When To Varnish?

Chuck is a friend of mine, he is also a very accomplished artist who I have had the pleasure of meeting a number of times from Scotland to Charleston, North Carolina. What a lot of people do not know about Chuck he is also a chemist having a career in applied research and development. This chemistry background gives him a very valuable insight into the understanding of the structures of painting. Sometime ago Chuck and I had a discussion about when was the correct time to apply varnish. As we can all read in books that all oil paintings should be left to dry or cure completely from up to 6-12 months before applying a protective and removable varnish. Chuck explained to me this was a subject that had puzzled him for many years. Below is his paper of investigation which we are very grateful for his allowing us to publish in its entirety. Please note this is the entire property of Chuck Mauldin and no part may be published without his written permission and all rights are reserved. - Michael Harding