Cruising Sailors Forum Archive

Varnish project ... When to pull the tape ?

These are new teak Fiddles on new Corian tops. I'm curious ... when's the best time to pull the tape ? I'm using Epi Gloss. After the 4th coat, I pulled the tape, 24 hours after that coat was laid on. Then re-taped, and now about to put on the 8th and final coat of varnish. When I pulled that tape the first time, I found it was best to use a razor blade between the tape and the Fiddles, as there were spots when the varnish was starting to lift. I try to remove as much varnish at the joint as I can after laying on a coat, but on the vertical surfaces, the varnish invariably flows to the tape. Some literature says to pull the tape within 2 hours, but that seems like a bad idea ? The guys at Epi say to pull the tape after the last coat cures. Any suggestions ? Tips ? Thanks in advance ... cheers, John

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