# Need help on how to finish an outdoor butcher block tabletop



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

I have a new outdoor table for my Big Green Egg and the tabletop for this table is made out of raw butcher block. I plan on using oil-based Minwax penetrating stain. My dilemma is what to do next to seal/finish the top. Obviously, I need to do whatever is best to protect it from the outdoor elements because it is completely exposed and will not be under any cover.

Any suggestions on how to seal/finish the top would be appreciated. Thanks!


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The Minwax stain is an interior stain however you don't want to use that anyway. Minwax stains are bad to fade and being outdoors is asking too much. 

There are a number of different finishes you could use for a finish. What do you want the finished appearance to be? Do you want it to look more like natural wood or a thick plastic finish or something inbetween?


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply. What I'm looking for is the butcher block to be pretty dark. The Minwax Jacobean color looks good on a sample we stained with it. I'm not looking for a thick clear coat of poly, in fact, if it could be stained and then finished and maintained with some sort of oil that would be great.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Hi Steve, thanks for the reply. What I'm looking for is the butcher block to be pretty dark. The Minwax Jacobean color looks good on a sample we stained with it. I'm not looking for a thick clear coat of poly, in fact, if it could be stained and then finished and maintained with some sort of oil that would be great.


The next question is what kind of wood is it? Maybe you could use a fence stain on it. I think this would give you the results you want but it would be something you would have to re-treat a couple times a year.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> The next question is what kind of wood is it? Maybe you could use a fence stain on it. I think this would give you the results you want but it would be something you would have to re-treat a couple times a year.


It's engineered oak that looks like butcher block but is used to deck tractor trailers.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> It's engineered oak that looks like butcher block but is used to deck tractor trailers.


Engineered oak is in a sense plywood. I think you need to find out if it is laminated with exterior glue. Then the face wood you need to find out if it's red oak or white oak. If it's white oak laminated with exterior glue then you are probably alright. If it's made with interior glue then you can expect it to delaminate. Then if it's red oak, the wood is prone to turn black when gotten wet. It will also rot very easily. 

Even if the wood is white oak and exterior glue I would recommend using a marine grade spar varnish. Being a flat surface I wouldn't trust the exterior glue. I would try to keep water off it at all cost.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Engineered oak is in a sense plywood. I think you need to find out if it is laminated with exterior glue. Then the face wood you need to find out if it's red oak or white oak. If it's white oak laminated with exterior glue then you are probably alright. If it's made with interior glue then you can expect it to delaminate. Then if it's red oak, the wood is prone to turn black when gotten wet. It will also rot very easily.
> 
> Even if the wood is white oak and exterior glue I would recommend using a marine grade spar varnish. Being a flat surface I wouldn't trust the exterior glue. I would try to keep water off it at all cost.


Here are some pictures of the sample we used to test stain. I only took pictures of the raw, unsanded side and edge. It's about 1.25" thick. Hope this helps give you a better idea. I REALLY appreciate your help.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

OK, that is different engineered oak than I was thinking. It does appear to be white oak. What is unknown now is if it was laminated with interior or exterior glue. Some of your scraps where there is glue on the surface you might soak with water and see if the glue becomes sticky again. If it's exterior glue it will be unaffected by water. Interior glue will dissolve if soaked long enough.


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

SuperDeck Exterior Oil-Based Transparent Stain......
Quality iron oxide pigments to create lasting colors and inhibit UV damage caused by the sun. Excellent water repellency. This coating contains agents that inhibit the growth of mildew on the surface of the coating. When color has faded and water is readily absorbed by the substrate, prep/clean the surface, allow to dry, and apply a new/fresh coat of wood finish. Product can be applied annually if needed.


https://www.sherwin-williams.com/pa...ilbased-transparent-stain#ratings-and-reviews


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> OK, that is different engineered oak than I was thinking. It does appear to be white oak. What is unknown now is if it was laminated with interior or exterior glue. Some of your scraps where there is glue on the surface you might soak with water and see if the glue becomes sticky again. If it's exterior glue it will be unaffected by water. Interior glue will dissolve if soaked long enough.


