carpet because...it just smells so good in the house for a change.

Mopping out of joy? Never thought I'd see the day.

Oh yes, pulling up carpet to expose a hardwood floor is a great feeling. The first thing we did when we bought our house ten years ago was pull up the stained lime-green shag to find lovely finished oak floors underneath. We mopped them up, waxed them, and that was it. Amazing to us that someone would want to cover them up with lime-green shag. The house smelled and looked so much better without the carpet. Lots easier to clean up messes too--just wipe 'em up.

As for a buffer, we actually own a small floor buffer. It isn't one of the big industrial kind, it looks more like a cross between a vacuum and an electric broom, only a bit heavier. The pads are a sturdy felt or wool-like material. A car waxer might do the trick if you had the right pads. You could try it and see if it works. It is mostly about looks and how hard you have to work. You aren't going to mess up the wood. You would be welcome to borrow our stand-up buffer to do the job if the car buffer doesn't work or is too hard on your knees. Since we don't use it that often, it mostly sits around.

eeuuw, lime green shag, lovely.

That is generous and kind of you to offer to lend your buffer, JulieW. Thank you. I'll give a car buffer a whirl and see if that works (I'm guessing it will).