paint over varnish or varnish over paint?

[jim shula]

I'm making a new set of teak sign boards for a large yacht. The owner decided to change the name of the boat. The lettering and border are raised from the rest of the sign. The tops of the letters and border will be painted with Petit Easypoxy oil based marine paint, and the rest of the sign will be varnished with four coats of Epifanes Rapidclear followed by a couple coats of Epifanes gloss spar varnish.

On the old sign it looks like they did the painting first, then applied the varnish over everything including the paint. The sheen on the top of the letters looks the same as on the natural wood areas. Is it okay to put varnish over the oil based marine paint?

[joe]

Jim,

Congratulations on this interesting project. I know you'll make them happy.

As you know I'm land-locked and have no experience with the materials you'll be using so I have no advice. Please take a photo or two, for us to see, as you proceed. It's so seldom we have the fortune of seeing postings about commercial work. Thanks for your efforts.

Joe

[bleeth]

Back when my whole life was boat building and maintenance we varnished over stern painted and/or gilded letters regularly. Proper prep, as usual, is critical.
It is rare that any good quality marine varnish will not bond to another as long as the previous layer is properly sanded and prepped.
Epifanes is great stuff and should have no issue with the Pettit. When prime coating Teak you should start with an acetone wash which will leech out the surface oils and improve bonding and also thin your prime coat according to manufacturers instructions. Make sure you use their designated thinner.
I have not used Pettit's epoxy based paints and I would consult with the manufacturers support people.

[joe]

Jim,

Is there any chance we could get a look at this project, in any stage?

[jim shula]

Hi Joe, I tried to post these pics last week directly from my phone, but I kept getting a message saying they were too large. Now I'm trying to upload them from Picasa. Let's see if they work...

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipOl_n3yfcRhzNDNIqA2j9pSUKXpNPlktPKEPlxJ/photo/AF1QipOvhKoXK41tlXJZ4jQSIldrLKKZ57lWdrZfN2SV

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMuIvqRsGWWDX9rCS4o4tmz0_StKu8dMLl124mF

https://goo.gl/photos/N3JLn5asgUa1oFbW9

https://goo.gl/photos/N3JLn5asgUa1oFbW9

Apparently I still can't figure out how to insert a pic, so I just used the links instead.

The old signs boards read "White Ensign". The new name is Cetacea. The raised letters and border are painted now, and I have six coats of varnish on the backside and three on the front. The front will need at least three more to fill the open grain of the teak. The 10"x12' 6/4 teak was $427.00 for the board, something like $31/bf.