What is your favorite way to apply varnish?

[JSpill]

Foam brush? 
Bristle brush?
Hand pad?
Other method?

[jteneyck]

Jim, with WB varnish I prefer spraying over any other method. Second best is with a foam brush.  With OB varnish, I prefer to wipe it on if the piece is not too large.  With large surfaces, like a table top, I thin the varnish 25% or so and apply it with a foam brush, knowing that it will never be perfect and that I will have to  rub it out after it has cured long enough to do so.  I use abrasives on my ROS to rub it out, followed by auto polishing compound if I want high gloss, which is very rare for me. 

John

[Bøb]

I thin it WAY down (70%:30%) with VM&P NAPTHA ... it drastically reduces surface tension and allows the varnish to seep down into the pores which completely eliminates bubbles.   Wipe it on with a piece of old t-shirt.   Takes a lot of coats, but they dry quickly, and you can do 3-4 coat per day.

[fredhargis]

I prefer to brush it using a "badger hair" brush. But there are (a lot) of times I'll wipe it on after thinning to about 50/50. Spraying anything oil based is just too much work, I'll still do it with paint...but not varnish.

[ez-duzit]

My favorite way to apply varnish is to pay a professional to do it. Seriously, my dusty workshop is no place for applying a good finish.

[jteneyck]

My favorite way to apply varnish is to pay a professional to do it. Seriously, my dusty workshop is no place for applying a good finish.

There's no such thing as a shop that's too dusty to apply a good finish.  I finish in my shop and don't have problems with dust.  Vacuum the floor and finishing bench, clean the piece you want to finish and get all your stuff ready.  Then leave the shop for an hour or so, and be sure to change your clothes, even take a shower if you have sawdust in your hair (a problem with which I no longer have to worry about).  Go apply your finish, and then leave the shop until it's set.  It's that simple. 

John

[daddo]

My favorite way is to apply it on the project and not on me.


 I've always used the pure bristle brushes. I condition a new one first.