Thanks Steve, I will go ahead and take a sample with dried glue on it and let it soak in water all day today and then check it tonight. I'm really hoping it's exterior!


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

ColorStylist said:


> SuperDeck Exterior Oil-Based Transparent Stain......
> Quality iron oxide pigments to create lasting colors and inhibit UV damage caused by the sun. Excellent water repellency. This coating contains agents that inhibit the growth of mildew on the surface of the coating. When color has faded and water is readily absorbed by the substrate, prep/clean the surface, allow to dry, and apply a new/fresh coat of wood finish. Product can be applied annually if needed.
> 
> 
> https://www.sherwin-williams.com/pa...ilbased-transparent-stain#ratings-and-reviews


Really appreciate the suggestion... this is a product I haven't come across yet while researching things. It's overwhelming to me right now trying to find the most appropriate and quality product for my application. It's the reason I just joined this forum yesterday so I could ask the experts! :thumbsup:


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve, I will go ahead and take a sample with dried glue on it and let it soak in water all day today and then check it tonight. I'm really hoping it's exterior!


SuperDeck is used for decks, but it would work great on something like you have. You will have to do preventive maintenance on it, but you have to do that with anything out in the elements.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve, I will go ahead and take a sample with dried glue on it and let it soak in water all day today and then check it tonight. I'm really hoping it's exterior!


Hey Steve, the sample soaked submerged in water since 10 AM this morning. I just removed it and the glue is still hard and not sticky at all. Based on this it seems to be exterior glue.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Hey Steve, the sample soaked submerged in water since 10 AM this morning. I just removed it and the glue is still hard and not sticky at all. Based on this it seems to be exterior glue.


It sounds like you are good to go then. With any deck finish apply it and keep applying stain to the dry spots for about a half hour until it quits accepting the stain and then wipe off the excess. Then every three months for the first year apply a thin coat and allow it to dry. After that annually should be good enough.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> It sounds like you are good to go then. With any deck finish apply it and keep applying stain to the dry spots for about a half hour until it quits accepting the stain and then wipe off the excess. Then every three months for the first year apply a thin coat and allow it to dry. After that annually should be good enough.


Thanks Steve, this is really good news. So do you have any suggestions for a good oil-based deck stain that I could buy locally at one of the home improvement or major brand paint stores? Also... the finish will only be the stain, right? No poly etc.


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve, this is really good news. So do you have any suggestions for a good oil-based deck stain that I could buy locally at one of the home improvement or major brand paint stores? Also... the finish will only be the stain, right? No poly etc.


SuperDeck is available at Sherwin Williams paint stores. Its one of the best deck stain coatings you can buy.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve, this is really good news. So do you have any suggestions for a good oil-based deck stain that I could buy locally at one of the home improvement or major brand paint stores? Also... the finish will only be the stain, right? No poly etc.


Deck finishes are just a stain. Some are clear and some are pigmented so you can apply color and seal in one step. 

I don't do that many decks so I'm reluctant to recommend a brand. The only one I didn't like is Penofin. You couldn't put enough of that stain on a deck to provide any protection at all. The last one I used was Ready Seal. It seemed a bit thin but the customer requested that one and it hasn't been on long enough to tell. It will probably be next month before I'm able to see it again anyway.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

ColorStylist said:


> SuperDeck is available at Sherwin Williams paint stores. Its one of the best deck stain coatings you can buy.


Thanks again, so if I went with SuperDeck that's all I need to apply. No sealer or poly on top?


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks again, so if I went with SuperDeck that's all I need to apply. No sealer or poly on top?


