# Shellac for planter box?



## TravisN (Jan 15, 2019)

Hello all,

I'm in the final stages of building a planter box out of flatsawn white oak. I picked white oak for its excellent weathering properties. Still, I'm wondering if I should consider some type of finish just to help prolong its life. I live in Phoenix and we have blistering summers. I think UV is definitely more of a concern than water, though I plan to line the inside with plastic and I've heard moisture can get trapped between the lining and the wood.

I was thinking about using fresh shellac from chips; I'm new to shellac but I understand water resistance is much improved when made fresh vs pre-mixed. I was thinking shellac because it is easy to touch-up/repair and I expect any outdoor finish needs frequent work. I know spar varnishes are more common, but to get a quality spar varnish is costly and even then I understand they are usually only good for a couple of years. Since the oak should weather well on its own, I thought shellac might be an easy way to give it just a little help. But I've also heard shellac doesn't do well outdoors.

So…. should I just leave the wood raw, or would shellac (or another easy to repair) finish be beneficial?


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

Shellac is not an outdoor finish. You will probably get some clouding of the finish from moisture relatively rapidly. I would recommend a deck oil that is not a film finish. You will have to re-apply every year or so, but won't have to strip it down like you would with a long oil varnish.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Travis it's not a good idea for your finished project. I recommend you make a test piece on some scraps shellac it and see how it does.
Remember outdoor stuff is up against Mother Nature. And the Sun both are titans in their own way.

Good Luck


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

I have, just for fun, tried shellac outside once. It was the door step from our deck into the kitchen of all things. The wood was douglas fir. I was actually surprised how well it held up. Here in San Francisco the door step was mostly exposed to sun, since not a lot of rain made it directly onto the step (a deck above). Nevertheless, eventually it sort of came off, also because it was stepped on, too, of course.

Our deck had been finished with whatever super durable outdoor finish. About a year or so later it looked like crap. Some areas are OK, the areas where most rain hit or where we walked over the most, were almost down to the bare wood. The "contrast" between the finished and unfinished parts is just plain ugly.

We have outdoor furniture that is teak. I clean it thoroughly once a year, and apply linseed oil. That works quite well for a few month. Rain seems to be the enemy on those. I also made a steel table with a redwood top. The redwood held up quite nicely, I oil it once a year just like the teak.

For your planter, I would take Paul's advice and just oil it. It won't last long, but any other finishes will be a bit of a pain to refinish, since they don't "weather" evenly.


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## TravisN (Jan 15, 2019)

> Shellac is not an outdoor finish. You will probably get some clouding of the finish from moisture relatively rapidly. I would recommend a deck oil that is not a film finish. You will have to re-apply every year or so, but won't have to strip it down like you would with a long oil varnish.
> 
> - Hammerthumb


This is exactly what I was looking for! I had never heard of that product but it sounds like just the type of finish I was imagining.


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## TravisN (Jan 15, 2019)

> I have, just for fun, tried shellac outside once. It was the door step from our deck into the kitchen of all things. The wood was douglas fir. I was actually surprised how well it held up. Here in San Francisco the door step was mostly exposed to sun, since not a lot of rain made it directly onto the step (a deck above). Nevertheless, eventually it sort of came off, also because it was stepped on, too, of course.
> 
> Our deck had been finished with whatever super durable outdoor finish. About a year or so later it looked like crap. Some areas are OK, the areas where most rain hit or where we walked over the most, were almost down to the bare wood. The "contrast" between the finished and unfinished parts is just plain ugly.
> 
> ...


 Great advice, and thank you for sharing your experiences. I have a much better idea what to do now


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

I learned something too  I had no idea that white oak was great for outdoors. All I ever heard was teak, cedar, and redwood.


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

For an outside piece subject to alot of moisture and sun, like a planter, I would use marine spar varnish, the first two coats or so thinned 75/25 M.S,/varnish, so it really penetrates the wood. You could rubout the glossy finish if that isnt what youre after.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

As much as I like a stained finish product I went with paint. Using the liners will protect the inside but he outside still take a outside beating…I have had thee up several years and haven't had to repaint yet…


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## TravisN (Jan 15, 2019)

> I learned something too  I had no idea that white oak was great for outdoors. All I ever heard was teak, cedar, and redwood.
> 
> - DrTebi


Yes, I don't know why it is always skipped over in those conversations (do a google search for good wood for planter boxes and it's teak, redwood, cedar, or cypress). But white oak is rated as very durable and was the wood of choice for wine barrels and often boats.


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## TravisN (Jan 15, 2019)

> As much as I like a stained finish product I went with paint. Using the liners will protect the inside but he outside still take a outside beating…I have had thee up several years and haven t had to repaint yet…
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those are lovely! Great contrast against your house!


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