Interlux Schooner Gold Varnish

I switched to Interlux about a year ago. I liked the combination of Jet Speed undercoating with Schooner finish coats... and then Interlux took Jet Speed off the market. My experience with Schooner Gold suggests it's not really a high build undercoat varnish for brushers. Even indoors at moderate temperature, it proved impossible to find the thinning mixture that produced the smooth, self-leveling film that Interlux advertised. And I couldn't brush on two coats without sanding. So I did ""the right thing""; I consulted the manufacturer's instructions. No help at all. My evaluation is that Schooner Gold isn't brushable until Interlux publishes much more detailed (and credible) instructions.

I used this on new epoxy, prepared the surface exactly as directed. In two weeks it still had a tough surface gum. The gum could not be sanded, scrapped or dissolved off with any solvent I had including acetone, mineral spirits, water and detergent, Interlux solvent 333, Interlux solvent 202, xylene or GooGone (OK, I was getting desperate.) I talked to Interlux's technical support representative who recommended only a manual paint scrapper, but the gum was too tough for that. My local dealer recommended Back-to-Nature's Ready Strip paint remover. That kind of worked but still required a lot of gummed up sand paper to get back down to a hard surface. Changed to the old Schooner product and love it. Goes on easy and is very predictable.

Bought this product to match the old Schooner Gold color, it was a good match. However as others have said the varnish was thicker then the old version and did not flow out well. Found that if I added about 5% thinner it helped

i ordered the ordinary schooner on the advice of a friend. the company i ordered it from sent the Gold version as the old schooner had apparently been discontinued. i read the blurb that came with it and not knowing a great deal about varnish ( thats not to say i havent used varnish successfully before! )i concluded it was a much upgraded version of the original schooner varnish.A more horrible product would be hard to find. Having spent some six hours refurbishing a bamboo fly rod i came to the final stage, the varnishing. despite thinning as suggested the stuff went on like glue, the brush dragged horribly and the stuff was hardly self levelling, it gave an awful finish. undetered i gave it a few days and flatted it back and had another go. it didnt matter how thinned it was, i tried heating it to make it more mobile, nothing i could do made any difference. this is honestly the worst varnish i have ever used. i wouldnt recommend it to an enemy never mind a friend

The original schooner #96 works well for brushing. However, we find that the new Schooner Gold, when thinned properly, is great for spraying & lays down very nice!

I just stopped varnishing after one side of topsides. Awful, does not level out again. Using Epifanes for centuries, switched to schooner for gloss longevity. But this is impossible to work with.

This just dosent do it for me, very thick but ok you thin it out. It sets up to fast it acts like theres a catalast going off, then your done. This is NO replacement for schooner... [*] EPA

After using a quart of Interlux Schooner Gold, I plan on trying Interlux Schooner. Gold is simply too thick, especially in the cold North East. It goes on like #50 motor oil in the middle of winter, sags, and is absolutely not the easiest varnish to apply. Perhaps it will find some use at the equator. I am hoping that Interlux Schooner will be more useable. Why buy a product that must be thinned? Why are they selling ""the concentrate"" instead of what you actually want to use?

As a Grand Banks owner I have successfully used Schooner Varnish Y96 for the last 10 years. This product has now been replaced by Interlux with Schooner Gold YVA500. This new varnish is very thick even when thinned,drags so areas can be skipped and is impossible to ""tip"".

I loved the old #96 product. This product is nothing like it. This MUST be thinned out of the can. The problem is trying to find the right ratio of 333(Interlux brushing thinner). So far I have no luck getting it to lay down well in the friendly confines of the shop. I cannot imagine trying to get good results in a marina with changing temp and wind. Interlux makes many good products, but this one still needs some work.

We have been professional refinishers working in Fla. and Me. for 25 years. Over the years we have used many different products, but have continually returned to Schooner Varnish for superior results. The new ""improved"" Schooner is much more difficult to use in an outdoor setting as it is extremely thick, so needs lots of 333 to get it to flow. This product is more like Epiphanes or Flagship which in our experience does not hold up as well as the old Schooner and is more diffucult to use.

Used to finish the sides and deck of a mahagony runabout. The varnish is thick as syrup and we were not able to use it out of the can. It drags the brush like crazy. We setteled upon thinning it 10% with 333. We rolled it on and followed right behind with a loaded top quality brush to tip it off. It was simply impossible to eliminate brush marks. In a shop heated to 70 degrees, it required at least four days before it could be sanded. Even then it clogged the paper terribly. We have used the original Interlux Schooner varnish for years. I had much rather have the original. The great gloss and color of this new version is just ruined by the brush marks.

I started a project with schooner varnish and now they discountinue it and it's now call gold and this thing does not flow unless you reduced it and you have to be carefull cause it will go milky so to me this is bad

After a very bad start due to mislabeling about being able to use straight from the can we gave the product another try. I think it is now very much like the old Flagship varnish of Z- Spar, it has to be reduced. We are now trying to find the perfect mix of 333 and product so it levels and will not reduce its gloss.

I am refinishing the wood on my 1950 Ford Woodie. I have used Schooner for my interior, mahogany panels and they look great. A marine store told me to try the Gold. I'm going to see if I can return it for the Schooner. It is very thick and I thinned it 1/3 for the 1st coat over Maple wood sealed with a penetrating epoxy. I don't think you would use this unthinned. The amber seems slightly grayish compared to the rich gold hue of Schooner. I do like the claim it is less scratch resistant. I'll maybe try it again before I trade it in. It does dry more slowly than Schooner.

Do NOT believe the label that says that the product can be used straight from the can, if yum dom , diseaster will follow.