Photo from Epifanes
Epifanes is one of those products that gets talked about a lot, but not everyone understands what it actually is or how to use it well. Here is a straightforward guide covering the basics: what it is, whether you need to thin it, and how to successfully apply it.
What is Epifanes?
Epifanes is a Dutch marine coatings brand that’s been around since 1902. It’s best known for high-gloss wood finishes, the kind you see on classic wooden boats with that deep, almost liquid-looking shine. Over the years, it’s found its way into fine furniture shops too, because the same qualities that protect a boat hull from sun and water work just as well on a tabletop.
The product line breaks down into a few main options:
- Clear Varnish is the flagship product and the one most people mean when they say “Epifanes.” It’s built for a true high-gloss, mirror-like finish.
- Wood Finish Gloss is a lower-maintenance alternative. It’s especially suited to oily woods like teak.
- Wood Finish Matte is the same idea as Wood Finish Gloss, but for a flat, non-shiny look.
- Rubbed Effect Varnish gives you a satin, amber-toned finish, usually applied over a base of gloss coats underneath.
There’s also a choice between one-component and two-component systems. One-part varnish is easier to work with, more forgiving of temperature swings, and flexes along with the wood, so it holds up better on solid wood furniture. Two-part polyurethane varnish is tougher and more durable, but it’s less forgiving to apply and doesn’t flex as well, so it’s really meant for dimensionally stable materials like marine plywood rather than solid lumber.
Do you need to thin it before applying?
Yes, and Epifanes is pretty specific about how. Here’s the schedule they recommend for their Clear Gloss Varnish and the Wood Finish products:
- 1st coat: thin 50 percent
- 2nd coat: thin 25 percent
- 3rd coat: thin 15 percent
- 4th through 7th coats: thin 0 to 5 percent
The reason for thinning: If you put the first coat on at full strength, it just sits on top of the wood instead of soaking in, and everything you brush on after that ends up bonding to a sealed surface rather than penetrating into the wood itself. Thinning that first coat heavily lets it really penetrate into the wood, adding deep protection and durability. As you build up layers, you gradually back off the thinner until you’re applying the varnish close to full strength by the last few coats, which give it that beautiful high-gloss sheen Epifanes is known for.
What should you thin it with?
Epifanes sells its own thinner, which is essentially a purified, double-distilled white spirit. It’s formulated to work with their full line of one-part varnishes and paints, including Clear Gloss Varnish, Wood Finish Gloss, Wood Finish Matte, and Rubbed Effect Varnish.
Now, plenty of woodworkers will tell you that ordinary mineral spirits from the hardware store do the exact same thing, and for the most part, they’re not wrong. That branded thinner is basically the same category of product. That said, I’d stick with the manufacturer’s thinner on anything you need to offer a warranty on for a client. There have been reports on some of the woodworking forums of plain mineral spirits causing the finish to blush in some situations, so using the product they recommend keeps you inside their guidelines. If you ever need to file a warranty claim against them, they could deny it for not using their specific components for their system. Most likely the blushing is caused by moisture getting trapped in the finish. I suspect that their thinner has a retarder in it, which slows down the drying, allowing the moisture to escape, whereas off-the-shelf mineral spirits do not have this retarder included.
What’s the best way to actually apply it?
Start with clean, sanded wood. Any dust or contamination is going to show right through a glossy finish, so don’t skip prep. On gloss finishes, I would double-check my sanding prep with a raking light to find any imperfections before applying the finish.
Use a good brush. A quality, soft-bristle, long-haired brush with a tapered, chisel-shaped tip holds more product and lays down a better, thicker wet film than a cheap one. This matters more with Epifanes than with many other finishes.
Thin it as you go, following the schedule above. Straight out of the can, this stuff is thick, almost like syrup. Trying to brush it on full strength from the start is a losing battle. You will not get the same protection as you would if it soaks into the wood, and will end up with a streaky finish.
Load the brush generously on horizontal surfaces. Don’t be shy. Keep the brush wet and reload as soon as you feel it starting to drag. Lay the varnish on, spread it into a thin even coat, and then leave it alone. The more you keep working a loaded brush over the same spot, the more solvent evaporates out of it, and the more streaks you are going to get. This is called over brushing, and it’s the fastest way to ruin the look of a finish.
Slow down on vertical surfaces. Work in one direction, usually up and down strokes with the grain, to pull the material out thin and avoid runs and sags. Once it’s spread out well, finish with a light tipping stroke across the grain to even everything out.
Tip off as your final move. This is the step that gets rid of bubbles, brush marks, and lap lines. Take an almost dry brush, hold it lightly, and just barely kiss the surface while moving with the grain. If you’ve thinned properly, the brush strokes will level themselves out, and any bubbles will pop on their own. There is a fine line between tipping off a finish and over-brushing. Tip off as you go, working in small areas. If the finish is starting to tack up, it is best to skip the tipping off step and let it dry, and come back with sandpaper to fix imperfections. If the finish is getting tacky, it is no longer workable, and overbrushing will do more damage than just letting it dry and touching it up later.
Some people roll; don’t do it. Rolling goes faster, but it lays down a noticeably thinner coat than brushing, and it can leave a slight orange peel texture. If you roll it on, follow up right behind with light brush strokes to smooth it out. This is called “roll and tip,” and it works best with two people, one rolling and one tipping close behind. This technique is reserved for when speed over quality is the objective.
Sand lightly and clean between coats. Let each coat go tack-free, usually around three hours depending on temperature, humidity, and sun exposure, then sand lightly and wipe or vacuum off all the dust before the next coat goes on.
Pay attention to your shop temperature. Cold conditions thicken the varnish and keep it from leveling out. Overly hot conditions can cause it to cure too fast. Both can cause streaks or an orange peel look people complain about. If your shop runs extreme temperatures, that’s usually the first thing to fix before blaming the product.
At the end of the day, Epifanes is a forgiving finish once you understand it. Getting a great result comes down to thinning it properly, brush technique, and then having the discipline to leave it alone once it’s spread out.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.