Epiwotsit varnish

John Vigor · Post by **John Vigor** » Jul 15th, '07, 17:15

I know this sounds a bit dumb, but I have used Epifanes varnish for lo these many years without knowing how to pronounce it. Usually, I don't have to pronounce it. I just find it on the shelf and give the man my hard-earned loot.

But I live in fear that one day it won't be there, and I shall have to ask for it by name, thereby making an idiot (okay, a bigger idiot) of myself.

Is it e-PIF-an-eez, the sort of thing Saul experienced on the road to Damascus? Or is it EP-ee-fains?

It's obviously an industrial word, made up from the prefix "epi" meaning skin, or cover, and "fanes," which, according to Google
is an acronym for Furnace Atomization Non-Thermal Emission Spectrometry.

Yes, well, it's all very complicated. But it's the pronunciation that's important. I know that many Cape Dory owners use it. What exactly do you call it when your minds are relaxed and your tongues loosened after a couple of Dark 'n Stormies?

John Vigor

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Jul 15th, '07, 17:30

"EP-eh-fains" is how I pronouce it and have always heard it pronounced by others(notice the "eh" not "ee" as you suggested).

Dean Abramson · Post by **Dean Abramson** » Jul 15th, '07, 17:49

I am pretty sure that I saw an ad of theirs which spelled it out phontetically as ep-ee-FAHN-es.

Dean

Troy Scott · Post by **Troy Scott** » Jul 15th, '07, 19:51

Well I've always said EP-eh-fanes, but the girl at the local West Marine says eh-PIH-fah-neez. I don't argue.

Al Levesque · Post by **Al Levesque** » Jul 16th, '07, 08:01

I tried their email address and got an immediate reply. I also noticed that they are close to Rockland in the heart of the downeast cruising grounds. A great place to test and observe varnish.

The reply is as follows:

Dear Al,

Epifanes is Greek for epiphany. It is pronounced "e-pi-fawn-us" with the
accent on the first.

Doug

Doug Theobalds
70 Water Street,
Thomaston, Maine
U.S.A. 04861
tel. 207.354.0804
fax 207-354-0387
skype. dtheobalds

Epifanes NA Inc.
Rowable Classics
Stazo Marine NA Inc.
Van de Stadt / Bruynzeel Timber Inc.
Variprop - Varifold
Victron Energy NA Inc.

Dave Jeffery · Post by **Dave Jeffery** » Jul 16th, '07, 08:48

When the pronunciation of Epifanes is settled (if it is), what about the ventilation funnel, box, and baffle combination--dorade? (Or is it properly capitalized as Dorade?)
Door-ADE? Door-ADD? Or...?

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Jul 16th, '07, 08:56

Dave Jeffery wrote:When the pronunciation of Epifanes is settled (if it is), what about the ventilation funnel, box, and baffle combination--dorade? (Or is it properly capitalized as Dorade?)
Door-ADE? Door-ADD? Or...?

I pronounce it as "Door-ade", like "Lemonade".

Dean Abramson · Post by **Dean Abramson** » Jul 16th, '07, 09:58

I say DOOR-ade.

Troy Scott · Post by **Troy Scott** » Jul 16th, '07, 09:59

was the name of a yacht on which this type of ventilator first appeared. I say Dor-ade, like lemonade, but I suspect that's an Americanization of the name. Similarly Eldorado, Arkansas is traditionally pronounced to rhyme with "lemonade-oh" even though it's obviously wrong.

Cathy Monaghan · Post by **Cathy Monaghan** » Jul 18th, '07, 09:59

Hi John,

You asked your question at the right time.

The folks at Epifanes are CDSOA sponsors again this year and I had been in e-mail contact with their rep, so I asked him your question and here's his response:

Tom Morse wrote:Hi Cathy...

We should put the pronunciation explanation back into our ads, which used to
say: "Epifanes (épee-fawn-us)."

Revisiting that pronunciation, I'd say the Epi is closer to the way it's
pronounced in the term epi-pen (the hypodermic for people with potentially
fatal allergies). More of an ep-eee.

The -fanes part (which most people mistakenly think rhymes with urethane)
actually sounds more than "Khan" + "iss." Or, to use the way we pronounce
"barn" here in Maine, it rhymes with "bahn" + "iss." Or perhaps like the
word "wan."

Hope this helps.

Tom

Paul D. · Post by **Paul D.** » Jul 18th, '07, 10:58

Greetings,

Call it what you will but I still cannot find the right brush technique to make it not sag on vertical surfaces. I am using it now to varnish my nesting dinghy and though I had bad light, was in a foul mood and had mosquitoes pestering me, I will now be sanding the first coat rather smartly.

I have always had good luck with Goldspar even thought the name is less poetic. The Epifanes is clear and durable though and a good quality varnish, don't get me wrong.

Paul

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Jul 18th, '07, 11:15

Paul,

I have used epiphanes several times now. A couple things I have learned:

I gave up on using high quality badger hair brushes, for a non pro the foam brushes give a far better result (and no cleanup issues).

Second, thin the varnish, more then suggested on the can instructions. I thin the first 2 coats 50% for seailing, the third coat about 30 and all coats to follow about 15%. I never use the varnish full strength, it looks awful when it cures. The coats I apply I do so very thin, if you try to apply it thick or heavy, its going to sag, leave brush marks, and not cure well. Thinning it heavily does mean more coats, but also means a much better end result, especially if you want that "mile deep glass" look that only real varnish can give.

John Vigor · Post by **John Vigor** » Jul 18th, '07, 11:37

Well, thanks for the help, folks. It's undoubtedly the wood protectant with the name that's hardest to pronounce.

If they renamed it, so we could ask for it in the store, and mention it in public without blushing, they'd sell twice as much.

I believe it's made in Holland, so how about Dutchman's Varnish? Or Finger-in-the-Dyke Varnish? Or Slap-on-Twenty-Coats-and-Hope-for-the-Best Varnish? Or what?

John Vigor

"If a male Cape Dory sailor voices an opinion and there's no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?"

The Cape Dory Board

Epiwotsit varnish

Epiwotsit varnish

epifanes

Another source

Dorade

Correct pronunciation....

Rename it