Hello Jeremy

Mahogany reacts in the same way as mahogany faced ply but might need slightly more sealing and fine sanding to knock the grain down. I use lightly thinned varnish for the first five coats and rub down between each application the following coats are 4000grit wet rubbed between coats, the number of finishing coats is a personal choice but for a deep shine I normally use between fifteen to twenty coats.

The final coat can be further enhanced by using silicone or beeswax based polish.

Paul

Jeremy

I avoided using sanding sealer because it contains a filler powder and I thought that might clog the grain (like it's designed to) and make a high-gloss wood-grain finish impossible. I used thinned polyurethane varnish and after umpteen coats and much rubbing down I'm pretty happy with the finish.

I remember standing on the dockside at Monte Carlo, feeling like a fish out of water, and there was an Aquarama on its trailer. Looking closely at it, I swear that the wood moved behind the varnish as you moved your head! I've never seen such a beautiful gloss finish on any wood anywhere, and that includes antique furniture etc. Mind you, those Riva speedboats start at £250K and they've been making them for a good while, so they should know how to get a decent finish by now.

Dave M