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Since aniline dyes fade from UV, has anyone ever used exterior spar varnish instead of regular interior polyurethane? Potential problems? Just trying to think outside the box.
Was living the good retired life on the Lake. Now just living retired.
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I have not. That said, there's no reason to have any problems between the dye and the varnish, but there may be some applications where spar varnish isn't the best for the application. It's quite a bit softer. As for whether it's slows down the fade, well, it seems like it would have to...at least somewhat. To be honest the times I've used dyes (mostly A&C stuff) I haven't noticed the fade. I guess it's so gradual it doesn't stand out. Bear in mind, depending on the wood species you might get more change in the wood than the dye.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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The word "aniline" might still be used but no dye sold today actually uses aniline in the formulation. And that's a good thing. Modern metal complex dyes are very light fast. Transtint is the one I use and I've never noticed any fading over the 10 years I've been using them. BUT if you want to add another level of UV protection then use a topcoat with a built in UV package. While Spar varnishes have a good UV package they are too soft for interior cabinets and furniture. It would be better to use an interior varnish with a UV package. KemAqua Plus is a waterborne product with one; spray only, however. Plenty of other solvent based spray grade products, too. If you aren't set up for spraying don't worry about it. Just use a good interior varnish. It won't fade for a long time.
John