No, just the SuperDeck.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Thanks guys... I bought a gallon of the oil-based SuperDeck semi-transparent today. I'll be applying it Sunday to both sides of that top. I'll post up a picture once done. So, thinking ahead... when it's time to reapply should I sand first and then stain or just reapply?

Also, have another question. I have attached a photo showing the sample piece of wood I'm using for getting the stain test done. The section on the right half is the Jacobean interior Minwax stain that we like. The left half is the SuperDeck that we custom mixed to try and match. The SuperDeck since it's semi-transparent looks a little cloudy. As a test, I tried a small amount of tug oil at the bottom left which really helped.

So my question is, would it hurt anything to add some tung oil after the SuperDeck dries completely? I read that SuperDeck has tung and linseed oil in it. Thanks


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks guys... I bought a gallon of the oil-based SuperDeck semi-transparent today. I'll be applying it Sunday to both sides of that top. I'll post up a picture once done. So, thinking ahead... when it's time to reapply should I sand first and then stain or just reapply?


Unless the top has gotten dirty you should be able to just reapply.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Here's the picture...


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Unless the top has gotten dirty you should be able to just reapply.


Thanks Steve, sorry man but did you see my other question about applying tung oil?


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve, sorry man but did you see my other question about applying tung oil?


I guess I missed that one. It wouldn't hurt anything to put tung oil over the top of the deck finish however I thought the game plan was to avoid applying something like poly over the top. Tung oil would be like applying a thin coat of varnish over the stain and if you applied enough coats of it would start looking glossy in spots. You could even apply enough that it would make a thick plastic coating. Tung oil was originally used to finish wooden boats.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> I guess I missed that one. It wouldn't hurt anything to put tung oil over the top of the deck finish however I thought the game plan was to avoid applying something like poly over the top. Tung oil would be like applying a thin coat of varnish over the stain and if you applied enough coats of it would start looking glossy in spots. You could even apply enough that it would make a thick plastic coating. Tung oil was originally used to finish wooden boats.


Yep, you're right. The way the bottom left corner of that sample looks is a much better looking finish to us. If it doesn't hurt anything to add a light coat over the top of the stain, then we'll probably go that direction. 

I'd try and keep it to only one light coat and then only reapply as needed over time. Would that work okay? Really appreciate your help, just trying not to screw this up! 

:smile3:


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks guys... I bought a gallon of the oil-based SuperDeck semi-transparent today. I'll be applying it Sunday to both sides of that top. I'll post up a picture once done. So, thinking ahead... when it's time to reapply should I sand first and then stain or just reapply?
> 
> Also, have another question. I have attached a photo showing the sample piece of wood I'm using for getting the stain test done. The section on the right half is the Jacobean interior Minwax stain that we like. *The left half is the SuperDeck that we custom mixed to try and match.* The SuperDeck since it's semi-transparent looks a little cloudy. As a test, I tried a small amount of tug oil at the bottom left which really helped.
> 
> So my question is, would it hurt anything to add some tung oil after the SuperDeck dries completely? I read that SuperDeck has tung and linseed oil in it. Thanks


Who is "we"? If Sherwin Williams tinted the SuperDeck and its cloudy looking, then I suggest taking it and your sample back to them and have them fix/adjust it.

Semi-transparent shouldnt look cloudy unless too much pigment is added, or the wrong type of pigment added. If the wrong type of pigment is added, the stain could prematurely fail over time. 

Adding tung oil over the SuperDeck will not hurt anything. What Steve said about adding a film to the stain by using tung oil is correct.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

ColorStylist said:


> Who is "we"? If Sherwin Williams tinted the SuperDeck and its cloudy looking, then I suggest taking it and your sample back to them and have them fix/adjust it.
> 
> Semi-transparent shouldnt look cloudy unless too much pigment is added, or the wrong type of pigment added. If the wrong type of pigment is added, the stain could prematurely fail over time.
> 
> Adding tung oil over the SuperDeck will not hurt anything. What Steve said about adding a film to the stain by using tung oil is correct.


