Hey All!
I’ve been doing interior work for so long now that I’m sure generations of exterior products have come and gone. I’m wrapping up two benches that have enough detailing on them to make me NEVER want to think about refinishing. They are both honduran mahogany and will be used under an eave but will still get morning sun. Darkening would be fine but failure or yellowing would be a real problem.
Any suggestions?
Thanks Tai
Replies
HITAI,
Penofin. It's a penetrating oil formulated for use outdoors. Because it's an oil product, and not a surface film, it'll be much easier to perform the annual touch-up that most finished outdoor projects require. I recently used it (sanded in three coats with 220-grit silicon carbide) to finish a massive ash picnic table with integral benches. Took four of us about an hour to apply each coat. Provides a nice luster and protection against water damage. Penofin is available with different colorants added if you want to change the color of your wood somewhat. Be sure to finish ALL surfaces so your project doesn't warp from unequal moisture absorption.
Good luck,
Paul
I'll second the oil motion. That's the way to go for something you don't want to ever have to sand. I have another name to add to the list, but it's stuck -- the caffein hasn't kicked in. Will edit it in later.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanks for the input... Please let me know if you remember the name. Can I have coffee delivered? Penofin seems to think quite a lot of their product according to their website, and I think it is locally available. Will it build out to a nice sheen or does it stay matte.? I need this to look ... well.... perfect...... and am a bit nervous about having to use a new product. If it dries hard I know I can get it where I need it to go.
Thanks!
Tai
You might want to take a look at the June issues of Consumer Reports for the past five years. They have been performing a long term test of clear, semi-opague, and opague deck finishes. No clear finish offered much in the way of protection for more than a year. Some semi-opaques lasted longer and the opaques lasted longest of all. As I recall, penofin did better than most but nothing is forever outdoors. UV attacks all finishes. If the finish is on a dark wood, the finish lasts a shorter time.
The only way to preserve the look outdoors is to spend the money on good sun blocking covers. "Sumbrella" is the material us boaters use to protect teak.
Us boaters have been looking for a long lasting clear finish forever. Haven't found it yet.
Lots of folks swear by "CPES" a product of Smith's and company. By applying it as a sealer coat over bare wood, and then varnishing over that. He also makes a product he calls Five-Year Clear. Here's a link to a google list for more info.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=CPES+smith&as_q=wood&btnG=Search%C2%A0within%C2%A0results
Hitai-
I made an outdoor dining set form white oak and finished it with Moser's exterior grade danish oil http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=859-973
I live in SoCal and so far the finish has stood up very well to the elements (including the demands of a six year old). Application is as straight forward as you could hope.
Doc in Carlsbad CA
The product I spaced out on is "Superdeck" by Duckback Products, Inc "A Katy Company" located in Chico, CA. They have a web site
http://www.superdeck.com which I haven't visited yet.
I used to buy Adirondack furniture from a wholesaler in Canada that used Superdeck as a finish. This was not cheap one-season stuff. The chair alone sold for $195, and sold well. I believe SD is a tung-oil based finish.
Can't give you any long-term experience report though. I got out of that business after only two years so I could go part-time and have "a life."
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanks for all the input. The CPES sounds incredible and I will find an application for it at some point but this is not the project to experiment with. I'll be heading into town today to see what I can get locally. I think I have seen both the penofin and FG's duckback products here.
How do you post a picture here? You could see why I'm a bit nervous.
Thanks everyone!
Aloha Tai
Posting pics: Actually, you'd probably "Attach" the pic. At the bottom of the composition window, when you're replying to a post or starting a thread, there is an orange button labelled "Attach Files." Click on that, it will lead you through the process. If you have any questions, post to me here and I'll help.
If you don't see the Attach Files button, you're probably in "Basic View" and need to switch to "Advanced View."forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
What if you applied all the products listed in these responses for the accumulated worth? You wish. Having built a georgeous mahogony boat, I lean toward what Ed Harrow suggests, as I've seen the test results for five-year-clear over a good epoxy, but with the detail you mention, and the description of Penofin, I suppose the penetrating oil is the best in any detail carving or whatever.
So I was thinking that maybe the best of both worlds? I used WEST epoxy with the 207 hardener for sunlight protection, then varnish over, which is currently the standard in marine wood coating for the highest longevity (Smith's system included), so maybe you could seal some of the end grain areas with this epoxy as well as areas near the joints where water will collect, then penofin over the whole thing?
Having made cedar benches as well as this boat, I know your issues, and I'd do this combo idea. Did you bed your fasteners in waterproof glue, preferably epoxy or polyurethane?
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