I am an artesian and have used spar varnish for 30 years. Xander is right; Cabot has no right to place a synthetic product that compels oil, under a product which has been natural oil base for centuries. I have been testing this product. If you use it and let it set for 12 hours, it is in gum format and it can rub right off your surface with a rag. If it dries over a 3 day period it is like cement and does not sand easy. Who wants to sand antiques? The Cabot surface film will not take any additional oil finish wipes, since it compels any oil based product. All it takes is a film of bad Cabot and you have permanent streaks. The high gloss cans are not high gloss; and beware; it can not be sanded to a gloss surface because it is a synthetic gum. If any one knows of a class action effort against damage this product has done under the experience hands of wood workers?.. I am in. I bought my product from Lowe’s, who discontinued the Spar Varnish and has no alternative product on their shelves. Synthetic spar urethane is made for boats and under heavy duty sanding, and is called under the correct name of urethane, but beware, salespersons grab this product when a customer asks for spar varnish and claims it is the same. If I ask them where they learned this fact, they tell me they are told to say it. We are talking about Home Depot and Lowe’s together. I have been trying the ACE Spar Varnish which is doing well. Here is your solution. They do not carry much on their shelves, so let them know to restock.

It is important that Cabot Spar Varnish User’s know that the product will dry in the can to a gel if you do not place the lid on it while doing your job. It has no shelf life and should have never been placed on shelves to the regulated specifications. I do not know how this product was sold. This just tells me, large outfits like Lowe’s seem to be out of touch with regulations and test use of products. They rely on a hand few like us to get burnt and blow whistle.