Thanks, it was Sherwin Williams who tinted the stain. "Cloudy" was a poor choice of words. After thinking about it, I believe I confused semi-transparent with cloudy in my view. I was comparing the results to an interior Minwax stain which is transparent. I think I'm okay with the stain.

Another question... once I apply the single coat of SuperDeck and let it dry for a couple of hours, should I cut the Tung oil 50/50 with Mineral Spirits for the first coat? I plan on letting that dry for a week before I add the second coat. Should the second coat be 100% Tung oil or still 50/50?

You guys are fantastic for sharing your expertise and I really appreciate it!


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

We got the table top stained and one coat of 50/50 Tung oil and Mineral Sprits done today. Really pleased with the result. Going to wait until mid-week to apply the second coat of Tung oil.

After the first coat of stain.

















After the 50/50 Tung oil and Mineral Spirits. Removed stain to reveal the finish color we liked.









Laid the top on just to get an idea of how it looks.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Mid-week is too soon for a second coat of tung oil. Tung oil is a very slow drying finish that might take a week to dry enough for a second coat. The best way to tell if the first coat of tung oil is dry is to briskly rub it with a clean dry cloth and see if the tung oil smell rubs off on the rag. When there is no smell it's ready. When you put a second coat of tung oil on I would recommend lightly sanding the surface with 320 grit paper first. This will make the surface smoother and better.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Mid-week is too soon for a second coat of tung oil. Tung oil is a very slow drying finish that might take a week to dry enough for a second coat. The best way to tell if the first coat of tung oil is dry is to briskly rub it with a clean dry cloth and see if the tung oil smell rubs off on the rag. When there is no smell it's ready. When you put a second coat of tung oil on I would recommend lightly sanding the surface with 320 grit paper first. This will make the surface smoother and better.


Thanks Steve, that's exactly what I'll do. Would you suggest another 50/50 ratio for the second coat?


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve, that's exactly what I'll do. Would you suggest another 50/50 ratio for the second coat?


The ratio depends on what you are trying to achieve. The thicker ratio you use the sooner you will get to a film coating. Keep in mind tung oil is very glossy when brought to a film finish.


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve, that's exactly what I'll do. Would you suggest another 50/50 ratio for the second coat?


Yes. I would avoid a film finish. That top looks better with a "close to the wood" appearance.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Thanks guys, really appreciate your time and patience! What I'm really hoping to get is a satin finish that will protect this top from the elements. It will be outdoors and exposed to the weather 24/7. So it sounds like once the initial coat has dried completely, I should go with another 50/50 applied by brush. Sound about right? How many 50/50 coats would be good for my application? I don't mind doing an additional maintenance coat every 6 months or so.

Thanks!


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks guys, really appreciate your time and patience! What I'm really hoping to get is a satin finish that will protect this top from the elements. It will be outdoors and exposed to the weather 24/7. So it sounds like once the initial coat has dried completely, I should go with another 50/50 applied by brush. Sound about right? How many 50/50 coats would be good for my application? I don't mind doing an additional maintenance coat every 6 months or so.
> 
> Thanks!


With any film finish the difference between a glossy finish and a satin finish is a substance called a flattening agent. The more of this flattening agent added to the finish the flatter it gets. I believe there is a flattening agent made for tung oil you could add to it to keep using the tung oil without the gloss. I'm sure it would be something you would have to mail order if available. Just keep in mind the flattening agent makes the finish less water resistant.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> With any film finish the difference between a glossy finish and a satin finish is a substance called a flattening agent. The more of this flattening agent added to the finish the flatter it gets. I believe there is a flattening agent made for tung oil you could add to it to keep using the tung oil without the gloss. I'm sure it would be something you would have to mail order if available. Just keep in mind the flattening agent makes the finish less water resistant.


Thanks Steve! So what do you think, 50/50 coats from now on? How many would be good for all-weather protection?


