paint oil based enamel over old varnish?

[shamblin]

sailors,

i have a cabin door and tiller ( not on the horizon cat ) that needs renewing.   am i right that i can smooth the old varnish down with steel wool and then refinish with auto enamel in a spray can, or oil based brush enamel,  without  removing every bit of old varnish from the wood ?

thanks,

bill shamblin hc20

[wes]

I would say yes, but you will want to use a good primer first. After sanding the old varnish with fine sandpaper (I like 220 grit for this purpose) I would apply a high quality primer, preferably from the same manufacturer as your finish paint. The primer binds the old finish to the new and is cheap insurance. After applying the primer I would similarly scuff up the primer coat (probably with 320 or 400 grit) before applying the finish paint. All paints and primers adhere best when the underlying surface has some "tooth" to it; it should not be sanded to a mirror-smooth finish.

- Wes