Traveller woodwork treatment

[fillpoke]

Just wondering if anyone has used Le Tonkinois Varnish on their woodwork and if so is it any good? http://www.letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk/VarMain.html
Thanks for any help,
Dave

[bmcecosse]

Varnish just traps moisture in the timber - possibly the 'micro-porous' types are not so bad, but this does not claim to be of that type. I removed all the horrible old varnish many years ago, treated with Cuprinol 5 star (many times) and now I oil my timber with teak oil - others use danish oil.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

The reccommended stuff for wood treatment now is wax - as bmc says varnish cracks and actually encourages rot.

[George Coles]

Welcome to the world of traveller wood finishes. Rose our traveller has 18 year old wood from Steve Foreman that was. This has been re coated with the Dulux system used at the time.now it is being stripped back, cuprinol 5 star and the search for a new finish. I looked at Le Tonk and was very impressed as it seemed to bring the best of both worlds so on my list. Various oils are good but attract the dirt and need regular coatings. The full blown yacht type varnishes especially the 2 packs are bullet proof but agree with Roy any moisture is trapped and will start to stain. If the wood is sound and dry then poly yacht varnish is the least impractical for day to day use. But I would still touch up each month on the joints where you get movement. Easy to keep clean but still clear out the drain channels each year.
Keep posting your investigations, I will add my thoughts,

George, keeper of the Rose.

[bmcecosse]

The moisture gets in from behind - as well as at joints. Hence my view that varnish is not best. But each to their own.

[pegasus]

I have used that varnish and it`s one of the best varnishes i have ever used. Everyone has their own idea of what they think is the best. You should go with what you feel is the best choice for you.
Letonkinois is good at withstanding salt water unlike the yatch varnishes available in B & Q, they are not proper yatch varnishes. If you are going down this route give the wood a good few coats of cuprinol 5 star then let it completely dry. Then 4 - 5 coats of Letonkinois but bear in mind as its oil based it will take 24 hours to dry.
All the best
Mark

[julie4morris]

Think I will stick to good old creosote for my girl dose the job on the garden fence

[simmitc]

This topic has been done to death many times. try searching for similar posts. There is no right answer. If you put 10 Traveller owners in a room, you'll get at least 12 different views. For original good looks and lovely light wood, then varnish is the best, BUT if you want to use the car and let it out in anything other than mild sunshine, then other treatments rule. I like Burgess wood sealer. Yes, the wood is darker, but the coating is microporous and can be applied to wet wood (yes!) which is handy when the car is used every day and kept outside