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks Steve! So what do you think, 50/50 coats from now on? How many would be good for all-weather protection?


With mixing it 50/50 you are only putting the tung oil on half as thick. The thicker you apply the tung oil the more water resistant it would be. You can tell by looking at it if the wood is completely covered with the finish. It's difficult to say how many coats as the finish would vary from brand to brand and I never use a finish mixed 50/50. You seem to be heading down the road of a film finish. I believe if I was going that route I would use a marine grade spar varnish instead of tung oil. Epifanes varnish would be the best choice for that.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> With mixing it 50/50 you are only putting the tung oil on half as thick. The thicker you apply the tung oil the more water resistant it would be. You can tell by looking at it if the wood is completely covered with the finish. It's difficult to say how many coats as the finish would vary from brand to brand and I never use a finish mixed 50/50. You seem to be heading down the road of a film finish. I believe if I was going that route I would use a marine grade spar varnish instead of tung oil. Epifanes varnish would be the best choice for that.


Thanks Steve, I'm not intentionally heading down a road since I admittedly no next to nothing about this process. If weather protection is my goal using a Tung oil finish then it sounds like my next coat should be 100% pure Tung oil. I'll see what it looks like and how water reacts after the second 100% coat dries/cures completely. Appreciate it!


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Guys... I'm not sure what happened here. After applying a third coat of 50/50 tung oil & mineral spirits the finish dried after 3 days to a odd milky looking finish. I have no idea what happened. I have not yet sanded it with 220 grit or done any kind of buffing, but this is not what I was hoping for. It looked fine after the first two coats but the third coat, which was applied exactly the same way resulted in a much different dry finish.

Any thoughts or suggestions of how I can minimize or eliminate the milky look would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> Guys... I'm not sure what happened here. After applying a third coat of 50/50 tung oil & mineral spirits the finish dried after 3 days to a odd milky looking finish. I have no idea what happened. I have not yet sanded it with 220 grit or done any kind of buffing but this is not what I was hoping for. It looked fine after the first two coats but the third coat, which was applied exactly the same way resulted in a much different dry finish.
> 
> Any thoughts or suggestions of how I can minimize or eliminate the milky look would be greatly appreciated.


Seems the coat of tung oil blushed.

Try to wet sand lightly over a small area with 0000 steel wool and Naptha and see if it goes away. 

If not, you will have to obtain a can of blush remover and spray over it. This will open up the finish and allow the moisture to escape. You can buy it here:
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.516862/sc.2/category.112956/.f

It says it used for exterior use only, but this will be ok in your instance.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Guys... I'm not sure what happened here. After applying a third coat of 50/50 tung oil & mineral spirits the finish dried after 3 days to a odd milky looking finish. I have no idea what happened. I have not yet sanded it with 220 grit or done any kind of buffing, but this is not what I was hoping for. It looked fine after the first two coats but the third coat, which was applied exactly the same way resulted in a much different dry finish.
> 
> Any thoughts or suggestions of how I can minimize or eliminate the milky look would be greatly appreciated.


Was the weather damp when you applied the third coat? Moisture from the air can get into a finish making it look milky. I'm not sure what cold weather would do to tung oil but if it's below 50 degrees where you are you shouldn't be using it.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

ColorStylist said:


> Seems the coat of tung oil blushed.
> 
> Try to wet sand lightly over a small area with 0000 steel wool and Naptha and see if it goes away.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply! I'll need to find Naptha locally. Is it available at any major retailers etc?


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Was the weather damp when you applied the third coat? Moisture from the air can get into a finish making it look milky. I'm not sure what cold weather would do to tung oil but if it's below 50 degrees where you are you shouldn't be using it.


