Outdoor Finishing Question

I would try Minwax Helmsman spar urethane. It’s supposedly UV resistant and can expand with temperature/humidity changes without cracking. I’ve never actually used it for an outdoor piece, though.

About the best finish for outdoors is Sikkens and it is really expensive. Last time I used it I think it was $75 per gallon and it is only sold through distributors.

Any type of oil that is rated for exterior use will protect the wood but still allow it to turn silver over time. There are no U.V. inhibitors like in the Sikkens product.

Many of the guys I know use Messmers instead of Sikkens and it is more widely available at the chain hardware stores.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com

One other thing to keep in mind when it comes to outdoor finishes is this, regular maintenance is much easier and less costly than letting the finish deteriorate to the point of needing stripped.

The surface coat is sacrificial. It should get a light sanding and a new coat applied every couple of years or as necessary depending on the project’s needs.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com

Thanks for your input, Sikens I’m quite familiar with, my home is board and batten and it took 17 gallons to complete. :)

-- Canadian Wood Chuck (Bruce)

Sometime in the last year, FWW had an article on exterior finishes. The best is several coats of thinned epoxy, followed by a UV inhibiting varnish or polyurethane.
http://www.finewoodworking.com//item/13849/the-ultimate-outdoor-finish

-- Gerry, http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/CNC_Woodworker.html

Gerry – I missed that one, I will have to check it out.

I admit that I gravitate towards canned products due to my background as a remodeling contractor.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com

I remember that test in FWW and the conclusion was that a marine varnish was best and that epoxy with poly which had uv inhibitors wasn’t any better than the poly alone. Sorry Gerry, I’m not trying to be ornery, but if you reread that article you will see I’m right.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Outdoor Oil made by general finishes. used it on my adirondack chairs and it is holding up nicely.

-- dan "insert pithy woodworking coment here"

Thanks everyone – I’ll check the article out
Woodmaster I love your avtar, the outdoor oil sounds interesting, now to find General finishes in Canada :)

-- Canadian Wood Chuck (Bruce)

I re-read the article (at least the last paragraph), and the conclusion was that the 7 coats of Epifane varnish was equal to 3 coats of epoxy + 5 coats of Epifane. Both were better than poly alone.

-- Gerry, http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/CNC_Woodworker.html