I've seen some people doing multiple sandings between coats of spar varnish. Creates a finish with beautiful luster, but good spar varnish ain't cheap. What I'm thinking of trying next is just rubbing in several coats of boiled linseed oil.
I used Spar varnish on my first hive, and it looked great, but it did not hold up well in the Texas sun and heat. After the first year, it was peeling and cracking. If I do another clear finish, I think I will try using a sanding sealer.
Robo- those hives are beautiful. :)
Quote from: dragonfly on May 11, 2009, 05:34:46 pmI used Spar varnish on my first hive, and it looked great, but it did not hold up well in the Texas sun and heat. After the first year, it was peeling and cracking. If I do another clear finish, I think I will try using a sanding sealer.Depending on the weather and amount of ventilation in your hives the less permeable the finish the quicker they'll start to break down.
10W30 and a Wagner power sprayer :-D
I can't imagine the bees would prefer the petro smell??
Rob, have you tried any other way of applying it? How often do you have to coat them?
Quote from: dragonfly on May 11, 2009, 05:36:08 pmRobo- those hives are beautiful. :)10W30 and a Wagner power sprayer :-D