It wasn't damp (rain etc.) when the third coat was applied but maybe humidity was high, not sure. I live in Tennessee so it can certainly get pretty cold at times. Today's high was right at 50°.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> It wasn't damp (rain etc.) when the third coat was applied but maybe humidity was high, not sure. I live in Tennessee so it can certainly get pretty cold at times. Today's high was right at 50°.


Temperature and humidity can really adversely affect finishing work. I keep a thermometer/hygrometer in my shop to keep an eye on the weather to decide whether to finish or not. Between being away from the shop a lot and the humidity I've had a customer's dining room table in my shop since July refinishing the top. Every time I have the opportunity to work on it the humidity is running 75 to 80 percent so it just sits. You just have to have the right conditions or don't do it. Your counter if the finish is actually blushed since it has dried will have to be stripped and start over. If you wipe the counter down with a solvent like mineral spirits or naphtha and the counter is still has the white haze while wet with the solvent then the humidity got it. 

If you do end up having to strip the counter you won't be able to use a paint stripper. Strippers pretty much shut down below 70 degrees. This time of year you might try stripping the counter with lacquer thinner. Be sure to do this outside as the fumes are highly flammable (explosively).


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> Thanks for the reply! I'll need to find Naptha locally. Is it available at any major retailers etc?


I think Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart has it. I think Sherwin Williams has it too.


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

TechnoVol said:


> It wasn't damp (rain etc.) when the third coat was applied but maybe humidity was high, not sure. I live in Tennessee so it can certainly get pretty cold at times. Today's high was right at 50°.


Im in Virginia and its been cold now for a week, also raining here and there. In saying that, the weather here would not allow me to apply tung oil outside, I would have to bring it inside to apply it. 

Maybe you can take the top off and get it right first, then take it back outside and put it back on the base?


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

You can get naphtha almost anyplace you can get mineral spirits. Even Walmart has it.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Your counter if the finish is actually blushed since it has dried will have to be stripped and start over. If you wipe the counter down with a solvent like mineral spirits or naphtha and the counter is still has the white haze while wet with the solvent then the humidity got it.


Thanks Steve, each of these coats was applied indoors in a shop that was kept above 65° during application/drying. Today I'm going to find Naphtha and after I wet sand a small area using 0000 steel wool, I will wipe it with Naphtha and see if the haze goes away while wet. I suppose if it goes away while the Naphtha is still wet but is milky again in the area after it dries it means I'll need to start over.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

ColorStylist said:


> I think Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart has it. I think Sherwin Williams has it too.


Thanks, I'll go looking for it today.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

ColorStylist said:


> Im in Virginia and its been cold now for a week, also raining here and there. In saying that, the weather here would not allow me to apply tung oil outside, I would have to bring it inside to apply it.
> 
> Maybe you can take the top off and get it right first, then take it back outside and put it back on the base?


Thanks, as you may seen above in my reply to Steve, I applied these coats indoors. The table with top are now outdoors so any work I do on it to try and repair the finish will be done there. Really appreciate the help.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> You can get naphtha almost anyplace you can get mineral spirits. Even Walmart has it.


Yep, thanks. I'm on the hunt for it today. Probably won't have a chance to try the test until tomorrow with all the rain we're having today.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Well the wet sanding and Naphtha didn't help. Looks like I'll need to just sand it back down to bare wood and start over this spring when it warms up. I really appreciate you guys trying to help me out.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

TechnoVol said:


> Well the wet sanding and Naphtha didn't help. Looks like I'll need to just sand it back down to bare wood and start over this spring when it warms up. I really appreciate you guys trying to help me out.


Sorry we couldn't be more help. There are just so many factors to finishing it's difficult to help from thousands of miles away. We just can't know what conditions you are under.


----------



## TechnoVol (Dec 7, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Sorry we couldn't be more help. There are just so many factors to finishing it's difficult to help from thousands of miles away. We just can't know what conditions you are under.


Yep, no worries. I always like learning new stuff. This didn't work out like I'd hoped but it's okay, I can sand it down and try again. :thumbsup:


----------

